Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-02-20
UNDER THE CAMOUFLAGE
INTIMATE WAR EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS OF
LOWELL MELLETT
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent


London, Dec. 20.-First fog of the
season today. There have been foggy
days, but they don't call it a fog here
when you can see the light in your
pipe. Today they called it fog.
Called ON General Maurice. He ex-
planned some of the differences between
offensive and defensive warfare, in an
ticipation of change to the latter on
the western front.
"The public is apt to believe" said
the general, "when the enemy gains
bit of ground that we don It give out
complete information. The plain fact is
that on the defensive you usually don It
know what you we lost, if you lose
anything When you attack you have
your cages ready and an officer to count
the prisoners as fast as they are show
ed in.
"Prisoners usually are lost from the
front lines, where attention is pretty
well occupied and there is no time for
calling the roll to find out who is miss
ing. In the confusion of fighting, too,
men become separated from their COM
panies and it usually takes some days
to learn who is missing and who IS
dead"
The fog had not lifted when we left
the War Office. in fact, it was a bit
thicker. Crossing Whitehall to the Ad-
miralty was something of an adventure.
1t was like swimming under water in
q stream infested with submarines,
some going upstream and some down;
most confusing.
Commander Walcott at the Admiral
ty, keen, far sighted officer, foresaw
for our benefit the finish of the German
submarine campaign. The commander
ism t exactly an optimist; his analysis
of the situation showed rather a we'll
reasoned confidence. l can't give the
date when he expects the submarine eff
fort to end-beeause he didn It, not be-
cause it would be giving information
to the euemv. But when it does end will
ask him if he had the right date in
mind. Think he II tell me because he
always been honest about everything
else.
Leaving the Admiralty you couldn t
see the hand at the end of your arm.
CHATS the customary phrase in fog
days.. By hugging picket fence most
of the way we reached the Foreign Of
flee safely. All except Morris. Morris
is perfectly at home in a fog and he
struck out into the very midst of it,
making a short cut across the Horse
guards Parade.
At the Foreign Office, Roxburgh,
ON international affairs had
alphabetically through All
bania, Budapest, COnstantinople and so
following to Petrograd, when Morris
arrived. He had net only got lost IN
the fog, but had fallen down IN the
mud of Horseguards Parade.
The day was not without profit; .
learned that a fence beats parade
ground in fog.
London. Dec. 20.-The Mother of Par
lament is a good deal like ner enifufen,
or Ieastwise the resemblance is very
marked in the case of one husky child, I
the e. S. Congress. Came TO this pro- /
found conclusion today after listening to
the proceedings at Westminster for
some hours. The occasion was the PRIME
Minister 5 appearance on the eve OF
Christmas adjournment to discuss the
state of the war on land and sea.
Most of the speeches that preceded
that of Lloyd George bore on what
members hoped he would say; most of
those following his had to do with what
he had said OF left unsaid.
First speaker was the member for
East Glamerganshire, Mr. Edwards.
Among the things he hoped the Prime
Minister would announce was the comb
ing out Of about 100000 single men from
the eoal-fields Tor the army, some humid
reds of thousands from munition plants
and generally "a ruthless re-examina-
tion of the badges Of exemption. Also
be desired "a definite and encouraging