Imperial Valley press., 1917-06-08
FOLLOWS
THE CA N NON
| ARMING UP TO VERY LAST
LINE IN FRANCE.
DESOLATION
SHELLS DO NOT SEEM TO BOTH
Err THE FARMERS.
Country Laid Bare by the Germans
Being Laid Out Into
Farms Again.

Correspondence of Associated Press
quarters in France, June S.-Whil'
sociated Press, British Army Head
quarters in France, May 12.-Whilt
the grip of the Germans, clinginl
desperately to the line they flung
from Switzerland to the sea, slowl,
but steadily is being broken, eaci
backward step means added desola
ton to beautiful part of France.
The coming of spring has empha-
sized anew how closely the pursuits
Of peace tread upon the heels of war
idy French farms, geometrically pre-
else, reach up to the very domain OF
the guns, and it is possible on many
parts of the line to see old French
men and women following plows or
Earrows almost to the very edge of
the heavy battery positions.
Shells are tossed near. them now,
but they never seem to smihd. 4 The
war is nearly three years old now
and shells and battle noises have be-
come the normal things of life, not
the abnormal ones. 1t is even pos
sible along older bits Of line in the
north to see farmers plowing on both
sides of the war zone. At the places
l3ss harshly dealt with whence the
Germans were driven this spring.
many of the trenches already have
been filled and the ground is being
put under cultivation. Some of the
newly sown fields, however, recently
have been ripped up by long range
German guns.
Fighting men who are relieved
every little while from front line
duty GONE for brief rest to the
springtime beauties of the back coun-
Try, and he change Of surroundings
from the cauldron of war to the
reace of blossoms ard birds is no
greater than the transformation Of
these English Tommies themselves,
and their brothers from overseas.
these men who, under the red spell
Of battle, shoot, bayonet and bomb
to death all who stand before them,
become gentle as little children again.
One can see these soldiers with the
battle fatigue still heavy upon them
standing for hours in long lines out
side divisional canteens waiting their
turn to go in and buy as others
stream out laden with cakes and can
dy.
Grim and resolute in battle, Tom
my seems to have certain simplicity
and kindness of heart which makes
HI mreactc quickly to the normal laws
Of manhood as soon as the fighting
IS over. If he has to make a qour.
rey by train, he sits in the open
doors of boxcars with his feet ard
legs swinging outside. If there is d
movie show" any where near, he
gladly pays so cents to go always.
especially when war scenes happen
TO be shown, laughing heartily when
Il shell, bursting near by, appears to
have upset the equilibrium of the
man working the camera.
Today, while resting, squadron
Of cavalry was having a water car
nival along pretty little French riv-
CT. Their band was playing gay aims
ard all the women, children and old
men Of the countryside came to see
the swimming races, diving contests
and attempts to walk a greasy pole
across a swift-running stream. There
was a soldier clown, too, and great
air Of merriment all about. A Ger
man prisoner taken sometime ago said
he could always tell when the Brit
lsh were not going to attack by the
fact that the Tommies could be heard
singing, especially ragrime.
There are no longer any songs
about how long it is from Tipperary,
but at work or play or swinging
long the roads to battle nowadays.
the Tommies sing about wanting to
get back to their home in Tennessee
and about having Kentucky jubi-
lee, without the slightest idea just
where Tennessee or Kentucky are.
If the American expeditionary
force comes into the British zone,
the Americans will find the bands
playing and the men singing many
cd familiar tunes.