Arizona republican., 1917-03-29
RETREAT SHOWS
GERMANS ARE IN
A SORRY PLIGHT
tFrom a Staff Correspondent of The
ASSOCIATED Pressl

B RIT ISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, March 2S. (via London.)-
Now that the desperate episodes in
the war, Known in history as the
battles of the Somme, have been
definitely ended by the German re-
treat from Arras to the Aisne, it has
been possible more leisurely to in
vest1gate the conditions which exist
ed along the German front just prior
to the backward swing to the social
ed Hindenburg line.
When the retreat first began more
than month ago, the British swept
over some old Somme positions neld
by the Germans and even the most
hurried glimpse of the evacuated
trenches indicated how untenable
they had become and why it was de-
clded to run no risks of another al
lied offensive in this sector Five
miles of slogging along the old Ger
man lines in the vicinity of Bapaume
today revealed a picture of ghastli-
ness which may never be seen again
in this or any other war The front
line was a long open dilapida ted
crumbling grave which disappeared
in the mud at times, but could be
picked up further on by means of the
bodies that marked the way.
One realized with a shudder how
the men doomed to live in these
trenches had been plagued by their
own dead. Such a ceremony as
decent burial had been wholly out of
the question and there was no means
of conveying the bodies to the rear
1t had oeen like passing through
fiery rain from hades to bring up
food and water to the living So the
dead had simply been tossed out Of
the trenches, only to be blown back
again by an exploding shell Some
times they came back in fragments,
for there We're arms and legs, feet
and hands, everywhere.
Occasionally graves had been dug
in the sides of the trench itself. but
the deaG could not rest there At
frequent intervals the inevitable skel-
eton hands and feet protruded from
the trench walls.
Grim sights this war had had for
the men who passed up and down
the trenches during the long and
bitter nights of winter.
1t has been an enthralling thing
to stand by the British guns in the
last three or four months and wonder
what was the meaning of all their
continuous roar. There was no set
battle in progress and the gunners
said it was merely the daily hate go
ing on to keep Fritz unhappy The
iSNGittAOHS Ot I1e tIeJ
trenches. however, gives the gruesome
answer to what the guns were doing.
In some places there were veritabIc
1nargled masses of what were once
human beings. Neither by day nor by
night had the Germans rest. TneiI
orIsted barbed wire, in which they al
ways placed such great reliance, had
been swept completely away over
thousands of yards and they dared
not venture out to repair it.
All trace of communication trenches
leading to the front lines We're wiped
out and it had been necessary to
bring up supplies and relief at night
over a country blown into endless
shell holes, many of which were filled
20 such Il depth with water that men
ere drowned in them. While bits of
broad tape cculd be seen here and
there attached to the iron posts.
which were for the purpose of guiding
the men up to the front line.
These pathways over the fields of
death also were strewn with frag-
ments OF human bodies. Some of the
dead had the looks of mummies
One of the fallen soldiers had his
right arm thrown over his eyes as if
his last impulse was to protect them
when there was no defense against
the constant shelling. Some pieces
of metal thrown about by the high
explosive shells must have weighed
at least ten pounds; the result of
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