New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-02

teresting. stan oWCeI eHlsi'" N"'
room and came 20 .tiH salute IN
front of general whose specially IS
artillery. His terse speech was re-
port on conditions up at the front at
that minute. The staff officer said sucn
a number hill was being shelled by
both sides. This number position had
advanced so many yards; that battery
had dropped so many rounds on such
and such a place in the enemy's lines'
so many prisoners had been taken.
In equally terse sentences the gen.
eral. gazing intently at his pipe re-
plied with a list Of orders. The or
dcer saluted and left the room.
eve get none Of the fun back here
complained the general, whose youth
full eyes bcled the years his cioSe'
gray hair indicated. "0nce they step
Won I'D above the rank of brigade com
mander you are out Of the running
II YOU step out Of range OF head-
quarters telephone you are completely
out of touch with everything we
have to sit here and jump the wires
from all directions"
Fearing at any minute that some
telephone girl will come along ana
take the Job" interrupted the sunny
Individual. A ripple of laughter; &c,
Commanded BIZ Endorsements OF rghIo'
vent around the room.
The general continued: IL
"Take that last show" ne sald'
lchou, IA tho word the British use lot
anv increased activity on the froh'l'
His Pipe Is Important
Zero (the starting point, was 80
IN the morning. At / o'clock ! am
called. come down stairs INTO tne
onerating room and have black cohee:
"There are TELEPHONE at one side OF
Tho room. There is big table IN the
centre. with a large detail map showing
our nositions and those Of the enemy.
Tbcre are three or four s.af officers IN
the room. light my OLD pipe and pu'
NV feet on the table That mignt
sound a little undignified. but It helps
concentration. II gets quiet IN the
room. Il is three minTtcs before zero:
The silence gets heavy and the SCUM"
Of my pipe jars.
"Then the little click on the mantcl-
piece tinkled 1:30-tne show Is on
thew have gone over the top. FIVE
minutes have passed AMI no one m me
room moves. Then the telephone bell
rings. Il Is from a certain observation
point A certain colored fare has been
observed from a certain point. II
means men at tina: point have gained
their first objective. small green
Hag is stuck in che spot on the table
map.
"Other calls begin coming in. Each
ia recorded in the signal officers logs
Other green flags take their places on
tho man. Here's another call. A DIFF
ferent signal is sighted rom another
quarter. They have been checked.
issue an order. Turn on number So
/ and-so barrage' Il seems almost as
simple as telling a gardener 20 turn on
Il hose. Another five minutes and q
green fare goes up from the disputed
section. The las. green flag goes or
the map.
so it goes. line after line. call after
call. flag after flag, order after order
until the last objective has beer
gained. We receive reports that the
positions are being consol dated. The
results are reported 20 headquarters
Later congratulations come over the
wire and are relayed out again over
the lines 20 the men UP in front who
have done the work that made the
night a success. The show is over. u
is probably daylight, and | go up and
go TO bed"
Pretty Safe for Democracy
I Some of the officers were leaving the
room. One whispered to me that the
General who had Just spoken was orc
of the best beloved in the Canadian
forces.
"He knows artillery" the officer said
in an aside to me. when there's a
call from the front line for artillery at
tention on a certain point he doesn I
count his shells. He turns loose every