Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-12-24
WHERE ENEMIES ARE
IN CLOSE TOUCH
Standing Guard Over Each
Other on the Mountains
Of Alsace.

30 bt'p III SHOW tne listening uOSt
OF the French and Germans are with.
/, In few yards OF each other on tn,
slopes of the ilartsmannswcilorl(
with the French In possession of tho
dominating position. For many
tmonths this part ~ the 'front.' has been
the quictcst portion of the line. altho
the opposing troops are in such close
, touch. Sometimes days pass without
a shot being fired hut Just on the
day when the Associated Press CORE
spondent visited the most advanced
line daring raid was carried out 10y
French detachment The object
was 10 capture "A German prisoner
in order to discover the composition
or the forces In front Of the French
POSITIONS. The exploit was accom-
plshed 50 well that a party OF 10
prisoners was brought back and not
man of the French detachment was
injured
The lines of the French and Ger
/ mans on this height are go near to-
gether that the troops occasionally
engage in sharp battle with stones
intermingled often with hand gre
nades. and those encounters are inter.
spercod 10y short artillery duels
which wi++out exception conclude by
the silcncing OF the German guns.
oItcn mentioned In News.
The summit of the mountains. In
the hands Of the French since last
January, has been mentioned prob
ably as often as any part of the line
owing To the fiercencss ~ the fight
ing Tor It's possession. II is not how
ever considered of prime importance
from n strategic point of view, altho
its ownership permits the troops in
ing country. The effect of holding il
Is greater for the moral value than
from any other consideration.
Thc correspondent was permitted
10 advance even beyond the front
German trench and was able 10 study
at close hand the system of defense
I'm troduced to meet conditions quite
different from those prevailing at
those sectors Of the line where the |
fighting men face each other under |
normal conditions OF modern war
fare.
To arrive at the front line on the |
Hartsmannsweilcrkopf a. long cIirob |
up sharply winding paths has to be
undertaken Mile after mile along
the edge of steep precipices and slopes
sometimes bare and sometimes COW
cred thickly with pines and fir~
brings one at last 10 the zone where
the armies watch closely each others
movements: Dotted here and there
are huts and shacks and battery DO
sitions so well hidden that their
presence is not discernihle until
pointed out.
Standing Guard In Snow.
When the danger zone is reached
the character of the scenery changes
Much of the summit is clear of trees.
which have been either fellcd or shot
away, The ground is broken up by
trenches and rocky heaps. Scattered
about in sheltered positions are de-
achments of troops always alert.
some portions are exposed to direct
Ire from German batteries on other
md lower SUBMITS OF the surround
ng hills
Nhen the correspondent visited the
mountain in the last days of Noven-
ler snow covered the ground To n
iepth of nearly "A foot. lie and his
companions with guides-the party
vas made small as possible owing to
he risk involved-madc their wav
autiously toward the front trench.
FROM this the German line could
asily he distinguished and stretching
way for miles on either side could
e seen the tops of the posts sup
anglements buried partly in snow. {
'hich in the bright sunshine took on ,
reddish color.
In spite of the hardships brought
bout the cold and wind in the hills
Dgether with the arduous work of
laklng roads and bringing up sun
lies over the rocky hillsides many
the officers and men have become
accustomed TO their surroundings
nat they decline to he relieved and
'nt to the rear to enjoy the rare
eriods of rest accorded to the fight
X forces
Can Have No Fires.
The men in the front line like their {
)mrades at other parts of the front
retchng from Switzerland to the
orth Sea, have to content them
lives with the shelter afforded by
lgouts. There they keep warm by 4
cans of heavy clothing, as there is G
'ril in lighting fires even under
'ver. The conformation of the
'ounds, however, permits the ap-
'oach OF supply details, and under Z
ost circumstances at least one hot
cal daily is provided. The cold is '
piercing that it has been found
cessary TO shorten the period of
Ity in the open. Even the hardy
ountaineers composing the troops
lpioyed mere cannot resist the sharp
,sts while standing rigidly on guard Z
many hours at n time. The new
stem of quick reliefs has been found
work very well, and there is as
1ishingly little suffering and no !
mplaint on the part of the men.
Further down the hillslopes. in the E
'ond and third lines. the men are p
u housed in comfortable shacks. "A
'lch they find way of heating
re the men gather when their
Ily duty Of building roads. digging
inches and transporting supplies is + =
ished, and they contrive to make e
,mselves quite at home. :
The chaplain with the regiment !
" on duty in the front line has been
the mouptain side and summit four II
nths without once decending to
valley He has started for the
lefit or the men cooperative =
re which he has established in n
g In the rock. Here the men are
e to purchase at cost price almost
thing In the way OF inner comfort
around 1t they gather to read
lr newspapers and letters and to
hange opinions on the news of tho
. Close by is n small open air
pei, where the chaplain holds n
y service. When the fighting is
M l.A -.