Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1917-10-31

II IL 4x1xSA4A ~
got over there at the base of that hill
you can just see in the haze.
I'VE had hard time getting the
gun, which we have not named yet, ov-
er those shell craters but we labored
for many hours and finally reached the
spot. Then | got permission to fire.
Strictly speaking, the first sloI,
which was in the nature of try-out
for the gun, simply went into Germany.
The sergeant put high explosive shell
there at 6:15 O'clock in the morning.
Another officer here took up the
narrative:
The Germans Dive
i was in an observation point" he
said. There was fog as the first
shot went singing over them Sud
denly the fog lifted and | saw a group
of Germans. | directed my gun at
them The shrapnel burst overhead
and they took dive into the ground
hhO oO many ldDDltS.
The. lieutenant grinned broadly.
shook the water off his shrapnel he'll
met, and, using both clenched fists to
pnnctuate his remarks, said express
sively: 1T was great" He paused for
moment, pointed to the field filled
with fresh craters, and continued:
I'VE had a hot time here last night.
Fritz tried to get that gun on the hill
there and put all those shells behind
it. So we all let the Germans have
shot for shot That's the game out
here-give them as much as they
send.''
The gun itself gave visible and aud
ible proof the next second that the
Germans did not get it or any of the
gunners serving it.
In the Trenches
From the artillery lines to the in
fantry trenches was a considerable
distance over more muddy hills. The
correspondent found the infantry in
side the trenches. There also were
many wires which ran into switch
boards, and American and French OPP
orators were sitting side by side di-
recting operations.
A guide is necessary to reach the
first line, especially when some of the
resemble irrigation bitches.
The trenches the Americans are oc-
cupying begin from a screened posi-
ton On the way there shovels and
tools were piled high below hill on
which. there was a great bell for Civ
ing the alarm in case of a gas attack.
There under cover were the company's
cooks busy warming up food that had
been brought up in wagons. The
ground was covered with lattice work
Of small twigs, so it was fairly dry
Following the guide the way winds
in and out from left to right for many
Yards between interviewer branches
that have been placed on the side of
the trenches. Every now and then a.
section opens up to a machine-gunI
The Agreement
The American privates in the front
splashed through without hesitating,
getting footing on step
ping stones in the muddy water, and
not. The trench turns
sharply to the right and a voice
Keep your head down." and
The rest of the way the walking is
difficult Hating near a machine gun,
he German positions directly opposite
IN q hill could be seen across the
rarbed wire of No Mans Land. Lights
appeared in a little town to the left.
There is a sort of gentlemen's agree
nent in this SECTOR that towns over
The line are not to be shelled. If one
side violates the agreement the other
side promptly fires shell for shell into
; hostile town.
The correspondent visiting the
American batteries found the mud
caked gunners in cleverly concealed
pits on the sides of hills. surrounded
everywhere by freshly dug mine era
.ers, showing where the German re-
aliatory fire had dropped projectiles.
Il was against this fire that the guns,
the one which fired the first
shot, kept plugging away good part
# the afternoon
The correspondent asked passing
patrol how he liked it, He replied
in a soft southern accent: Fine, but
il is wet as hell. isn't il? Virginia
would certainly look good"
Another, hearing the conversation,
chimed in: "My little old flat in the
Bronx would be plenty good enough
on an evening like this"
Another patrol was leaning against
the muddy side of the trench, his hand
over the muzzle of his rifle, whistling
softly a tune from Broadway musical
General Sibert. who has just con-
cluded a tour of the trenches, was
asked how the morale of the Ameri
cans in the trenches was. He re-
piled:
Morale? How could the morale OF