The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-16

funny, doesn't it? But it's q fact
Strife had come with the Prussians,
and q hot and terrible time we had.
But It soon ended. Things had been
coming to a head in the interval
the bigger things. mean-and some
thing which happened further down
the line had its effect on the trenches
opposite us.
One fine morning we discovered the
Prussians gone, the trenches empty,
in fact. That part OF the line had
become untenable for the Germans
The birds had flown.
So you see why have a sentimental
wish that the father and son may be
Saxons. They seem to me to be the
only section of the enemy who de-
served the Joys of that reunion.
The Prussian Is an evil brute. Ev-
| erybody says So, and everybody is
right. We encountered him often af-
ter that, and could have forgiven him
his sturdy fighting qualities, which
are to his credit as a soldier. but his
trtckery. after he gives in,s or affects
to give In. and his insolence even af-
ter captured, we could not forgive.
Nobody. appreciates better than Tom
my the grim truth; of the saying that
4 the only good Prussian is dead one!
j By the way. talking of the round
ing UP Of the Germans on the day I
came upon. the boy, reminds me Of
another extraordinary incident, pa
i thetic too, but with a different sort
Il of pathos. 49,
Part Of the ground we were trav-
4 ersing was just one vast honeycomb
Of crater holes Rain had been fall
ing the previous night The whole
aground was sticky, something awful
). and at places the water had collected
In pools, ugly looking and dangerous
q too, If you happened to fall into ono.
Il Some Of US were making our way
across this horrid mess when one OF
the boys suddenly stopped, and point
ed to a figure sitting on the edge OF a
big shell hole. It was that of a Ger
Eman- He seemed most intent upon
some piece Of work or other. We be-
: came quite excited, especially as he
did not see us, and creeping up as
quietly as we could. we were soon
standing, ha1f-a-dozen of us, right al
: his back
You couldn't guess in a thousand
years what he was doing.
He was fishingi
Yes, just that
, What tragedy! He held a rifle
in his hand. At the end of it he had
!. a piece of string. and there he sat
poor, dwelling maniac, dreaming
probably, that he was on the bank,
|. of some peaceful stream at home.
Even the incident Of the boy-Ger.
man was not SO pathetic somehow. We
> got him induced to leave the spot, and
took him back to our lines. It wal
; obvious what had happened Tn.
roaring terror Of our artillery, which
had poured over that area for nearl,
a fortnight, had unhinged his mind
: and there he sat, oblivious of al
around him, but probably happ,
enough in own crazy way. It wa.
; "a terrible illustration Of the life thes,
Germans had been compelled to liv,
under our. unending bombardment.
These are some Of my most vivit
recol1ections Of the battle front, a;par
from actual fighting. AS to that, I'v
had my share OF It, but my expert
ences are simply Of others
One thing must say, however, an
= :, that is that the Germans although
obviously on the down-grade, both a
2 regards physique and morale, are sti
: putting up a very stiff fight. and i
VIII need a strong pull before w
bring them down.
But then, on the other hand, Tor,
my ts all the more confident He ha
seen how beautifully the Somme. tn
!. Ancre, Vimy, Messines and Fiander
= were managed.
He knows-knows, mind vol
does not merely hope or guess-tha
brains are there to think for him, an
the guns are there to back him III
And. aware of these facts, he pitche
= Into Fritz, just as hard as he know
how. whenever the opportunity come
- his way.
So that be the struggle long q
= short, he feels sure that he'll com
" out all right In the end. And that
Z. half the battle. (By the Internations
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