Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-28
OHIO TROOPS UNDER
FIRE At THE front
= Make Good in Trenches and
Come Out Happy; Have
Huns Number, They Say.
PASS DOWN FLAMING LANE
nv HERBERT COREY.

By HERBERT COREY.
ON THE OHIO FRONT IN FRANCE
/, March 22-Last night Ohio troops left
the trenches. The Germans put on a
Paine's fireworks to celebrate their 60
ing. The men marched two miles down
the long, open hill through an aisle of
flaming she'll bursts.
I'VE are lucky men," said the French
officer in liaison. VERY lucky men.
For not a man has been hurt"
They came into the little village at
the foot of the hill with their heads up.
They had made good and they knew 1t.
|, They were tired and ragged and dirty.
1--WE got little Goodies feeding on the
big Goodies now" said one humorist-
but they were full of pep. They began
to hum that song which begins with
the name Ohio, and contains promise
that when the kaiser has been thor
oughly licked
We'll buy key of booze.
And wen drink it till we wabble in
our Shoes"
And the fact that the, village they
man high explosives did not bother
them. They hummed cheerily on
through the darkness to their billets
for the night, and there some good
Samaritan found a little beer for them,
and they tossed off their steaming
packs and drink it and sang some
more They believed to the last man
of them that they belong to the best
battalion. in the best regiment, in the
best division. in what will be the best
army in the world. For two weeks
Jerry has been sending them his ex-
port products. and he hasn't feazed
them. They were a little nervous when
they went in. because this is a new
game to them. But not any more.
We've got their number now" they
say.
-four Dugouts and Knee-Deep Mud.
At later day the story of their
stay in the trenches will be told. One
might hint at 1t now-at the discom-
forts Of sour dugouts. and at the
knee-deep mud that stands the year
around in one sector of the trench. and
At the vicious German professors who
lie in hiding. their eyes glued to
telescope sights. to snipe unwary
strangers who look at the landscape
over the lip Of parapet. But today
the tale in hand is that of the get
away. After two weeks of real war
the men started on their way to rest.
In the battered little village at the
top of the hill the advanced post was
located. Thereabouts one walks can
niiy, one eve on the nearest dugout
and the right hand on the gas mask.
There was not an hour of the two
did not drop there. In the battered
little village at the foot of the hill the
rsHimental headquarters had been es-
tablished. A two-mile long open road
Joined them. There wasn't cover for
. sparrow on that pike. At the crest
painstakingly hung up each night.
Next morning Jerry carefully shot
them down again.
The rest had already been withdrawn
nom the advanced area The headquar-
ters star had been sent away from the
battered little village at the foot OF
the hill to establish new headquarters
elsewhere. When 1 got there yester-
,-hs was decorated with the croix de
uerfe today, and SO the censor will
lot me mention his name-was at head
quarters. with his orderly and the
ing until he could formally turn over
his command of the sector to the
French colonel who succeeded him.
Tho day before this little town had
teans were everywhere; cars were
eaek-hring. mules were braying. To-
day the colonel and the French cap
tain sat. chairs tipped back against the
building. Both werc smoking. They
seemed glad to see us. "Red" crooked
. Anger at me and led me aside. RED"
Mr.. Corey" said "Red." dirconsolately.
They're Smelling hell cut of the
colonel and me-.
Ride Over Dangerous Road.
The town was morbid and unwhole-
for two weeks. and had made divers
visits to the dugout, but 1T had never
seemed SO desperately unpleasant as to-
day. We left on the highest speed of
sosn-up roads. A crash heralded our
gvtng. AZ We looked back through the
window In the limousine end we saw
q opuft OF black smoke over the roof
Sqps. The two lonely men rose from
ind started YEARLY toward the dugout.
- was old to them. The dugout is cold
ana damp and dark. and they had told
each other all their best stories. More
crashes came. A single French soldier
and ran across the street. There were
NO more.
The long road up the hill toward the
advanced post was as naked as snake.
Not only was there no shelter on It, but
II Is perhaps the only road in France
which is almost straight. That has
helped Jerry's target practice. Here
ana there dugouts have been built at
the side OF the road, but they are fit
only for protection against she'll frag-
mentS. Tho French captain said they
wore Focketproof only A shell landed
square in the middle Of the road. The
camouhage screen at the top of the hill
suddenly burst into hams. An American
dispatch rider on q motor cycle whirled
into sight against the skyline. and then
sped down the long slope. 1t seemed as
though his machine leaped into the air
like . buckins horse when 1t struck the
she'll made thank-ye-marms.
Darkness was forever in coming
Possibly the German knew tho relief
yaS 70 take place that night-perhaps
he was just spiteful-perhaps his
aet1vtty was . precursor Of the great
offensive that was initiated on the
British front the following day. But
he began to work on the Ohio trenches
and on that long. lonesome road. with
There were no bursts Of shells. but the
fets Of IRE gradually quickened. until
TIE parson. safe in . village nftsen
miles away, noted that his house
t4ruuIned with the roll
1t y1oTated like q window pane I'M
~ ne pressure Of . wet thumb"
Trenches Under Terrific Fire.
~ last the dusk had thickenad until
pc boche airplanss could not detect
3ovemsnes on the roads Then the
french relief went forward I never
- French troops going forward. after
aloose -FOUR years OF war. that do
noS Isel almost q pang Of admiration
1or Shem. These were young, fresh-
!Asir eyes were lively and alert and
~ 5oked quietly among themselves.
Finally they had uttered into the
Qonc6o8 and the Americans b09an TO