Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-16
Half Crawling, Half Floating.


"A couple of Belgian sharpshooters prone
on their bellies, half crawling and half
floating, looking all the world like SER
penis. were making their way down a
shallow ditch. 1t was a weird sight, these
men in the soft mud making their way TO
point or vantage where they could pick
on a German sniper not so thoroughly
blended with the earth. It became a. bed
lam; hotter and hotter came the fire.
until 1t was foolhardy to remain longer
SO we, still crouching. retraced our steps
and finally zigzagged out of range We
had remained there quite long enough to
rea1ze that in the front line trenches is
no place for nervous man. The wonder
is that our party escaped, for we were not
only in the direct range of rifle and ma
chine gun fire, but easily within range OF
| the trench mortars We had seen and
heard our fill of front trench life, though
must say not a man of our party regret
TED our experience.
| The morale of the French army was
personally one of the wonders of my jour
| ney We all know that France is wal
worn Wnn she Is weary. What nation of 49,
600. 900 would not be- with two and a hall
millions of her viriie manhood killed, hope
| less cripples or captured? But that is far
from being in despair. as some would pic
lure. We, or at least I. did not see a
| ragged, ill-nourished soldier in France
EVERY one-and we saw thousands and
thousands-was well nourished, well clad
healthy, and above ALL determined Nc
otner thought than victory enters into his
| mind. He knows he can kill German
man to man; he knows he is the better
soldier; this is the basis of the wonder
Iul morale What ] have said of the
French I can repeat Of the English. The
morale there is splendid. Let me pay a
tribute to the Canadian as the wild man
Oh the allies We heard distinct personal
praise OF him, and with him the Aus
trallan, the New Zealander and the Scotch
cannot overlook the Welsh and the Irish
they have SO often brought home the palm
or victory that such is the almost settled
order or things Then the British troops
from "'ome"-the wheel forces of their
army-never, known to fall back when
the order Is to advance
War to Be Fought on West Front.
1T requires no sage to tell us this
war will be fought out and ended on the
western front between Switzerland and
the North sea. Any other view would
40 violence to every sense of necessary
military location. 1t is self-eyident.
To the east is the very heart of Ger
many. To the west that of France.
each parrying for a death thrust. 1t
Is unthinkable that the war will end
elsewhere. At first there were two
Oh the east has now disappeared
swallowed up in intrigue-and no one
thinks OF Russia. The reason is all the
stronger for the western front to be
paigns into Serbia, Rumania and Italy
are all secondary or of less Importance
Every act, every move of Germany
when analyzed displays the acceptance
of this idea. :
we made inquiry at every point
concerning atrocities inflicted upon the
Beigians, especially upon the children
by the German soldiers
We were told of many apparently
reliable instances where such atrocities
were inflicted; but I for one, and j
think the most of our party. received
no substantial proof that Belgian chill
dren were mutilated as any part of a
military system or that it generally
was practiced under military direction
or sanction.