The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-09-13
OUR MEN DON'T
Like TO "D|C IN
Troops In France Can't EnthusP
Over MOIeIike Tactics.
PROBLEM FOR THE OFFICERS
Passion For Digging In Is So Strong
With Germans That They Have Beer
Known Desperately to Claw Holes In
Ground With Hands Until Ends OF
Fingers Were Practically Worn OH.

49,
Fingers Were Practically Worn OF.
One OF the greatest problems Ameri.
can officers have before them Is Inn
pressing upon their men the absolute
importance of learning the best ways
of keeping under cover. The Ameri-
can soldier is not a natural digger
n" He Is much like his Canadian
brother In arms in that respect, for II,
is an old saying on the British front
that Canadians will die In the last
ditch, but never dig 1t.
Ii is the American spirit. as II was
that OF the Canadians, to stand up and
fight, but the world war has long since
passed that stage, and now In the long
wear and worry of a struggle of attri-
ton the best commander is the one
who best conserves his men by keep
ing them under cover.
One OF the great reasons why the
Germans still are In France and Bel
GUM is their wonderful facility for
digging themselves In. They have a
perfect passion for IL and an incentive
as well. for the allied artillery never
ceases to pound them day and night.
Can't Enthuse Over Shovel.
The German belief that they can dig
faster than a modern army a ad-
vance Is n of the principles of their
defensive tactics Notwithstanding all
that has been told along this line. not
w~ithstanding the heroic efforts to rouse
his enthusiasm over the pick and shov
ell, the American soldier has remained
decidedly lukewarm. lie came to
France to fight the Germans, be says,
and no to dig a hole and look at them
through a ~spyglass. The French.
Canadian and Australian soldiers all
resent the idea OF digging In and would
not admit the necessity of doing so UNI
I'll bitter losses taught them a dearly
bought lesson.
IL is purely a matter of temperament.
and there seems TO be no doubt now
that only actual battle experience will
convince American soldiers that the
cover Is n Of the greatest assets the
modern man at arms can have.
lit seems a shame to have TO curb
the fine lighting spirit Of our troops"
said an American training officer. but
the men must be made to understand
as far as possible that i%mpetuosity
must be subordinated to steadiness.
This has become a time clock war.
The men must advance In given time
and go no farther. Every step of In
fantry advance must first be worked
out with the artillery, and when the
plan is arranged IL must be strictly al
hered to"
The natural fighting man, Ii seems,
has "A natural antipathy to digging In.
Even i'm these late months of war Brit
ish Tommies would much rather remain
above ground and stand chances OF get
ting killed by shells than to dig the
deep dugouts SO adored by the Germans.
In planning the battle OF Messines
Ridge, which was a model OF clean cut
victory. the British commander took
into account the lighting mans point of
view. and when the advance had reach
ed "A stage where Ii gave the British
covered high ground the lighting men
were directed to take a rest, while spe-
cially organized labor battalions were
rushed up from the rear to do the neces-
sary digging and consolidating of new
trenches. SO as TO make them thorough
~ proof aga inst counterattack.
American o. KS That Plan.
The result was that the fighting men.
unhampered and unworried by neces-
sity of digging. went forward later In
the day and took detectives that were
rather hoped for than actually expect
Ell Those are the tactics the Ameri.
can lighting mar would like TO see
They appeal to him. but just now lie
is being put through a pretty stiff
course OF digging. This does 6ot APP
ply to digging trenches alone. He Is
being taught how to dig himself In in.
dividnally while lying fiat on the
ground In face of enemy fire. thus get
ting temporary shelter and protection
In II sort Of grave-like excavation IL
is not so often nowadays. however.
that a man has actually 10 dig himself
in Oh solid ground. for there is sci
dom an infantry advance made ovcr
snything but ground pitted and torn
with shell craters.
Fighting from shell holes is "a art
In itst u. and one that Americans must
learn Eefore taking their place i'm The
allied line. German prisoners declare
they would rather fight from shell
holes Oh an active part of tn, front
than from n regularly organized trench
system. The latter affords the artillery
too good IA target.
They Are Regular Moles
The Germans even conceal some ol
their shell holes by puttiag brown WA
terproof sheets over them whenever
m allied airplanc is seen approaching
The passion for digging In Is 80 strong
with the Germans that they have been
known desperately TO claw holes IN
the ground with their hands till the
ends Of their fingers were practically
worn OF Thus some were found
dnaA nthAr. toLo,, ,rs.a. 49,. -