Evening star., 1917-01-22
ALLIES KEEP FOE
GUESSING AT front
Armies Often Shifted in West
to Harass Germans-Tommy
and PoiIu Friendly.
MOVING LINES IMPOSING


THE FIELD. France. December 81
There is point on the western battle
line where the British Tommy and the
French Poilu meet-where the alliance
between Great Britain and France be-
comes a 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 make understandable
signs and sounds. though it is seldom
that either can speak the others 8
tongue. 1t is not 2 show spot. this
meeting place of the two great allied
mark to show the dividing line. 1t
is just a mingling point not an abrupt
juncture. For perhaps hundred yards
at the joining sector the French and
British soldiers fraternize and visit.
Armies Often Shifted.
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
British staffs Often the Germans are
at a loss to know who is opposing
them-French or British-and all sorts
Of ruses and subterfuges are resorted
to in the attempt to gain information.
1t is considered of great Importance on
both sides to know just who the fell
lows are in the opposing trench, and
when there Is a relief. or change in
the line, the world war resolves itself
at least locally into hazardous game
of hide and seek.
Tommy and Poilu have the greatest
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 medi-
um m OF communication mutually en-
1oyed. In the front line trenches they
share and exchange their little belong
ings like so many school children,
swapping luncheon goodies at recess
time. Cigarettes. tobacco and chocolate
are traded back and forth. and often
times the midnight meal for French
man and Englishman is heated over
the same little stove, carefully con-
cealed from the enemy lest a hand
grenade should upset the supper plans.
An Imposing Spectacle.
This stubborn. dogged. foot by foot
warfare. with its mire and mud, its
redoubts and dugouts and its intricate
geography of trench upon trench, sell
dom lends itself to pictures of martial
splendor. but without design or ar
rangement there occurred a few days
ago spectacle which will live long in
the memory of the few outsiders privi-
legged to witness IT,
Two great contingents Of the French
and British armies met upon the road,
exchanged salutations and passed. One
was coming out" the other going in" ."
Each column must have been at least
all the paraphernalia, the panoply. and
the fmpedimenta- Of modern warfare.
There was no studied display to the
spectacle. no full dress. no glinting
steel nor FURNISHED brass. The day
was cold and gray and wet and every
where was grim realization of the
business. the machinery of war-war
just over the horizon.
When the two columns were fully
abreast the military picture had at
tanned its fullest expression. From a
point OF eminence one could look down
upon the undulating road and see for
miles the two-colored ribbon formed by
the marching men--the British khaki
on the right the French blue to the
left. The columns were made up of
infantry and field artillery-horse ar
tillery the British call it. There were
the famous French TBS" or "Soixantes
and effectiveness. Some were painted
blue and others had a mottled coat to
make them fade all the more vaguely
into the landscape and thus cheat the
prylng eyes OF hostile airmen. Their
e-stained muzzles and mud
splashed barrels were eloquent of the
fact that these were no novices at the
game of war. They were out of the line
now for brief respite, only to go. in
again later.