Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-21
Sammies Greatly Enjoy Sport of
Turning Germans Into Casualties
Never Overlook Opportunity to
Pick Off Fritz Whenever
Location Is Betrayed.

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES
IN FRANCE-The American a<t!ilefy
and infantry at the front are dry once
more. the rain having ceased for sew
eral days. The correspondents visit
ing the immediate front thru the
courtesy of the French staff found
that the Americans had taken advant-
age of the rainlcss weather and were
devoting their energies to changing.
as thy put it, Germans into casual
ties" they are on their toes every
minute and not letting n single oppor-
tunity slip to drop a shell or to send
machine gun and rifle bullets where
sho enemy is seen or where he is even
suspected of being. There is no doubt
that the men like the life they are
living. They are as cool and metho di-
cal as If they had been doing nothing
else than fighting thruout their lives.
Scatter 'Washcrmcn.'
The infantry group in the first line
trenches had just sat down to their
salmon sandwiches and coffee when
they Jumped up and cut loose with
their automatic rifles at Germans who
were discovered hanging out clothes
on n wire in a battered village. They
saw the enemy dive for cover like
rabbits and then they went on with
their meals as If nothing had hap
!.pened.
! This particular section of Frances
long battle front in the earth does NOT
Absorb water like sponge rs in some
other localities There has been no
rain for three days so the ground Is
l. ha uniforms nf thG
show evidence where mud once had
been, but that is all.
From the first line trenches. which
are on hill. the German first line
can be seen clearly between five hun
dred and one thousand yards away.
As the correspondents approached
,hc trench lines over the shell-pitted
ground the enemy started breaking
shrapncl over the first line. This fir-
ing lasted but brief time, stopping rs
suddenly as il began. Immediately ar
terward came detonations from th2
rear and the whiz of shells overhead as
the American batteries got into action
Then smoke Ituffs suddenly began APP
nearing over the German trenches
The infantrymen looked cautiously
over No Mans Land while the firing
was going on, but rs soon as 1t was
over they appeared to forget all about
It.
Rats Bitter Enemies.
In nearby dugout the men of
duty had not even heard the racket
Their principal worry seemed to be
rats. One occupant Of the dugout ex'
planned there was sleeping room in Il
for 80 men and that IL cats were KEEP
IN it. Cats were everywhere, some
sleeping on folded blankets and some
prowling in dark corners or stalkina
their prey.
The mon all appeared to be in the
hest of health. altho during the We
end cold weather Of previous day'
several men in this unit had contracted
trench feet" and cold.
While the sun was going down be
hind the hills and the darkness wa
, coming on swiftly scarcely shot wa:
fired. Just as the sun passed below
the horizon, however, the German bat
, tcres opened up on one Of the Am
erican battery positions with no
fire. the high explosives bursting Will
the regularity of the clock tick-abou
one every second The bombing last
ed q couple of minutes and then ended
abruptly Immediately the American
batteries retaliated, flashes of orange
colorcd flame stabbing the night Th'
detonations, some heavy and som'
light, continued for some time will
as much speed rs the Germans hat
shown Then the "strafing" and TIL
3 answer being over the artillery set
, tied down for the night of usual quiet