The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-11-21
SAhh|[S WATCH .
THE ENEMY WITH
R[CULATEDzEAL.
Boys in French Trenches Give Ger
mans Roland for Their
Every Oliver.
PRINCIPAL ANNOYANCE ST
COMES FROM RODENTS
Lite in Front Line Of Trenches
Described by Associated
Correspondent.
10y Associated Press)

With the American Army in France,
NOV. .21.-The American artillery and
infantry at the front are dry once
more, the rain having ceased for sew.
eral days.
The correspondents visiting the i'm.
mediate front through the courtesy of
the French staff found that the Amer.
leans had taken advantage of the
rainless weather and were devoting
all their energies to changing, as they
put It, Germans into casualties" They
are as cool and methodical as if they
had been doing. nothing else than
fighting throughout their lives.
Cut Loose Automatics.
The fine group in the first line
trenches had just sat down to their
salmon sandwiches and coffee when
they, jumped up and cut loose with
their automatic rifles at Germans who
were discovered hanging out clothes
on q wire in a battered village. They
saw the enemy dive for cover like
rabbits, and then they went on with
their meal as if nothing had hap
pened. ...
From the first line trenches, which
are on hill, the German first line can
be seen clearly between 500 and 1000
yards away. There was something in
the German first line once which will
never 60 back to Germany. It is a
woolly dog, which deserted the en-
envy, crossed mo mans land" and
bounded into an American trench one
dark night recently. .r
1t licked the hand of an American
dough boy" and was promptly fed
with a piece of white bread and a
handful Of Columbia river salmon.
He was thereupon adopted and now
roams all around the trenches and
even walks upon the parapet and
through the barbed wire entangle-
ments as II there were no war. 49,.
Pup Naturalzed American.
'This pup" said one Of the sol.
diers, lis naturalized American, and
there Is no hyphen about him. He
has entirely forgotten all his boche
connections. l hope he gets chance
to bite the kaiser ... d ..... -.,..,--..
As the correspondents approached
the trench lines over the shell pitted
ground the enemy started breaking
shrapnel over the. first line. This fir.
ing lasted but brief time, stopping
as suddenly as 1t began. Immediately
sftSrward came detonations from tho
rear. and the whiz Of shells overhead
n the American batteries got into
action. Then smoke puffs suddenly
began appearing over the German
trenches. The infantrymen looked
cautiously over mo mans land" while
the firing was going on, but as soon as
1t was over they appeared to forget
all about it. ....s. ... ,-..... .,.,..
In a nearby dugout the men off duty
had not even heard the racket. Their
principal worry seemed to be rats.
One occupant of the dugout ex-
planned that there was sleeping room
in it for 80 men and that H. cats were
kept in it. Cats were everywhere,
some sleeping on folded blankets and
some prowling in dark corners or
stalking their prey. = s5,.
IA French Feet and Colds.
The men all appeared to be in the
best Of health, although during the re.
cent wet and cold weather several
men in. this unit had contracted
trench feet" and colds.
While the sun was going down be.
hind the hills and the darkness was
coming on swiftly scarcely a shot was
fired. Just as the sun passed below
the horizon, however, the German bat.
teries opened up on one Of the Amer.
lean battery positions with hot fire,
the high explosives bursting with the
regularity of the clock tick--about one
every second. The bombardment
lasted a couple of minutes and then
ended abruptly. I'D ,.-..
Immediately the American batteries