The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-30

uine imagination and honest to goodness, forceful swearing the prize must be handed to candidate officers who have passed their first rainy night in the trenches. They sure can raise havoc with the kings English.
 SOME FAIL TO SLEEP Of course, not all the candidates officers slept in the mud during their stay in the trenches. Some, indeed, did not sleep at all, which made them very irascible the next morning. especially as they emerged from the trenches at 9:3O o'clock in the morning after 30 hours of continuous trench service they were marched to an elevation overlooking tho trench system and there given . lecture by Captain Lories of the French army on tho mis- takes of the night previous.
 The men were not In the best of shape to listen to technical lecture, but they stood 1t gamely, for the French officer Is at all times interesting. They appreciated the words of Captain Lories. who said: You realize how tired you feel this morning after only . day and . night in the trenches. Think, then, how you would feel after 30 days of 1t. With only the floor and walls of the trench and the sky to look at you can realize that it is not very. interesting. You must be cour- ageous, and inspire courage in your men by sharing their hardships without seek ing comforts that they arc denied" We were fed in tho trenches We lived l in the trenches under the same system as if we were installed in barracks. The cap- tain maintained his office work. hs had | his telephone at his elbow and was in | direct communication with company conn- l manders on each side of him, tho major and any other part of the reservation l that he chose to converse with. The lieu. | tenants were in commend of platoons and | went about their duties in much the same | manner as at drill. The sergeants at tended to their duties just as if we were back on the company street.
 At mess the sergeant in charge simply took detail of men and went to get the eats. After bringing the food in the trenches the men in the particular sector the mess sergeant happened to be in passed in review in front of the cans of eats and filled up their mess kits. In the darkness of night the food secured was largely gamble, so that when you started eating your fork sometimes brought to your mouth apple jam mixed up with . greasy piece of beef. But those are details superficial in themselves in that no one paid any particular at- tention to the mess that was served. but ate gladly of what was given to him and everything else that he could buy or steal. Trench life is very inspiring to the appetite.
 do in the trenches Is to at around and wait for the enemy to start fighting. Really, they are not conducting cam
 paigns that way anymore, In other
 words. 1t isn't being dons in the best regulated armies. Nowadays the fellow in tho trenches works when he h not | fighting and when he is through fighting
 he goes back to work.
 SIMULATE REAL, FIGHTING We went in the trenches with q full
 kit rifle. ammunition and . pick and
 shovel. Soon after being assigned to . ssotor tho sergeant gave us tasks to do.
 Some were made to dig the communica-
 ton trenches deeper while others con
 structed loopholes At night the digging
 went on and incidentally an added at- traction to the students was tho building of wire entanglements. Details of men
 were sent over tho top with wire thsrs to
 build entanglements nj the bsst manner
 they know how while the enemy in the
 woods popped at them with blank car- tridges everytime their activities were | yAI AI- xa. <Nl
 course 1t was all simulated warfare,
 but the crawling on stomachs on muddy | ground in the drizzling rain was very real
 As to the actual trench warfare aside from the life in them there were thrills apisnty. Our popular Lieutenant Calla-
 han as usual shared the greater amount of glory. In the first day's engagement no captured . trench and was later him
 self captured.
 The second day'a affair his forces were
 driven back in . spirited attack by the
 enemy. but in ., counter attack in which
 he had the assistance of Lieutenant Ho-
 ban. he recaptured tho front line
 trenchss. It was all play but the spirit
 and dash with which every maneuver
 was carried indicated splendid omsn
 of what these embryo officers will do
 when they ret to France and have the
 genuine thing served up to them.
 SEEMED VERY REAL
 Although 1t was play. some of the
 trench fighting was very real It could
 not help being 50 with darkness and
 rain to increase the excitement of tenn
 psrs already warped by tho cold of the
 night You walk in mud. you waAe in
 mud. mud gets in your sars, syes and
 nese and mouthi you breathe nuA anA yeu
 cat mud. Naturally under tho eareuu-
 stancss when . ohArge was eraesel end
 soms cf the beyu sainsd sscsndaney over
 q sector they did lt In . fiery manner
 that waS we'd nlgh tes real. 4 flashing
 baycnet weflAsd by . yelling, mud-oev-
 cred yeung Hger is to Dc taken asriously
 even # you know the whole ajffair ia .
 mock ha&tlA h the excitement Of tho
 thing thsrs is no mocksfy and you must
 bs ninnbIs aud quick of wit to avoid ssri-
 ous injury.
 To rsprssent hand grsnades the boys
 had sacixs filled with earth. These when
 vet were quite substantial. especially
 when one struck you on the head or
 shoulders coming from . distance of
 about % yards. goms that were strucl.
 immediately lost all interest in matters I~.. --