The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-05-05

do not hear the shells of the Germans crashing
above them. 1t is thus for only a brief period.
AS suddenly grows a new confusion in front. AT
first 1t sounds like a murmur, a babble of many
voices. They turn out to be shrieks. The order
has been given to jump out and advance. They
come from men deliriOus In a frantic haste to rush
on after the strain of 1t.
AS the men in front jump out and rush along
in advance, rifles held almost at arms length, with
the bayonets in the dim smoke clouds sticking out
In front, the other crowds back in the trenches rush
out to fill their places and in turn jump out and
rush on. 1t is all done as quickly as possible; there
is no times lost and hardly a motion.
And while the mass of frenZied men rush on to-
ward the trenches of the Germans, falling by
scores, whole groups Of them turn this way and
that as the Germans concentrate their fire among
them, others keep filling in from the rear. There is
no end to their number, apparently. The entire
rear is now packed with men and more men, while
behind them are still more men-men without num-
Der.
"There will be n signal when you get out there, I"
we are told. at is an order to fall on your faces.
Fall on them! No time to lose"
The men who first leaped out and started to rush
along fell in another way long ago-it was but
several seconds or so-and the ranks behind them
in turn dissolved. Still others came on and now
the first of the advancing mass are at the first
trenches Of the Germans.
Comes the signal. Suddenly in the frenzy men
cease to leap from the trenches, while the advanc-
ing ranks rushing blindly on fall fiat. Almost at
the same instant, possibly a couple of seconds later,
to the men lying there comes a noise that is even
greater than the crash of a few minutes before.
But 1t is hardly perceptible, for the senses, work
Ing at capacity, cannot grasp it all.
1t is the French guns opening up again. They
are tearing out a way for the infantry, tearing
away what humanity is left in the second and third
line trenches. Even during the previous hours of
hnrohn IF,nn 1hn. TAr,,n,,H N,;,I 30 I-4A- &LN-A H.
some semblance of holes. There cannot be many
beings left in them, but re-enforcements probably
are coming up.
A few seconds later the gunfre of the French
again ceases as though by magic. Immediately the
soldiers jump to their feet and again rush on.
They pass over the first line of German trenches,
reach the second line and on to the third line.
Another signal, a loud shouting and they again
fall down. The guns open up again.
This time the guns pound away on German
works farther in the rear. They stop again and
the troops dash on. Every man knows his place in
the drive and every body Of men. When one man
falls another is there to do what he was doing.
The soldiers feel the success of it by this time.
They are instilled with enthusiasm, the wild joy of
victory. Shells fall among the advancing hordes,
but in the wild din just passed those who escape
hardly know 1t.
Now there are fewer guns firing on the German
side. Others of the French artillery, when not fir
ing at places ahead or the advancing soldiers,
quickly change their range to the batteries.
The French have now passed the first four lines
of regular trenches and are running over the net
work of connecting trenches. Masses of Germans
are in these. Terrified by what they have been
through, few show resistance. 1t is useless. The
French soldiers continue to advance, charging
when resistance is offered, delirious with the wine
of a successful drive. They do the feats of super
beings and are unaware of it.
Hours later, after 1t has ceased and the lines are
again deadlocked, soldiers in the towns of the old
sector gather in groups around the bulletin boards
where Is posted the brief official communique.
The soldiers standing around reading are new
troops. They are on their way to the trenches.
Ambulances still rush up from the rear and back
again, catching up with the work.
The masses of prisoners are already on their way
southwark. Included in the number taken was a
detachment, a crowd of 20 men who were all that
remained Of several hundred German soldiers.
They were caught In n trench and unable to es-
cape during the terrible bombardment, explain the
few able to think coherently. Retreat had been cut
off by shells falling behind them.
OF the number yet alive are maniacs-men who
fire raving violently. They are initiating the noises
Nbf shells and the motions of men struck by them
William 7. Martin, In New York Sun.