The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-01-14
Tommy and Pollu Rub Elbows
in Trenches Somewhere in France

With the British Armies in the
Field, France, Dec. 31.-(Corres-
pondence of the Associated Pressl-I
There is q point on the western bat
tie line where the British Tommy
and the French Poilu meet-where
the alliance between Great Britain
and France becomes q reality.
There they are dug in, the man
in khaki and the man in pale blue.
There in the long watches of wintry
nights in the front trenches they sit
about a charcoal fire and smoke and
think together, and made understand
able signs and sounds, though it is
seldom that either can speak the
others tongue. 1t is not show
spot, this meeting place of the two
great allied armies in France, nor is
there a definite mark to show the di-
viding line. It is just q mingling
point, not an abrupt juncture. For
perhaps hundred yards at the join
ing sector the French and British
soldiers fraternize and visit.
There is no break in the line any
where along the front and from time
to time the meeting place of the
armies is shifted, according to the
plans and the agreements of the
French and British stats. Often the
Germans are at loss to know who
is opposing them-French or British
and all sorts of ruses and subter-
fuges are resorted to in the attempt
to gain information. It is consid
cred of great Importance on both
sides to know just who the fellows
in the opposite trench, and when
there is a relief, or change in the
line, the world war resolves itself
at least locally into a hazardous
game of hide and seek.
Communicate By War Slang.
Tommy and Poilu have the great
est respect for each other and if
Tommy has been over very long he
generally knows a phrase or two of
French, which coupled with war
slang that is common to both armies,
gives a medium of communication
mutually enjoyed In the front line
trenches they share and exchange
their little belongings like so many
school children swapping luncheon
goodies at recess time. Cigarettes,
tobacco and chocolate are traded
back end forth and oftentimes the
midnight meal for Frenchman and
Englishman is heated over the same
little stove carefully concealed from
the enemy lest a hand grenade
should upset the supper plans.
Foot By Foot Warfare.
This stubborn, logged, foot by
foot warfare, with its mire and mud
its redoubts and dugouts and it's in
tricate geography or trench upor
trench, seldom lends itself to pictures
of martial splendor, but without de-
sign or arrangement there occurred
few days ago a spectacle which will
live long in the memory of the few
outsiders privileged to witness it.
Two great contingents of the Brit.
ish and French armies met upon the
road, exchanged salutations, anC
passed. One was coming out" the
other "going in" Each column must
have been at least seven miles long
And with each was all the parapher.
MALTA, the panoply and the impedi-
ments of modern warfare. There
was no studied display to the spec.
tacle, no full dress, no glinting steel
nor FURNISHED brass. The day wa:
cold and gray and wet and every
where was a grim realization of tn,
business, the machinery of war-wal
just over the horizon.
Two Lines Seven Miles Long.
When the two columns were fully
abreast the military picture had at
tanned its fullest expression. From
a point of eminence one could lool
down upon the undulating road and
see for miles the two-colored ribbor
formed by the marching men-ths
British khaki on the right, The
French blue to the left. The col
umns were made up of infantry anc
field artillery-horse artillery tn,
British call it. There were tn,
famous French "75's" or "Soixante.
quinze"-the extreme of gun sim
plicity and effectiveness. Some wer'