Evening star., 1917-05-11
WOUNDED FROM FRONT
FILLED WITH CONFIDENCE
Assert Allied Armies Excel Ger
mans in Striking Power, 0rgani-
zation and Morale.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.

correspondence OF the Associated Press
LONDON. April 2S.-A number of
wounded Canadians and Americans who
participated in the battles of the past
fortnight on the western front have
been brought back to British hospitals
for treatment. Although the use of
correspondents have been allowed to
visit some of these men who are in
hospitals near London.
The number of wounded arriving in
England thus far has been very much
smaller than has always been antici-
pated when operations Of this magni-
| tude were considered and therefore the
| task Of dealing with them has been
much easier than was expected.
A great spirit Of confidence in vic
| tory pervades these men fresh from the
| trenches. This spirit is far more mark
ed than it was in the case of the
| wounded men brought back last year
| from the battle of the Somme. Their
| confidence is contagious, for it is no
mere careless haphazard confidence: it
/ is quiet. unassailable, indubitable
| spirit. based on what they have seen
| behind the British lines as well as on
what they have learned by going over
| the top"
Confidence Of Men Who Know.
| 1t is the confidence, not of the casua,
| observer, but of the man who really
knows These men are invariably sat
|
greater striking power than the Ger
| man, that the organization behind them
| is infinitely superior, and that. man for
man, Germany can produce nothing to
! equal the French and British troops in
morale, training, fighting efficiency and
staying power.
The popular conception of the return
| ed warrior shows him preoccupied ex-
cIusively with the conflict from which
| he has just emerged-the actual fight
ing. Some of the wounded men from
Arras are like that. But others. and
these the great majority, are mentally
bat and bloodshed. Their minds are
dominated by an odd detached interest
in some side line, external manifesto
ton of the fighting. such as the mar
velously effective organization of the
supply and medical departments the
color effect of the bombardment or the
star shells, some characteristic feature
Of some French village or some sudden
ly revealed angle of their enemy's char
acter.
Distress Signals" Impress.
Thus one western ranchman. who is
in hospital with shell-shattered
| shoulder, is greatly preoccupied with
his memory Of the wonderful scenic
effect of the German star shells. which
he calls the boches' distress signals
They sent up thousands Of these"
he said. Just before dawn, when they
realized all 100 idte something OF tne
magnitude of our attack. These scream
| ing cries for help, coming from all
parts of the horizon, made you think
the whole world had gone mad. 1t
was the most wonderful fireworks show
have ever seen
A Canadian private, who was in the
attack on Vimy ridge was impressed
| chiefly with the perfect manner in
which the attack was executed. The
organization was perfect. he said.
| "The attack was rapid. so smoothly
| and swiftly launched. that my own
wave the second. and the two lines
| behind US were actually on the ridge,
that famous blood-sta ined vantage
ground, before the enemy barrage
| opened. From that point on the Ger
man shells fell behind US only and
their gunners showed extraordinarily
wild and erratic gunnery.
only for a few minutes at the start
| of the plunge were their machine guns
| really effective. We were all over them
| in the twinkling of an eye, and every
one of the men who manned those
| Emma Grees' was either dead or doing
| well--that is. prisoner.
| like steeplechasers. ard were UP the ridge
| before we knew we had started. The
| Germans didn't show much fight where |
| was. The first one ! pinned was SO
| astonished that he hardly got his bayonet
up. As for the second one. I've seen
month old recruits put u. better show
| at high parry and low. Our men gave
plenty of evidence that they know the
| right way to use bayonet.
"Of course, q large part OF the credit
! for the dazed condition Of the Germans