Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-17
FRENCH AS FRESH AS
BOYS OUT OF SCHOOL
After Three Years of War,
Morale Good and Ability
to Fight Is on the
Increase.

Correspondence of The Associated Press)
French Front, May 30-If the
morale" of troops may be based on
the initiative they display in face OF
the enemy, then that OF the French
Soldiers at all points of the front
must be regarded as excellent. Three
years of the severest kind OF warfare
has not faded them. In fact, the
spirit of attack has. if anything, in
creased among them. The recruits
of the younger classes learn quickly
to profit from the experience OF their
comrades who have become veterans
and past masters in the art of furnish
ing surprises to the enemy and after
their incorporation into the fighting
units in the trenches, where they rap
idly acquire the routine OF continual
watchfulncss, they lose no time in
demonstrating their desire to carry
out some act OF individual daring.
Living among them, as the writer
has done throughout the great opera
tons of the Somme, in the Argonne,
on the Aisne, in Champagne, in Al
SAGE and arou. ! Verdun, one acquires
an unbounded admiration for the I'M
ceasing activity and virility of the
French soldiers of all branches of the
service. Even during the intervals
between great attacks and battles,
when it would be expected they
would be only too eager to seek re-
pose and relaxation from the hard
ships and peri!3 of trench life, there
are always to be found daring men
among them who voluntarily go out
toward the German lines in search OF
adventure, always with the hope of
bringing back some prisoners or dis
turbing the enemy's plans.
Experts in Trench Fighting.
One outlet for this Overlooking ac-
tivity il the organization Of trench
raids in which only few men conf
pose the attacking force. In these
minor affairs, whose effect on the
general situation at the front is more
important than at first would appear,
since they harry the enemy and keep
him constantly guessing and worry
ing as to what may follow, the
French soldiers have become expert,
and they rarely return to their
trenches without some prisoners and
some valuable information as to con-
ditions in the opposing lines.
The commander of the army is not
consulted as to the carrying out of
these raids. Each colonel Of regi-
ment has the final word as to whether
his men shall take the risk, and the
colonies take good care not to dis
courage their men from displaying
their individuality.
Going Through Wire Fences.
The problem of overcoming the net
work Of barbed wire protecting the |
front lines OF the enemys position
presented difficulties at the beginning
Of the campaign, but artillery has now
acquired the mastery of that obstacle
and as consequence the enemy no
longer finds himself in security be-
hind,it. All the French colonel wants
to know, when a raid is about to be
undertaken, is the hour at which it is
intended to start. A few minutes suf-
ices to make penetration by reso-
lutte infantrymen possible.
Sudden outbreaks OF artillery fire
arc so frequent that the enemy often
pays no more attention to them than
o return some shells, while the troops
the front trenches seek shell
er in their dugouts until the shower
II steel has stopped.
The enemy's uncertainty as to what
S to happen frequently leads to his
for before he has made up
lis mind that the French guns have
lccided to cease firing and that it is
'afe to come out from the shelters
lgain he finds French soldiers leap
ng into the trenches and throwing
,renades into the mouths of the dug
outs while calling on their occupants
o surrender. Refusal or hesitation
means further volley of grenades
md almost certain severe injury or
leath to those inside. Therefore, they
hout "Kamarade" throw down their
rms and come out to be chased before
heir captors back through the broken .
etwork OF barbed wire to the French {
ines. q
Lines Close Together. II
In one division the regiments made
specially of surprise trench raids q
nd acquired almost unbelievable i
kill in carrying them out almost
yithout lose to themselves. One regi- c
lent, in the course OF the last month, S
ad 10 its credit ten such raids, as il
e5ult OF which, besides killing many t
nemies, they captured hfty-threel a
ierman prisoners, without the loss d
f single Frenchman. f
The French and German lines are t
. close that raid rarely takes more
nan ten minutes-just the time to
ace across the open, make the haul
{ prisoners and race back with them
gain. Night or day makes no diff
srence-the main idea is to go over
he top and get back to the French Y
mes with the prisoners after causing t
5 much damage as possible before (