Arizona republican., 1917-11-26
MESA OFFICE Chandler Court Phone 1-R-2

goes on forever. Everywhere. on the side walks, the station platform, in the little parks. you see the French blue. The whole male population k in ur,-, form. Officers cars, supply trucks. wagons of ammunition and the useful ambulance make d never ending pro cession on the cobble streets If yVu had lade the trip a few months ago. you would have seen the writers am hulance. probably running on two. cylinders. threading it's way with the rest toward the base hospital.
 Leaving. the town we go out on the road of communication where death is perpetual visitor On one side of the highway miniature engine WitR four flat cars Wheezes its way. This runs to within a mile of the 'barri- cade This is d hillock or some nat ura cover some 250 yards back of the third line trenches This train car Ties a mixed cargo of soldiers muni- tionS and food As our machine pro- ceeds, cars flash by us at furious
 speed: they are taking DacN staff of l ficers and aides who have been visit ing some post of the line. We pass i artillery limbers and supply wagons i on an average of probably one a min
 ute Behind q stone wall at the sid, of the road you will notice a battery of three 'SoiXante -quinZe. the 15 milli-
 meter guns. You can see only the
 muZZles for they are buried five feet
 under the turf the gunners getting down to them through 'a trap doof. Field telephones connect them with the artillery observer, who may he in 1 balloon. tree or on some high l spot. The observer controls their ac-
 ton. gives the range and all bearings
 to the gun officers who in turn pass
 the information to the sergeants of
 the gun crews The little guns mount
 ed on tripods. which we see scattered
 about the fields. are the 'Miltraileuses.
 a rspid-fire rifle. You will notice
 their muzzles point upward They are
 to protect the observation balloon.
 which is going up presently, from at
 tack by aeroplane.
 This balloon is in small wood near
 our communication ruad When not , inflated, the huge bag. the cables and
 machinery for pulling It down are carefully screened y,:rh boughs and
 leaves. 'Cameuflase' lt,fs. called-yog
 hear the word everywhere now. The
 observer will go up and spy out the
 land trying to locate targets for his , waiting artillery. He is provided wi:1 a parachute. a telephone and several
 sets of spy glasses. The eyes of the
 gunners with the miltraileuses never
 leave him: they are parents and ! guardians to that chap 300 yards ir the air
 As we near the front an occas sional
 shell screams overhead. Don't jump.
 Hearing them generally proves it's toe s late for them to hit us. That whist t ling one is French shell on it's way
 to make the Naterland unhappy but
 this one making noise like a coffee
 mill, is coming our way. Perhaps il $ bursts a half mile from us, perhaps il O tears up the road 70 yards or less be 0 hind our car Now we appreciate fuu, fl the difference between here she comes e and stretcher bearers, this way-oi j. the run High iF. air we see a whit = speck and if itcomes lower we esf1 ie see an iron cross painted on it's wing. n Our friend the sausage, as the Frenc n poilus call the observation ballonn. i
 being pulled slowly down. A mittrail
 euse mile behind us cracks the res
 join in with d sound like dragging 1t stick along a fence This means no l., at home to Teutons- Tou had bette > stay off, Fritz. they are on to you.
 Now We reach the barricade \
 those little openings you see in tn ,g side of the bank and heavily roofe i-- with corrugated iron are the onl Ii homes the men of the line posts haVt $ They are muddy or dusty according i lv season and are infested with rats an 7- body lice, but if you ever pass a nisl ,- under fire in this bit of France yo le will find them more attractive tha the Waldorf hotel. The largest on . is for the chief doctor and his assist of ants. another for the cooks. anothe q for the stretcher bearers. etc. Backe ,d up at the entrance of the last you wi ,d see Ford ambulance marked Amer m ican Field Service. the driver dOzin " on his seat (here the writer has pass ed several hours of waiting in u ' pasD. A few sentriee ~-,th absurd :. long rifles and bayoness pace up ar down. A few officers and doctol ., lounge around Two or three sligh |" ly wounded men are sitting on emp I t' :,es waiting tu SV ordered to JoM E..eS @Nay ..s7 lGrv will ;,fsss '' their wounded cards and receive -" free ride. No joy riders allowed Ne any. of our cars. Beyond the barr P9 cade lie the trenches and the bla( X horrors of noman's land Here hoy Ho ever, much to his regret the auth oI cannot take you. for he never W. 's' permitted to go.