Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-28
u. S. TROOPS HATE
PICK AND SHOVEL:
DISLIKE DIGGING IN
Toughest Problem of Ameri-
can Officers in France Is to
Curb Tendency to Rush
HeadIong Into Battle

AMERICAN TRAINING CAMP IN
FRANCE, Aug. 24-(By the Associated
Press One of the greatest problems
American officers have before them is
impressing upon their men the absolute
Importance of learning the best ways of
Keeping under cover. The American
soldier is not natural "digger-in." He
is much like his Canadian brother in
arms in that respect for it is an old
saying on the British front that Cana
dams will die in the last ditch but never
dig in.
1t is the American spirit as 1t was
that of the Canadians to upstake and
fight, but the world war has long since
passed that stage and now in the long
wear and worry of a struggle of attri-
ton the best commander is the one who
best cOnServes his men by keeping them
under cover. One of the great reasons
why the Germans are still in France
and Belgium is their wonderful facili-
ty for digging in. They have a perfect
passion for it and an incentive as well
for the allied artillery never ceases to
pound them day and nigh.
The German belief that they can dig
faster than a modern army can advance
is one of the principles OF their defen-
sive tactics. Notwithstanding all that
has been told along this line, notwith
standing the heroic efforts to rouse his
enthusiasm over the pick and shovel.
the American soldier has remained de-
cidedly lukewarm. He came to France
to fight the Germans, he says, and not
to dig a hole and look at them through
a spy glass.
The French, Canadian and Australian
soldiers all resented the idea of digging
in and would not admit the necessity
of doing so until bitter losses taught
them a dearly bought lesson. 1t is pure
" OF there
seems to be little doubt that only actual
battle experience will convince American
soldiers that the ability to take advan-
tage of any bit of cover is one of the
greatest assets the modern man at
arms can have.
at seems a shame to have to curb the
first line fighting spirit of our troops,
said an American training officer yes
terday.
But the men must be made to I'M /
derstand as far as possible that impet- |
uosity must be subordinated to steadi- |
ness. This has become a time clock
war. The men must advance in given
time and go no further. Every step of
infantry advance must first be worked
out with artillery and when the plan
is arranged it must be strictly adhered
to.
1--WE realize that 1t will be difficult
to hold our men to this plan. If they
see a battle going on their favorite
impulse will be to push on as fast as
they can and some are bound to do SO
lust as the Canadians did in the earlier
stages We will undoubtedly nave big
losses in this way but the men who
come through our first battles will be
worth their weight in gold thereafter.
They will learn quickly the value of
steadiness and absolute discipline under
fire and they will be the steadying in
fluence we can distribute through the
newer units of our great army as they
get their final preparation for trial by
fire"
The natural fighting man, 1t seems,
has a natural antipathy to digging in.
Even in these late months OF war Brit
ish Tommies would much rather remain
above ground and stand chances Of get-l
ting killed by shells than 10 dig deep |
dugouts so adored by the Germans. In
planning the battle of Messines ridge
which was a model of a clean cut vic
tory, the British army commander took
into account the fighting mans point of
view and when the advance had reached
stage where 1t gave the British COW
cred high ground the fighting men were
directed to take a rest while specially |
organized labor battclions were rushed
I'D from the rear to do the necessary |
digging and constructing Of new trench |
es so as tc make them thoroughly proof
against counter attack.
The result was tlTr the fighting men
were unhampered and unworried by the
necessity of digging, went forward lat |
er in the day and took detectives that
were rather hoped for than actually ex- |
pected These are the tactics the Amer
lean fighting man would like to see.
They appeal to him but just now he is
being put through a pretty stiff course
of digging. This does not apply to dig
cling trenches alone. He is being taught /
how to dig himself in individually while |
living flat on the ground in face of enc
my fire, thus getting temporary shell
ter and the protection of sort or grave
like eXca walton.
1t is not so often nowadays, how
ever. that a man has actually to dig !
himself in on solid ground for there Is
seldom an infantry advance made over
anything but ground all pitted and torn
with shell craters.
Fighting from shell holes is an art
In itself and one that Americans must
learn before taking their places In the
allied line German prisoners declare
they would rather fight from she'll
holes on an active part OF the front
than from a regularly organized trench
system The latter affords the artil-
lery too good a target while Isolated
shell holes are difficult to deal with. The
Germans even ConceiI SoIhe VI the IhSlI
shell holes by putting brown waterproof
sheets over them whenever an allied
airplane IS seen approaching. The pas
sion for digging in is so strong with
the Germans that they have been known
desperately to claw holes in the ground
with their hands till the ends Of their
fingers were practically torn of. Thus
some were found dead. Others. taken
prisoners. had to be sent to the hos
pital with all their finger nails gone.