The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-06-22
BY IAN M. TUoHY.
New York World Correspondent


War takes no account Of the Sabbath.
They toll and fight even days a week
ut the front. Not only laws but dog
mas are silenced by the guns.
It happened that we visited Arras
on q Sunday. The whole countryside
from the base up to the front was
alive with movement. Motoring for
hours along the broad, straight,
switchback French roads you found
them grooming under the heavy traf-
fc OF war supplies.
POnderous motor lorries dominated
the scene-lorries In hundreds, lor-
ries In thousands. One stream was
going up, another stream coming
down. The automobile picked its
way Is we'll as it could in between,
and Mt cross roads n found Brit
ish traffic Orderlies keeping the
streams moving in regulated process
sion, just as the London policeman
does at the Bank OF England or Re-
gent Circus.
Otherwise the confusion and delays
would be interminable; and de-
lay In sending up supplies to a fight
ing army might be a fatal business.
In the course of some days motor
ing up to various points on the Brit
ish fighting line, owe roads literally
packed with all sorts of vehicles-lor-
ries. buses full Of soldiers, ammuni-
ton wagons drawn by teams Of mules,
- xx;th t1,n;,, ryy,v, ~ vrtO VOC from
the handy field piece to the mammoth
howitzer, traction engines-and never
once did we see a tie-up. Everything
was going forward or coming back
with absolute ~smoothness, the whole
complicated organization working
with clockwork precision.
Vast Camps Behind Line.
At frequent intervals along these
roads you came upon camps of all
sorts-soldiers' camps, veterinary
rails, supply camps, repair camps,
draft horse Enclosures, munition
depots, parks Of artillery, hospital
camps and occasionally cages for
German prisoners. Everything re-
quired by the modern army Is to be
seen In the utmost p%rofusion, with
order and system the presiding de-
tiles.
This does not apply merely to the
road to Arras. but to all the other
highways throughout the whole OF the
army zone. Khaki Is the prevailing
hue. The British soldier permeates the
whole region, and W In the towns
and villages the French Inhabitants
only the old and the very young-are
rarely to be seen.
Not only the roads but the railway
lines are working at top pressure In
the business Of the war. It Is curious
to see trains OF English cars drawn
French tracks. The amalgamation be-
tween the two races in their joint ef-
fort to conquer the BOche seems to be
complete.
shopkeepers Coin Money.
Needless to say. the s~hopkeepers
are coming money out Of this friendly
army of occupation. On this Sunday
evening, when the men from the re-
serve camps had finished their days
work, they were flocking into nearest
towns for a few hours relaxation at
a cafe or q cinema. They are perfect
ly at home among their continental
surroundings. and In nothing has
their adaptiveness displayed itself SO
quickly as In their assimilation of the
free-and-easy atmosphere of the
French.
Next to the vastness and variety
OF this military concentration, with
all Its endless qualifications, you are
impressed by the confident spirit OF
the army. Whether the Tommy Is
strolllng about In his hours Of ease
far from the fighting line, marching
with his heavy pack along the dusty
road, or under shell fire In his reserve
camps up close to the front. where
any minute a Boche prosectile may
land In his midst, he Is doing his task
with q bright ~c0untenan0e, lifting the
last favorite song from the n osic halls,
going Oh his perilous way with a light
heart.
Among the officers the sporting spir-
1t. in which they Take their part, Is
beyond admiration. When you hear,
perhaps, q young fellow of twenty-five
talking about the .strafes' he was In
l8 months agO-when ammunition. un-
like these times. was dangerously
scnrce-and you see two or three
wound stripes on his arm, and the
pursuit Of the war seems to be the one
absorbing object Of his life, you are
lost In wonder.
But nothing IL more inspiring at the
front than the hourly heroism Of the
Royal Flying corps. The Sunday we
visited the Arras battlefield II was
bright sunshine, with some white
clouds far aloft. and, % the COM
muniques say, there was considerable
activity above and below.
Odds Against Them.
AS far as the a~viators were con-
cerned this meant that every few min
utes two OF three planes were seen
soaring away over the German lines.
some on bombing expeditions, others
Tor observation and Photographic pur-
poses. Every q Of these aiers went
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