Arizona republican., 1917-11-04
FRUITS HUN CAP TURES
 IF AMERICANS
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1


 WASHINGTON, Nov. S.-Berlin's terse announcement today that North American soldiers had been captured by German patrols on the Rhine Marne canal on the French front, brought the American people d step nearer to the heart of the great struggle.
 There was no doubt here that the men referred to were members of Cen eral Pershing's force undergoing final training with French regiments in front line trenches. Confirma ,ion from General Pershing was lacking, but in due course he will transmit the names of any men missing and this may furnish some light.
 If, as is assumed, q small scouting party was surprised by German patrol in No Mans land and all were captured, details of the incident may never be fully told, since only captors and captives would know what hap pened in the encounter under cover ot darkness.
 This is the first report received bere of the capture of any members of the American eXpeditionary forces. but number of naval gunners taken from American armed ships sunk by sub marines and civilian members of the crews of other ships are held in Ger man prison camps.
 Night patrolling is a vitally import ant part of the final training of the American forces, as it is on these patrols that the commanding officers rely for information of activity in the enemys front line
 Every night the scouts creep out with faces blackened against the keen vision of enemy lookouts and swift. deadly spurt from a machine gun. They go creeping across the shell torn ground up to the enemy's en- tanglements crawling and listening, dropping flat when a flare breaks out in the air above them.
 Not a night passes on many parts of the line but patrols encounter each other Sometimes it results in firing. l but that is seldom, for the menace of the opposing trench lines with rifles. | machine guns and star rockets ready | to burst out at the slightest hint of l danger hangs over friend and foe alike
 Usually one patrol discovers the l other and stalks it stealthily. time l comes when a surprise attack can be made It fs swift, silent hand to hand work and rarely is a shot fired The victor carries off his prisoners and when morning comes a report goes back on the other side of the line that a patrol of so many men is missing. | This is all that is known. Officers here believed that this was what hap pered on the French-American front | Had there been any firing or had members of the patrol made their wa [ back to the French American trenches, General Pershing probably would have | reported immediately. As it was, he probably was waiting to make certain that the missing men were not hldlnS | in a shell hole until dark came aga in 1 to give them opportunity to make their way into their own line. It was | agreed that the loss of the patrol | might have a salutary effect on the American troops in the front line They are young, in perfect physical condition and fairly longing for a chance at the enemy. It has taken all the authority of their officers to curb their desire to go over and share in the daring work of trench Taidlng- Men who have spent their lives in the army know what the situation must be. They are hopeful that the lesson of caution will be brought home to the men by the loss of this party.