El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-04-21
OPEN FIGHTING
FOLLOWS DEFEAT.
Desolation in Wake of Re
treating German Forces;
Australians Pursue.
CFrom = Staff Correspondent OF the
Associated Press

CFrom = Staff Correspondent OF the
Associated Press
Australian Headquarters in France.
April 2I-After these many months of
trench warfare there is keen delight for
the Australian soldier in this new land
warfare which the German retirement
has opened up. The fighting is in open
country now. over gently rolling downs
Of what look like grass land.
1t is really most Of it wheat or tur-
nip land which has not been cultivated
for a year OF two. The country is as
open as the Australian central plains
New Sort of BattIen
1t is quite a new sort Of battlefield
for these Australians. They march down
10 il through valleys almost exactly
like the valleys of the peaceful parts
OF France. There are whole acres in
which one cannot see single shell
hole. Back across the green country or
down the open roads come men in twos
or threes occasionally. saunterinE as
one might find them on a country road
on Sunday. They are the wounded
helping one another back to the dress
ing station. The walking wounded have
to help each other back in these mod
ern battles 1t is no longer looked up
on as meritOriOus for an unwounded
com5atant 10 leave the field and help
z
Nearer the front the country be-
comes more feverish. Angry bursts OF
tawny color are seen in a haphaZaro
sort Of way dotting the horizon and the
countryside Here and there are Aus
tralians in great coats standing behind
mounds of earth with their rifles point
ed over the top, bayonets always fixed
Frequently, when there is no other
shelter. there are hastily scooped
trenches. \ quarter of mile away an
on their stOmachs in the ditch, bayO-
nets peepinE over the top. Shells are
whizzing by at the rate OF two or
three a minute and high explosives
bursting on contact behind their backs
about as far away as the other side of
a cottage parlor.
Deserted Village in War Zone.
Over A bit 10 the right is a sleepy
French village Not a living thing is to
be seen down these struggling Lagni
court streets The bricks of tumbled
walls lie here and there just as the
shells knocked them. Through them.
lust as in old battle pictures, may be
seen the bodies OF dead Germans at cor
ners- in the angles Of tumbled houses
a courtyard visible through a shattered
brick wall. two of them in the bottom
of one of the big craters which the Ger
mans themselves blew at every cross
roads. 10 impede the enemy's advance.
Nothing stirs in the whole village and
Of death Is the occasional fall of a
tile or some debris thrown skyward by
a shell descending from over behind the
next village.
Taking Back the Prisoners.
Once in a while one meets a prisoner
being escorted TO the rear. There is
some thing very impressive about these
little professions OF two men, prisoner
and escort The prisoner. usually a
young German private in neat gray uni
form and steel helmet. walks in front.
After him, grasping his rifle with both
hands across his chest. his weather.
beaten brows puckered as he picks his
way over the tumbled stones, comes the
living embodiment of the Australian
back country. Nine cases out Of ten,
somehow. the soldier who escorts a
prisoner seems TO be that bit Of pure
Australia, either western Australia or
south Australia. the Warrego or the
Burdekin.
He is an earnest man. intent on exc
cutting his GRAND with dispatch and
eXactitude. Can you tell me the way
20 headquarters he asks as he passes
Then he disappears slowly up the street
on the heels OF his silent companion.
These Australians are just as good
in this new warfare as they
were at GallipOl or in the trenches,
perhaps even better. They had their
first encounter with German cavalry
the other day. but il was only Z feint at
a flank and lasted only few minutes.