The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1917-12-04

stan dropped their heaVy responsiDin-
ties and enjoyed the unique expert
ence of entertaining two Americans.
II was the first time that such q gath
ering had ever assembled in this par
ticular building and all made the most
Of 1t.
The stan captain who had intro
duced us suggested that we get little
exercise, explaining that the stan ON
GERS usually spent an hour In the eve
ming playing badminton or some other
game Just to keep In condition. We
went out 10 well constructed court
similar to q tennis court and tapped
of In the same manner. For an hour
we watched four officers bat the feath-
cred shuttlecock across the net with
display OF skill and strategy that was
worthy OF men who used strategy 10
d greater and more deadly manner. We
took q hand In the game for time
and then watched four others play on
the staff championship.
Meet Famous strateglss.
When the game broke up and we re-
entered the headquarters building we
were presented to a man whose name
is famous the length and breadth OF
the British front. His keen stratagens
and forceful work have won for him
the praise and admiration Of every
Canadian fighting in France and his
record as a fighter would fill several
books. We were fortunate in having
nm opportunity of talking with him,
for he, like the late General Funston,
is keenly interested in newspaper work
and it gave us good start on the
right plane. We explained to him our
reasons for coming to headquarters
and how the car that was to meet us
had broken down.
"Well, I'm glad you're here, boys,
he said. ''I'll just arrange to have q
couple of places set for you at dinner.
How are things over in the q. s. A.?'
We had been talking with him only
few minutes when an officer brought
to him word that an s. o. s. signal had
been received from q certain point In
dicating that the Germans were pre-
pairing to attack. There was no blus-
ter. The information was given in a
low, steady voice and the orders for
certain counter-measures were given in
an equally unruffied manner. An hour
later it was learned that the Germans
had given up their attempt after being
numerically fiayed by the gruelling
fire which our host had turned loose.
From time to time an officer would
appear at the door and report the prog
ress Of various movements under way.
and throughout the evening there was
no letup in the handling of business.
The whole procedure Of this work of
directing armies seemed to operate as
smoothly as the service at the dinner
table to which we were shown.
When the meal was finished and we
were comfortably seated in the main
room we heard from the lips of one of
the officers a story Of the thoughts and
feelings Of a man directing an often
sive.
For the moment we saw series OF
pictures thrown on the screen Of our
Imagination. The officer asleep in his
room. A servant calls him in the small
hours. He dresses and walks slowly to
his Office, where number of telegraph
and telephone operators sit at keys
and switchboards. A cup of coffee Is
steaming at his desk, a broad. fiat Ia
BILE, upon which is spread great de
tail map with flags marking the line
of attack. He drinks the coffee, lights
his pipe and turns to greet his brother
officers.
Men Go Over the Top.
The hour of the attack is marked by
general glance at watches and then
the phone rings. The men are over the
topl Several phones ring. A number
of detectives have been reached. An
s. O. s. signal from "a" section. All
reports are marked upon the big mar
by flags, and as each objective Is
reached new flag is added. AS re
ports of trouble come from different
points certain barrages are Instructed
to cut loose with everything they have
A "cut-in" shows the men lying By
their guns, which are loaded and
trained upon certain points. The s
o. s. signal comes to the gunner near
est the string, who reaches out ant
gives it yank while the other gun
ners jump into action. Before tht
| first shell has reached its destination
a second is on Its way and the bill
show is on in full swing. We see tn,
men bombing the Germans out Of dug