The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-08-25
AMERICANS Want
TO FIGHT, THEY
D|SLIK { PICKS
Officers Have Difficulty Re-
straining Spirit of Their
Charges.

AMERICAN TRAINING CAMP IN
FRANCE, Aug. 25.-(By The Associat,
ed Press)-One of the greatest prob
lens American officers have before
them is impressing upon their men
the absolute importance OF learning
the best ways of keeping under cover.
The American soldier Is not a nat
ural "digger-in" He is much like his
Canadian brother In arms in that re
spect for 1t is an old saying on the
British front that Canadians will die
in the last ditch but never dig 1t.
II is the American spirit as it was
that of the Canadians to. up-stake and
fight, but the world war has long since
passed that stage and now In the long
wear and worry of a struggle OF at
triton the best commander is the one
who best conserves his men by keep
ing them under cover.
Germans Can Dig In
One of the great reasons why the
Germans are still In France and Bel.
gium is their wonderful facility for
digging in. They have a perfect pas
sion for it and an incentive as we'll
for the allied artillery never ceases
10 mound them day and night
The German belief that they can dig
faster than a modern army can ad.
vance Is one of the principles OF their
defensive tactics. Notwithstanding all
that has been told along this line, not
withstgnding the heroic efforts to
rouse his enthusiasm over the pick
end shovel, the American soldier has
remained decidedly lukewarm.
He came to France to fight the Ger
mans, he says, and not to dig hole
end look at them through spyglass.
The French. Canadian and Australian
soldiers all resent the idea of digging
in and would admit the necessity Of
so doing had they not learned by bit
ter experience the lesson
Matter Of Temperament
II is purely matter of tempera-
ment and there seems to be little
doubt now that pnly 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 man at
arms can have.
1T seems a shame to have to curb
the frst line fighting spirit of our
troops" said an American training
officer Yesterday, "but the men must
be made to understand as far as pos
sible that impetuosity must be subor-
dinated to steadiness. This has be-
come a time clock war. The men
must advance in given time and go
TO further. Every step Of Infantry
advance must first be worked out with
artillery and when the plan is arrang-
ed it must be strictly adhered to.
I'VE realize that it will be difficult
to hold our men to this plan. If they
see a battle going on their favorite
impulse will be to push on as fast
as they can and some are bound to
do so just as the Canadians did in
the earlier stages.
Will Be Worth Weight in Gold
I'VE will undoubtedly have big loss
es in this way but the men who come
through our first battles will be worth
their weight in gold thereafter.
They will learn quickly the value
OF steadiness and absolute discipline
under fire and they will be the steady
ing influence we can distribute through
the newer units of our great army as
they get their final preparation for
trial by fire"
The natural fighting man, it seems.
has natural antipathy to digging in.
Even in these late months of war
British Tommies would much rather
remain above ground and stand
chances of getting killed by shells
than to dig deep dugouts so adored by
the Germans.
I'm planning the battle Of Messines
Ridge which was a model OF a clean
out victory, the British army comman-
der took into account the fighting
mans point Of view and when the ad-
vance had reached stage where 1t
gave the British covered high ground
the fighting men were directed to take
rest while specially organized labor
hattalions were rushed up from the
rear to do the necessary digging and
consolidating Of new trenches so as to
make them thoroughly proof against
counter attack.
Fighting Men Unhampered
The result was that the fighting
men we're unhampered and unworried
by the necessity Of digging, went for
ward later in the day and took objec-
tives that were rather hoped for than
actually expected. These are the tao
llI5 lL0 &iIllSiINdll uSAlIH5 ludh NOuiu
hike to see. They appeal to him but
Just now he is being put through a
pretty stiff course of digging.
This does not apply to digging
trenches alone. He is being taught
how to dig himself in individually
While lying fat on the ground in face
Of, enemy fire, thus getting temporary
shelter and the protection Of sort
of grave-like excavation.
II Is not so often nowadays, how
ever. that a man has actually to dig
himself in on solid ground for there is
seldom an infantry advance made over
anything but ground all pitted and
torn with shell craters.
Shell Hole Fighting Is Art.
Fighting from shell holes is an art
in itself and one that Americans must
learn before taking their places in the
allied lire. German prisoners declare
they would rather fight from shell
holes on an active part of the front
than from a regularly organized trench
system. The latter affords the artill-
cry too good a tarket while isolated
shell holes are difficult to deal with.
IF