Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-03-29
Associated Press Correspond
ent Passes Over Trenches
Recently Evacuated and
Finds Them Blown to Pieces
UNBURIEO DEAD IN
DUG0UTS WITH LIVING
Human Endurance Could Not
Stand Fire Raioed Cease
IeSsIy on TeutonS Day and
Night by Haig,
lsr MORNING JOURNAL srser LEASED ~rasl

Gsr MORNING. JeusrsL srsei l. LEASED ~lREl
British Headquarters in France,
March 2S (via London, sac p. IN.
From a Staff Correspondent of the
Associated Press) Now that the des-
perate episodes in the war. known in
history as the battles of the Somme,
have been definitely ended by the
German retreat from Arras to the
Aisne, it has been possible more leis-
urely to investigate the conditions
which existed along the German front
just prior to the backward swing to
the so-called Hindenburg line.
When the retreat first began more
than a month ago. the British swept
over some old Somme positions held
by the Germans and even the most
hurried glimpse OF the evacuated
trenches indicated how untenable
they had become and why 1t was de-
cded to run no risks of another allied
offensive in this sector. Five miles of
slogging along the old German lines In
the vicinity of Bapaume today re-
vealed a picture of ghastiness which
may never be seen again in this or any
other war. The first line was an open.
delapidated, crumbling grave which
disappeared in the mud at times, but
could be picked up further on by
means of the bodies that marked the
way, =.-.
Plagued by Own Dead.
Oae realized with q shudder how
the men doomed to live In these
trenches had been plagued by their
own dead. Such thing as decent
burial was entirely out of the ques-
tion and there was no means of re-
moving the bodies to the rear. IT had
been like passing through fiery rain
from Hades to bring up food and
water to the living. SO the dead had
siuIply been tossed out the trenches.
only to be blown back again by an
exploding sheel, Sometimes they
can~ h7ck in fragments, for there
Y#r. nrms and legs, feet and hands
ever where
Occasionally graves had been dug in 4
the sides of the trench itself, but the
dead could not rest there. At FREE
luent intervals the inevitable skele-
ton hands and feet protruded from the
trench walls.
Grim sights this war has had for
The men who passed up and down
these trenches during the long and
bitter nights Of winter.
What British Guns Did.
1t has been an enthralIinG thing to
stand by the British guns in the last
three or four months and wonder
what was the meaning of all their
roar. There was no set
battle in progress and the gunners
said 1t wasa merely the daily hate"
going on to keep Fritz unhappy. The
1ideous revelations of the German
renches, however, gives the gruesome
answer to what the guns were doing.
IN some places there were veritable
masses of what were once
human beings. Neither by day nor
1y night had the Germans rest, Their
rusted barbed wire, in which they al
ways place such great reliance, had
been swept completely away lover
thousands of yards, and they dared
All trace OF communication trenches
eading to the front lines were wiped
tut and it had been necessary to bring
Ip supplies and relief at night over
country blown into endless she'll
roles, many of which were filled to
uch a depth with water than men
we're drowned in them. White bits
ha
here attached to the iron posts.
These were for the purpose of guild
ng the men up to the front line.
Fragments of Bodies.
These pathways over the fields of
ieath also were strewn with frag-
nents of human bodies. Some of the
lead had the looks of mummies. One
# the fallen soldiers had his right
rm thrown over his rifle as IL his last
impulse was to protect this weapon.
sut there was no defense against the
onstant shelling, Some pieces of
METAL thrown about by the high ex-
losive shells must have weighed at
east ten pounds; the result of hitting
man with a ten-pound bullet can
asily be imagined.
At one point in the trenches was
he lower half of German officer,
fentified by the boots and leggings.
lis legs were crossed tailor fashion.
rench helmets of heavy steel had
reat holes torn in them. The front
ne, of course, was scanned with the
1evitable deep German dugouts. but
ven these had not been immune
here were hundreds of direct hits OH
1p of them, which must have made
fe intensely miserable and hazardous
'ithin.
Around the famous Butte de War