The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-05-31
FRONT TRENCHES
MAKING FATALISTS
What VIII Happen viii Happen. Is
Belief of Veteran
Soldiers.

New York Sun: A soldier goes to the
front and comes under the enemy's fire
Seemingly in the long past. far AWAY
among his home surroundings, he re-
members vividly the cheering crowds
as he left with his company and the
eager enthusiasm of his comrades all
through the long trip up.
But once he is in the trenches death
loses little time in introducing himself
and soon many narrow escapes have
left the new soldier limp and fearsome
and his wild enthusiasm dies. Generally
he becomes morose and apprehensive.
And then curious thing begins TO
happen.
AS he wakes in experience in the
gamble for the highest Of all stakes
he almost inevitably comes TO the point
sooner or later, when he finds himself
saying What will happen will happen :"
His apprehension gradually melts away
and he becomes almost light.hearted II
was hard for him to understand at
first why the older men, veterans TO
. him, were such a cheerful lot
A good many hundreds of thousands
Of fatalists have been turned out IN
the present war. The front trenches
and perilous position may be regarded
as factories where fatalists are made
swiftly and surely.
Cease TO Worry.
AS men they come with individual
and diversified beliefs, but as soldiers
facing death few are they who event
ually do not come to believe that what
will happen will happen" and there.
upon the majority cease TO worry. So
regiments of men, battle steeled and
Keyed to death, march into the trenches,
TO battle, laughing and singing.
Every once In while in France 30
many young men of late class are
called into service and the eager com
panies leave for the front-an impetu-
Gus, ardent lot. Each young man as he
gives a last farewell look backward
finds himself wondering involuntariiy
what his fate will be, almost uncon.
sciously II is, and thus the first seeds
of fatalism are sown.
Later his little division is on its way
up TO the front line in the darkness.
Everywhere is silence except for the
mixed swish OF the feet, while some.
where in front OF the marching com
pany lone boche star shell, one OF
those that every now and then flash
upward, breaks into a brilliant CLEAN
and shows the way ahead through the
winding ditch.
Doesn't Look Like War.
To the recruits II does not seem like
war, all Is so quiet, but rather like
soome giant spectacle for their own en-.
tertainment, and when the star shell.
goes out the silence and blackness seem
very peaceful. The men keep steadily
on through the ditch while the far away
crack Of rifle now and then in front
grows more distinct. And then sud.
denly comes flashes and a rapid. tear
ing c.r.r.unch! cr.r.unch near by High
explosives.
Earth spurts upward from near n,
hand out over the parapet and some
falls over the marching men. Nobody
has been hurt, but the interlude has
dampened somewhat the spirits OF the
party. II is their first taste OF fire.
Just a chance SHOT and the men trudge
along in silence, while through their
minds run a common thought.
They arrive In the first line and re.
lieve the men on duty there. II is done
in silence. but in some way the bochas
have an unearthly habit OF learning
about IL. This presents an ideal op-
portunlty 10 take an additional number
OF lives with the same number OF the
familiar trench shells. The small trench
mortars on the other side start up.
Miraculous Escapes.
But on this occasion they go Wild
and happily there are no casualties
Through the long night the trench
bombs are sent over at almost regular
intervals. Some explode in the trench
at places along the stretch OF line
C-r.runch! c.r.r.unohl they tear up the
earth about, break apart sections OF
the uencn, Wnlle mere Spmeonc ~ ntt
and there one has been killed. Some OF
the escapes have been miraculous, for
chance has worked strange things. And
the seeds OF fatalism germinate.
Weeks later the recruits are thinnod
out In number. while among those who
remain are many who have escaped
death as by n miracle and they realize
the part chance has played.
In the night n body OF men Is sent
out over the parapet OF the first line,
II Is their duty 10 crawl over 10 the
other side. lodging the light OF the
rockets. and learn the strength OF the
enemy's barbed wire entanglements. II
Is very hazardous undertaking and
Il Is n safe wager that Of the few who
~. fls. orb