The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-28
A QUIET SECTOR.
where American Soldiers Get Their
First Experience-What Some OF
Them Accomplish.

W 1L0 the A1aSfiCdu <AI1uy III AoA
rasne, July 5 (CoTresp ondence OF
The Associated Press)-''A quiet
sector" said an officer of an Ameri-
can division holding position SO des-
Sgaatea appears to be q part OF the
front where nothing but scouting,
patrelling. shelling and gassing are
going on, with a little bombing ana
hame-throwing to vary the monotony.
In a quiet sector the American
soldier gets his FIRST experience OF
,aar. Same OF the relatively small
things in this war look SO big to the
new man that he is inclined to take
: them for bigger ones said an Amer
i:ap general" and it is important for
both the new soldier and the youns.
o.icer to get familiar with the little
feigRtfu5aesses the Germans send over
SO as TO get the proper proportion BET
tween them and, real attacks.
Patrols are large, contributors 10
faae war diary OF the division in this
sector and the American soldier Is
particularly apt at it. It is no secret
fer the Germans that ae is always al
it and that he is yentureseHne enough
to push into their lines aad into the.
yilsages back OF them. The Germans
And their wire eat in nest unexpected
paacss, even live wire in some cases.
a patrol caught at this dangerous
work found itself IN fhe range Of ma
chine guns and had to reA back under
He wire and across No Mans Land
with bullets whistliag over their
heads. Another patrol pushing into,
a German commanding post and:
anaing it vacant dragged AN officers
trunk back over the shell holes to
aheir5own trenches.
The patrol is expected to do moth
ang more Than bring in Information.
The orders are to avoid contact with
the enemy, but patrols often meet,
and occasionally are obliged to fight.
One man of an American patrol,
separated from his comrades ana:
captured by the enemy, had gained.
soIre interesting information that he
determined to take back If he could.
His rife had been taken from him but:
he had managed to conceal couple
of grenades Slyly removing the cap;
from one Of them as he was being led
across No Mans Liand, he struck It
against the other, let it drop, then
sprmted back to sefety.
Indian troops are rendering great
service in this work. getting over the
ground between the lines without.
seeming to touch a thing that pro-
auces noise, and bringing back most
useful Information.
Men in observation posts and cap
live balloons furnish detailed infor-
1oation Of everything they see going
on back OF the enemy's hines. From
their reports the war diary registers
a daily count of the number OF trains.
and the number of cars In each train
Seen on the lines of communication. A
count Is also kept OF columns Of;
5le smoke With the hours and minutes,
Forking are counted and;
the direction of thei: movements not:
cd, sometimes leading to the discoy-s
cry OF new empiacements for heavy
artillery. An aerial photograph
showed recently where battery
found In this way had been complete
1y destroyed by our fire.
Hhe naen out scouting or on patrol,
10 the listening posts or observation
balloons quickly sharpen their facul-,
ties of observation get better grasp
OF the significance Of little things and
their relation to big ones. Their,
sense OF proportion develops and they
are no longer to be nnisled as to the,
scope of the eneny's harassing op-