The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1918-01-05

nm puualIy utrullltu manner. AZ HUI
later ii was learned that the Germans
had given up their attempt after being
numerically ilayed by the grueiilng
fire which our host had turned loose.
From time 10 time an officer would
nppear ut the door and report the prog
ress OF various movements under way,
and throughout the evening there was
no lctup 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
we're comfortably seated in the main
room we heard from the lips of one Of
the officers q story of the thoughts and
feelings Of 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 q number Of telegraph
and switchboardS. y cup of coffee IS
steaming ut his desk broad, fiat ia
bic, upon which is spread q 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
a general glance at watches and then
the phone rings. The men are over the
top! Several phones ring. a number
of detectives have been reached. An
S. o. S. signal from "a" section. AL:
reports are marked upon the big map
by flags, and as each objective Is
reached Il 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 and
gives 1t yank while the other gun
ners jump into action. Before the
first shell has reached its destination
q second Is on Its way and the big
show is on in full swing. We see the
men bombing the Germans out Of dug
outs; fighting hand to hand In the
open ground with vicious thrusting OF
bayonets.
Finally the picture reverts to head
quarters, where we see the officer.
tired eyed but smiling, reading the
congratulations from oil along the line
and transmitting them to the victort-
Gus men out In the shell holes and
trenches.
II don't believe there's q one Of Us
that wouldn't have given great deal
to be right down there with our men"
he said. That's the worst Of having
staff Job. One must take distant
view Of things and stay out of the
show, which isn't pleasant task. es-
pecially for that young officer who just
handed me this report. I'll venture to
say that he'd yell With Joy If he got
orders to go back to his regiment to-
night"
Along toward midnight our disabled
cur came limping up to headquarters
for US and our farewells were said
outside the door In the lnky blackness
Of a rainy night. We shook hands
there in the darkness with these men
who had been our hosts. From the dis
lance came the deep-throated growl of
heavy guns.
1--WE never let up on them" said
voice from the steps. ut has been
lust as you hear it now for months,
and we'll keep on until we finish the
Job. We are going to win"
And that is the spirit that pevades
not only the headquarters staff but
every camp and every dugout on the
British front.