The Washington times., 1917-05-23
.DESERTER TRICKS
BRITISH SOLDIERS
Crawls Into Trench for Food
and Cigarettes.
BUT IS SPOTTED BY OFFICER
Appearing in Tattered Garb, Knew
Ways Of Allied Lines.

LONDON, May PA typical story
coming from the front in these days
of halfway open warfare was told to
the Times correspondent by an officer
on leave.
The story goes that the British had
succeeded in capturing three lines Of
trenches OF q small German salient.
The position had been consolidated,
and where the communication trench
bisected the center of the new firing
line a strong sandbag barrIcade had
been built. The communication trench
wound onward through No Mans
Land, and just In front OF what was
now the German firing line II ran
through a cluster OF duRouts. A group
Of British bombers was stationed
near the barricade to prevent the Ger
mans making any advance along the
trench. Into their midst two days
later crawled q German soldier.
II would be difficult to imagine a
more curious looking figure. He wore
regulation blue trousers with a red
stripe down either side. On one foot
he had a sock, and on the other a
German infantry boot. For an upper
garment he had nothing but a blue
blanket wrapped about him. He was
a squarely made person with thick
lips and the fiat countenance that one
sees these days among the German
rank and file. His curly black hair
and barbaric rings in his ears, deep
broad shoulders, and long arms fin-
!, shed of by hands huge and strong
and knotty combined with the oddity
of his garments gave him a piratIcal
look. II the original German army
contained many OF his kind every
one of the atrocities In France and
Belgium might be easily understood.
Grasps Proffered Food.
Il surrender" he said simply. rails
ing himself out Of the mud into which
he had sprawled when he flopped
over the barricade.
The bombers stared at him in
amazement Holy tom cats" said
one, here's the Old Nick hImseIfi"
They gathered around him. not know
ing what to make OF the occurrence,
and again the German said, 'I surren-
der" slowly raising his hands above
his head. One OF the Britishers offer
ed him a cigarette. and he lowered
one hand. grasped the cigarette and
put 1t into his mouth. A hunk of
cheese was held out to him. He low
cred the other hand and took the
cheese. Then be lost his wistful look
and began to smile. Clearly he was
beginning TO feel at home.
''Sehen Sier' "Ich bin yer bundet,"
he said, raising the blanket to reveal
an ugly wound in his back just be-
low the shoulder. The sight stirred
the men to action.
Hey, Johnstone." shouted the
corporal. addressing a
,tretcher bearer. Bring that poke
II yours and get busy here"
The dressing had just been complet- !
ID when the captain came on the |
scene. whats up. corporal?" he
demanded crisply.
81 think we've gotia German prison |
n. sir" said the corporal.
you 'think.'" said the officer sar-
'why don't you bring him
Ilong to headquarters to make sure?"
Knew Ways Of DuEOut.
Instantly the men recovered them
ielves and the German was marched
,ff to the headquarters dugout. 1t
rad been a German dugout once, and
Fritz was quite familiar with its
He knew the awkward
position of the broken step at the en-
rance. and automatically turned to
he right at the bottom OF the steps.
md as he stepped inside his eyes
oiled around the familiar objects,
licking out the points that had i'm
'ressed him upon previous visits.
Besides the captain inside the dug
ut there was a young lieutenant re-
emily from England
"Guiten morgen, Herr Officer.
aid Fritz, gazing at the tea on the
able. He was at his ease now, and
Vhen a cup of tea was offered to
i'm his delight was evident II is
ypical of the average British soldier
hat he invariably offers food and
rink to every man who enters his