Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-08-13
ORGANIZATION or
WAR IMPRESSIVE
Machine Line Operation OF Even Nin-
ute Details Remarkable Sight
mt Front.

Behind the British Lines in France.
-t Corresp Oudeuce What makes ar
indeliDle impression on the newcomer
10 the battlefront is the tremendous
organization back OF the actual fight
ing line. the miles Of roadways dotted
with transport Of war-food for men
and horses, shells for the guns, ammu-
milton for rifles and machine~guus and
comforts for the wounded.
The final and most interesting link
in this vast organization is the opera
ton Of getting the fod right up to the
men i'm the trenches. 1t usually takes
place under cover OF darkness when
the enemy is unable TO impede its pro-
gress as efficiently as with the aid Of
daylight Night after night this goes
on After one RECEIVERS from surprise
al the Quietuess with which il lis done
he is bound TO marvel at the clock-Iike
precision of the whole operaUon-aIl
of which testifies TO the efficient or
ganization necessary in a war like
this
The first fntlmation that the trans
port is preparing To move out toward
the front line is a gathering of horses
shoes ON the cobbles Of a French
farmyard. Then voices call out orders,
WaterCarts are filed; horses are har-
messed to the wagons and few min
utes later the whole column is stand
ing ready. silent. the transport men
mounted, the quartermaster, trans
port officer and a sergeant on foot In
another instant a whistle sounds, there
is a cracking of whip, then another
clatter on the cobbIestones and the
rumble of heavily laden wagons as the
whole column moves out toward the
trenches
= few miles ahead the first star
shells shoot up and little sudden pricks
Of fame come from the enemy's guns,
then there is q burst OF shrapnel fol
lowed by the deep boom of the heavy
guns.
The road is narrow but wide enough
for the limbers of other regiments.
cookers, ambulances, army service
corps lorries laden with tools and
trench stores. orderlies on bicycles and
wounded men to pass on their way
further back of the lines. But not
word is heard as the TWO columns pass
each other along this road.
AS the column going il" with the
ratious moves up closer to the lines
the star shells and boom of the big
guns becomes more distinct Sudden
+ y the column haIts-shells have burst
in the road or On either side OF 1t a
f little way ahead When this ceases
+ probably for only a few minutes the
word is given 20 move on again. The
+ column continues TO crawl along until
i it reaches a battered old building be-
side the road and within a stone y
i throw Of the support trenches. Here
1 are Ieft The supplies brought up by
this column.
The next sight is a stream Of men
with picks ard shovels and ammunt-
ton; a sergeant TO see that the "a
+ lions for the different companies are
placed in different piles; a post-cor-
poral hurrying hither and thither ia
/ search Of - companys letters, which
have been uislaids and the transport
officer and quartermaster supervising
and controlling eFerythiug--aI IN
the most impenetrabIa darkness, save
+ when q star-sheI lights UP the white
faces. the sweating horses ana the
roads
The transport officer gives the word,
and the empty wagons jolt out onto
the road again 70 join liza the stream
that flows back towards buIets and
sleep