Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-19

| tlcmcn and take II easy. but you cannot
trust amy or them orcrlonc.
At one poin, Of the line tho trcnchc:
were about thirty-two yards apart
This sounds horrible but. in fact. i,
was easy. because neither side could
shell tho cncmy's frout-lnc trench foi
fear shells would drop into their own
This eliminated artillcr" fire.
In these trenches. when up aEains,
the PruSSianS and BavarianS. Tomny
had hot time OF II. but when tho
SaNonS took over ii was a picnic
they would yell across that they were
SaNons and would not fire Both sides
would sit OF tho parapc, and carry on
u conversation. This generally con-
sisted OF Tommy telling them how mucl,
lac loved the Kaiser. while the Saxcns
Informed Tommy that King George was
:, particular friend of theirs, and hoped
that hc doing nicely.
W;'cu the SaNons werc,to be relieved
by prusSian.S or Bavarians. they would
yell This information across mo mans
land" ana Tommy would immediat cly
tumble into his trench aud Keep his
head down.
If am English rcEi.dcut was to he
relieved by the wild Irish. Tommy
would tell tho SaXons. and imm cdiatcly
a vollcy OF Bonner und l;lit2cn's" could
be heard. AND ii was Fritz's turn TO get
a crick II ,is back from STOPPING. aud
The people in Berlin would close their
windows.
Usually wIcn az Irishman takes over
= trench. ."$; before stand down in
the morning. he sticks his rife over the
ton aimed in the direction Of Berlin
am" engages in what is known as the
'mai minute" This consists Of firing
fifteen SHOTS III minute. lie is not
aiming mt anything in particular
just sends over each Shot with prayer.
hopinG that one of his Strays will get
some poor unSuspcctine Fritz in the
mapper hundreds Of yards behind the
lines. /; generally does: that's tho rca-
son the Eochcs hate the man from
h:riu's Isle.
The Saxons. though better than tho
russians and Eavarians. have a nasty
trait OF trcachcry in their makeup.
NJ ono point of the line where tho
were very close. Il stake was
driven into tho ground midway between
tho hostile lines. At night. when IL
was his turn. Tommy would crawl to
this stake and attach some London
papers TO il. while at the foot he would
place tins Of bully beef. Tags. sweets
aud other delicacies that he had re-
ce!"cd from Bligh;y i'll the overlooked
for parcel. Later on Fritz would come
out and get these luXurics.
The next night Tommy would go out
20 sec what fritI had put into his
stocking. The donation generally con-
sisted OF paper from Berlin. telling
Who was winning the war some timed
sausaGcs, cigars and occasionally a
little beer. hut - funny thing. Tommy
never returned with the beer unless il
was inside of him. Ills platoon got a
whiA OF his breath ono night. and the
offending Tommy lost his Job
one night young English sergeant
crawlcd TO the stake. and as he tried
TO detach the German paper a bomb
exploded and manElcd him horribly.
Fritz had set his trap and gained an
either victim. which was only one more
black mark against him in the hook
OF this war. From tina, time on diplo-
matte relations were severed
Returning to Tommy. think his
spirit is best shown in the questions
he asks. It is never who is going to
win" but always how Ions will il
take"