Ripley County democrat., 1916-06-09
New Battaiions Have Completely
Engu!fed the Old Regu.
/ lar Force.
HOLD 100 MILES OF FRONT
Never Have There Been SO Many Ger
man and Allied Trocpn on the
Western Front---ooetors Help
tho Civilians.
ey FREDERICK PAL MER.

British Headquarters. France.--A
correspondent who has been absent
for eix months from the British front
Ia amazed upon his return at the In
crease In numbers Of mon, guns and
equipment The numerous battalions
of the new army which have arrived
have engulfed the old regular army.
Not one officer In ten whom one meets
has had any military service before
the war
Nov one must ride hundred miles
to pass the British front Khaki is
thick In the viIlases OF the Somme
country as we'll as In those of north
ern Belgium. Tho British hold the fa-
nous Labyrinth" Gs well as Ypree
and Loos.
In the course OF the taking over Of
long section Of the French line,
which freed French troops for sery'
ice, hundreds OF miles Of wire had to
be laid. transport organized. head
quarters moved. new corps and diyi-
sions created ond commanders ap-
pointed.
In the last few months new men
have come into positions Of responsi'
bility. Men who entered the army as
second lieutensnts have become cap.
tains without yet being old enough TO
vote. Majors have become eolonels
and generGia
1--WE DO not know when the war will
be over, but ve DO know that spring
is here" say the soldiers. The sec
ond winter In the trenches Is fin
ished. Its chill. wet monotony is over.
Before another winter-well. what
will happen this summer? The growth
OF the army and the sun drawing the
moisture out Of the mud emphasized
the universal question.
Face Big German Army.
Never, 80 far as one can learn. have
there been 60 many Germans and 80
many allied troops on the western
front as at this time. Next TO the
verdun region. the German concentra-
ton Is heaviest In face Of the British
OF any section from the North sea to
Switzerland. No German troops have
been drawn off from the British front
az re-enforcements for the attack on
Verdun.
One side or the other demolishes Q
section OF enemy trench by exploding
mines or by artillery concentration.
Then the infantry rushes the trench.
gathers In some prisoners. does what
damage Il can and returns 10 its own
trench.
In the morasses OF the Ypree salient
and the Loos region nothing more
could bo done. though q winter attack
might be possible In high country like
that around verdun.
Much ingenuity has been, shown by
both sides In these trench raids. But
no sooner has one side worked out
o new trick than the other learns
how to counter It.
Mud" was the reason given IN o
word by an officer why the British
could not attack In winter to relieve
the pressure on verdun.
1T was the season the Germans
would have chosen for US to attack"
he added.
Doctors Hs'p cIv'IIana
Recently bundle Of reports which
throw interesting light oa the work
Of peace the British army 10 doing In
France was collected at headquarters.
They came from army medical officers
ell the way from the fighting line back
TO the hospitals at the bases far from
the zone of shell Gre. and told OF the
service which the army doctors have
been rendering to the civil population.
France itself has been depleted OF
doctors. The young ones who did not
go to the front as medical officers or
TO the army hospitals, went to fight
In many villages any British army
doctor who happened to be stationed
there took the place of the local prac-
titioner.
These simple reports reveal the suf-
fering and the sacrifice OF the French !
population who have received free
medical service from the allies.
Surgeons go from the operating Ia |
Bile TO set the broken leg Of Q boy
who has fallen out Of tree or to lance
a felon; from the clearing station,
where the white-bandnged wounded |
pass through. to look at the baby with |
the collie in Q neighboring peasants
cottage.
There are many records Of shell |
wounds both to women and children
who have gone on living and working
In the danger zone His numerous /
patients became so fond OF one Brit
fsh doctor, who refused TO take any
pay, as all do, that the children called
him Papa Angiais," and when he waa
transferred TO another post they took
up a subscription and made aim o
preseAs