The daily Alaskan., 1917-09-04


 WV front line trenches in Belgium
 We relieved the Twenty-sixth Canadian battalion. Scouts from that organization came back to the villages of Dinkiebusch and Renninghelst to tell US how glad they were to see us and to show us the way in. As we proceeded overland, before reaching the communication trenches at the front, these scouts paid US the hosptta- ble attention due strungers-that is, one of them, leading a platoon. would say:
 Next 200 yards tn machine gun range. Keep quiet, don't TuH and be ready to drop quick if you are warned"
 There was one scout to each platoon, and we followed him single file, most of the time along roads or well worn paths but sometimes through thickets and ragged fields Every now and then the scout would yell at US to drop, and down we'd go on our stomachs, while away off In the distance we could hear the "put-put'' of maehine guns. the first sound of hostile firing that had ever reached our cara
 Its all right" said the scout. "They haven't seen US or got track Of us. They're just firing on suspicion"
 Nevertheless, when our various pla- toous had all got into the front reserve trenches, at about two hours after mid night. we learned that the first blood of our battalion had heen spilled. Two men had been wounded, though neither fatally Our own stFetcher bearers took our wounded back to the field hospital at Diukiebusch. Tue men Of the Twenty-Sixth battalion spent the rest of the night instructtug US and then left US to hold the position. We were as nervous ns H lot of cats, and it seemed to me t'Hr the Germans must certainly k~a" that they could come over and walk right through us, but outside of a few casualties from sniping. such as the one that befell the Fourteenth platoon man, which l have told about, nothing very alarming happened the first day and night, and bv that time we had got steady on our iob. We held the position for twenty six days. which Is the longest period that any Canadian or British organtza- tion has ever remained In front line trench.
 In none of the stories I've read have I ever seen trench fighting as 1t was carried on in Belgium adequately de- scribed. You see, you can't get much of an idea about a thing like that mak- ing a quick tour of the trenches under official direction and escort as the newspaper and magazine writers do. l couldn't undertake to tell anything worth while about the big issues Of the war. but can describe bow soldiers have to learn to nght In the trenches, and think a good many of our young fellows have that to learn now. "OVer there" they don't talk of peace or even of tomorrow. They sit back and take 1t.
 We always held the 6re trench as lightly as possible, because 1t is a demonstrated fact that the front ditch cannot be successfully defended In a determined attack The thing we did and the thing to do is to be ready to jump on to the enemy as soon, as he has got into your front trench and Is fighting on ground that you know and be doesn't and knock so many Kinds of tar out of him that he'll have to pull bis load for a spot that isn't so warm That system worked first rate with uE
 During the day we had only a very few men in the fire trench. If an at" tack Is coming in daylight there's al' ways plenty of time to get ready for 1t. At night we kept prepared for trouble all the time. We had night sentry on each firing step and a man sitting at his feet to watch him to see he wasn't secretly sniped. Then we had a sentry in each 'bay" of the trench to take messages - l Orders didn't permit the man on the firing step or the man watching him to leave post on any excuse whatever