The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-08-28
LEARN TO KEEP COVER
American Spirit Averse to This Part
of Warfare.

W
One of the greatest problems Amer
ican officers have before them is Inn
pressing upon their men the absolute
Importance Of learning the best ways
of keeping under cover, says the AS
sociated Press. The American sol
dier is not natural "digger-in.' He
is much like his Canadian brother in
arms in that respect. for it is an old
saying on the British front that Ca
nadians will die in the last ditch, but
never dig 1t.
1t is the American spirit. as II was
that of the Canadians, to up-take and
fight, but the world war has passed
that stage, and now in the long wear
and worry of a struggle Of attrition
| the best commander is the one who
best conserves his men by keeping
| them under cover. One of the great
reasons why the Germans still are in
France and Belgium is their wonder
| full facility for digging themselves in.
| They have passion for it and an in
| centiye also, for the Allied artillery
never ceases TO pound them day and
| night.
| The German belief that they can
| dig facter than a modern army can
advance is one of the principles of
their defensive tactics. Nothwith-
standing all that has been told along
this line. Notwithstanding the heroic
efforts to rouse his enthusiasm over
the pick and shovel, the American
soldier has remained decidedly luke
warm. He came to France to fight
the Germans, he says, ana not to dig
hole and look at them through n
spy-glass The French. Canadian, and
Australian soldiers all resent the
idea of digging-in and would not ad'
nit the necessity OF doing so until
bitter losses taught them dearly
bought lesson.
| II Is purely a matter OF tempera'
ment, and there seems to be little
doubt now that only actual battle eX
perience will convince American sol
diers that the ability TO take advant
age of any bit Of cover is one OF the
greatest assets the modern manat
arms can have. 1T seems shame
to have to curb the first fine fighting
spirit of cur troops said an Ameri
can training officer yesterday, "bu
the men must be made to understand
as far as possible that impetuositl
must be subordinated to steadiness
This has become time-clock war
The men must advance in given time
l ,I .tn az Ia
( fantry advance must first be WORKED
( out with the artillery, and when tn,
| plan is arranged II must be strictl,
+ adhered to.
4 I'VE realize that II will be Difficult
G to hold our men to this plan. II the
see battle going on. their iavorit
4 impulse will be to push on as fast a
/. they can, and some are bound to d
S so, just as the Canadians did In th
# earlier stages. We will ndouhtedl
have big losses In this way, but tn
d men who come through our first ba
@ ties will be worth their weight
a gold thereafter. They will lear
II quickly the value of stcadiness an
|. absolute discipline under fire, an
q they VIII be the stoadying iniuent
a. we can distribute through the new'
A. units of our great army as they e
" their final preparation for trial |
FIRE"
The fighting man has n natural n
tipathy to dgging.in. Even in theI
late months of war British '"Toi
ID mics" would much rather rema
above ground and stand chances
III getting killed by she'll than to d
W deep dugouts like the Germans.
n. planning the battle of Messin
" Ridge, which was a model OF clea
10 cut victory. the British army Co
tn mander took into account the hghtil
mans point Of view. and when q
OF advance had reached stage whe
II gave the British covered hi