The sun., 1918-08-11
"Hunting the Hun"


speaking Of any particular book is 10 point
out the ways wherein it differs from the
rest. Hunting the Hun is unusual in being
the collaborated work of two officers.
Capt. James Bolton and Lieut. F.. G.
Odell, both Of the Canadian forces 1t is
written in the first person and is for that
reason rather confusing, as there is no
way of knowing whether the experiences
are those of company commander or Il
Lieutenant
So far As we know, there hasn't been
any story OF an attack equal TO the one
here of the battle of Vimy Ridge From
the very beginning of the preparations,
through the hours of waiting which one
soldier has described as being "the den
lists grisly waiting den, the ante-room
10 the operating theatre multiplied
thousandfold in their dread anticipation"
until the zero hour" and the final rush
over the top, you feel as though you had
actually taken part in it.
Such a description as is given here Of
the German trenches, revealing the COM
placent preparation for an indefinite oe-
cupation, makes the present retirement of
thousands of officers from just such lux.
urious quarters all the more satisfactory
to Us. There is a grim pleasure in think
ing of the turn events have taken as vol
read.
1--WE descended the staircase until we
came TO door with a sliding window. As
we turned brass knob and pushed open
the door candles were burning on a desk,
and | saw room about twelve feet square,
which had a wooden floor, a neat little
rug under the desk, few chairs, a com,
Portable looking spring bed in the corner,
with the softest of woollen blankets. In
another corner was stove, with a well
filled coal bin in the rear of it. A wash
basin, with running water; electric light
fixtures, telephone, and the wooden walls
were papered and burlapped. Over the
desk was picture of the Kaiser"
One very amusing incident is told of
the trip through trenches 2}12x4 feet to
await the signal for the attack on Vimy
Ridge. Suddenly through the silence a
clear and distinct voice which betrayed
no sign of nervousness or fear was heard
to shout the startling words: "Where in
h is the end of this damned ditch?"
1t proved TO be from an American moving
picture man who was waiting to take pic
lures of the boys as they went over the
top. "If this is a sample of the Amsri-
cans who have gone over TO France to fight
with u.s." the author adds, "then all can
say is that the Boche will have a hard
time when the boys from the United
States of America go over the top"
We cant have too much of this sort of
anecdote, and while it is true that certain
stories of the front have become almost
middle aged by this time the wonder is
that there are not more repetitions.
There are some trench songs which the
Canadians like particularly well, chief
among them,
"Oh, my, don't want to die,
want TO go home"
This is favorite as they crouch for
the final charge across No Mans Land,
and is sung, need we say, with mock seri-
business. But when You read what the
equipment of an infantry soldier is when
going cover the top you will wonder that
he ever gets there. He carries twenty
articles, aside from 220 rounds of small
arm ammunition, list which is staggering
even TO read.
The chapter called Tips for Recrmts is
filled with valuable hints TO tie men about
TO take part in the war and includes the
warning that they remember that they are
going to France to kill and not to be
killed. This is advice which our Ameri-
cans are scarcely in need of, judging
from their record so far; but it cant be
too often.
HUNTING THE HUN. BY CAPT. JAMES
Is,-v.- T