Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-16

permit the hospital stan to tako away
men shat havo lost finger or other
wounds that don't make them UNFIT to
serve. All such cases arc treated be-
hind the lines. and you can see plenty
or men without finger or q thumb. /
counted five close to me the day before
l came out OF II. Tho men who want
TO mako certain Of being sent away
manage to lose an arm or leg.
MEN WITH ONE EYE ARE
FOUND ON FIRING LINE
| The price that men will pay for
immunity from service is going up.
First II was n finger, then q hand. an
arm next, now, where tho commanding
officer Is very strict or very cruel
which is the Same thing, men will
gladly give An eye or leg for the
chance Of being invalided out of the
army.
you can't always be certain OF that.
however, for have seen men with one
eye employed In tho fighting zone I
suppose II Will be necessary to lose
both eyes very suon to mako certain
Of being released from service"
Now that Is the whole story. The
common ordinary Fritzies are gener-
ally human beings like you and i. They
are good. and some OF them / found
very good. but when they become OFF,
GERS they seem to turn Huns instantly.
Now just to prov, that 1 will toll
you another experience OF mlne. / am
again getting ahead OF my story. but
never mind. this Is a good one. and
must tell It. Tho trouble with tile
Fritz is that he Is too obedient to his
officer.
Just previous to one OF our big at
tacks our lot went up to che front limo
trenches. II was 10 be fight for pill
boxes. and from tho nature Of the
ground We knew it would be st II
struggle. It's a battle In itself to get
through tho mud. SO things weren't
exactly rosy-lookinE.
But it was all IN the game, and we
could only lie there and wait and o.
urc out for ourselves how tho obstacles
would be reduced by the terrific art.i-
lery bomDardment before we topped
the bags and wallowcd forward to or
TO be out under that awful Smelling, a
big experiences for US. even.
What 1t must be for tho Huns who
it, to contend With. can be better
Ina Eined than described.
RED GROSS FLAG Is PUT
TO ILLEGAL USE ny HUIS
Ono pill-box was within sight, and
as I was watching II I saw four Ger
mans under the Rcd Cross flag ap-
proach it and enter.
Well, Thought. that's all right;
somebody's got hurt, or they're pre-
pairing.
They must know that nm attack Is
coming ofr-the bombardment was SUI
lcicnt advertisement OF the fact. in
all conscience-but what was my sur
prise few minutes afterwards. to
see, not four, but twcnty-four ut the
very least. emerge again from the con-
crete fort, and all under the protect
ing sign.
They came out. cool as cool, and trot-
ted off to their own lines in the most
brazen and open way. ! could scarce
~ believe it at first, but the evidence
OF my eyes could not be denied.
| 1t was obvious, OF course, that a
trick had been played.
! AS say, the Huns must have known
perfectly we'll that an attack was
brewing. and, realizing perfectly wei.
| too. from bitter experience. that we
| would carry that pili-oox, just as we
had carried others, they had deter
mined to relieve their garrison.
But how?
All. the Red Cross!
They had sent down that party Of
four. knowing that they would not he
fired on by us. and then. with th.t
sacred sign as their protection, they
had got the big majority of the fort
inmates clear away. leaving only ono
or two die hards 10 work their intern IL
machine guns when our BOYS went
over.
That was comhins it pretty low
down. But 1t is only part and pa.
eel, after all. OF their idea of fight
ing. no doubt they thought it rather
smart. but had a different opinion,
and was only sorry there was no Of
ticcr beside me at the moment to wit
ness the affair
We had the satisfaction OF carving
that place afterwards. but instead OF
me score or SO OF prisoners we orgh,
/ TO have had, We could only have CIT
handful. II we got any, for 7 don't
know what the exact fate of that par
I ticular Dill-boN was.
bly, It was blown to bits
shall never forget the last trim r
made The going up to tho front live
was all rieht--but the mud What mud
and what task getting through IL and
out of 1t.
AND yet. despite il all. our boys went
up as If on review. with rifles and
haEone!s slung high and jest on th,i,
lips You couldn't call it a road. the
way we had TO go over. Almost at
every part it was knee deep in sticky
miro, but through it we plowcd, liter
ally piowed. our way, helping each
olheT rs best we could, until we
reached the front-linc trenches. Ir,o
these we scrambled and then settled
down 10 wait tho first act in the
drama which was TO unfold Itself.
Tho first act, of course, was the
artillery, and. needless TO say, Il way
n great success
LOOKING AFTER WOUNDED
UNDER HAIL OF HuIl,ETS
Our special difficulties began when
! the boys went over, and we had 10
follow them up.
For bit it was quite safe, or COM
paratively safe. behind tho CREEPING g.