New-York tribune., 1917-12-27

unconscious Bob, TOO, going on. Their
narrage recommended, now placed be-
yond the first line trench.
AZ one end Of the sectors norton oc-
eupied by the twenty-five were Hank.
JACK and Tom. They had not had time
10 get to an abri, and had taken refuge
as best they could. Luck was with
them, and they had received no injury
from the barrage. But just then a
smell bust near them, almost on top of
mem. JACK received fragment in the
hand, Hank in the leg and the head.
Iom mad his arm shattered. but he
pumped four shots toward the invaders
from his automatic before he collapsed
The bunch in the abris rushed out
and mixed IL with n force eight times
their number. Five were wounded and
three killed, one Of the later bayoneted
through the stomach. and tho other
eleven words cut out by censor. The
enemy retreated toward their own lines
IN few minutes, carrying With them
twelve prisoners, sergeant, Il cor
poral and ten men. Their companions
remaining behind all said the prisoners
were being roughly used (twenty-four
words cut out by CENSOR. The barrage
began again, dropping a curtain of lead
behind the retreating force. They dis
appeared in the darkness.
7 have seen and talked in hospitals
with the five boys whose Christian names
/ mention. They are Hch and all fine
types OF young American manhood,
modest in expression of the tale ! tell
Bob and Bill are side by side as TO
their cots, for Bob. II seems, had re-
ceived bullet through the arm, too
Every one will recover and be as good
as new. the nurse and doctor told me-
Jack was the first American example
Of walking wounded. and told me his
story standing holding his bandaged
hand in the other.
Inqusitive About Helmets
The raid was an ordinary trench
raid, engineered for "intelligence" or
information purposes. The one Boche
prisoner taken lost his way going back
and wandered safely through his own
barrage to our lines lie said that il
had been noticed that a new type he'll
met was being used in the French
trenches, and the party had come over
TO find out. As far as / can learn no
Boche was killed in the raid. although
a number were wounded and taken
away by their companions. The front
! line trench and the cOmmunicators 70
the second were demolished by the en-
emy's shells.
This raid in itself, had it occurred
elsewhere than where Sammies are in
line, would be worth ten or fifteen lines
in a French or English communiQue.
lut because il was the very first
action and passage AZ arms between
the Boehe and American troops, il de-
serves all the taxing Of wires caused
in sending IL. 10 is worth this story
in an intimate detailed explanation that
perhaps press dispatches did not cover
in like nature.
What happened 20 the twelve pris-
orcrs cannot be told; but il can be
conjectured. Their lot will not be \
bed of roses, and they will have real
tale 10 tell when they are released al
ter the war. provided they are treated
properly as prisoners of war and given
the prisoner. of wars due consideration,
which Is not very likely, judging preee-
dents that have come under my per-
sonal observation and hearing during
the long time | have been on this
Western front,
The horrid part Of the tale I re-
serve for the last because, perhaps,
the censor will strike il out. He has
not seen what have, this last
eighteen months, that's all; also, he
has not reason 10 hate the Boche H.
the personal sense that have because
nothing had been outraged Of either
his own flesh and blood nor of his
ancestors bones.
That horrid part is truly Roche (ten
words cut cut by censor. It's in line
with the atrocities and crueiixions that
I personally know about-it's in line
with the evil | personally witnessed
in the devastated Somme and Aisne
country last spring, with the Gcliber-
ate dc seeration of countless graves, the
sacking and burning OF hundreds and
hundreds of churches, the destruction
of Rheims and the burning Of st.
Quentin Cathedral with all the rest
Of IL.
We Of the United States have a lit
tie Job before US, and we are girding
our loins. When we get in 10 hold
sector or sectors permanently. let US
not overlook the boys killed the other
night live words cut out by CENSOR.
For everything written in this article
in the nature of opinion | here per-
sonRlly stand for.