The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-10
MIDNIGHT IN THE
YANKEE LINES
From Reciprocal News Service
l3 Queen Anne's Gate, London,
s. w. |.
BY George T. Bye.


My first thought on coming out OF
the American trenches in Lorraine
was: Did our army choose this Sec
tor of the line, or was it presented
to us? Certainly there IS no more
uncomfortable trench location from
the North Sea to Switzerland.
From a Typographical standpoint
our fighters are in drainage basin,
The place that one hears mentioned
in stories OF American raids is a
swamp. All the rains and thaws OF
a considerable area wash down into
this hole A thousand pumps could
not keep the water from flowing or
seeping back into the trenches un-
less an effective dam were built.
What prevents the building of
dam is Mont Soc. a porcupinc OF
hill commanding this American
bog, every quill OF the porcupine
being a German machine gun.
Yet, uncomfortable as this loca
ton is. it has all the advantage for
novice fighters OF being in quiet
sector" one where major German
attack is never likely. A drive here
could only have the object OF threat
ening foul, as strong fortress as
Nerdun and Nancy. Our Ganks,
while being seasoned, are therefore
backed by Toul and hanked by very
strong French forces And there is
consolation in knowing that the
German trenches at the base OF
Mont Sec are as quagmirlsh as our
own.
Before | got into our woe-begonc
sector | had the unusual honor and
pleasure OF having dinner at the
generals mess at headquarters. How
typically American it was a cap
tain's aide sat at the head OF the
table, a French captain at the foot,
and our brisk old general stretched
his legs on the side and helped to
pass things around the table.
1t Was Meatless Day.
Meatless day ii was and he had
TO apologize like any good house
wife for the lack of roast or steak
for his unexpected guest. The or
derlv who served did nicely, al
though | am sure the same good
housewife would find fault with the
great mop OF cloth he used to in
sulate his fingers from the mild heat
OF the dishes.
\ major and three young artillery
captains were also at the general 5
mess. and the captains provided
most OF the chatter. Strangely
enough they did not once mention
Harvard university, although the
general had warned me in advance
Glat their alma mater, old Harvard,
would be the chief meal topic. But
it had been too busy day at their
batteries. They had reason to be-
lieve that several annoying German
guns would no longer be heard |
from. Their own guns were all
working great" One sad and eX-
traordinary happening was the eX-
,plosion OF German shell as it
struck Yankee gunner in the stom-
ach.
The major cut in to say that an
other fairy story was going up and |
down the trenches. Remember that |
yarn about one OF our patrols find |
ing a dog tied out ahead OF the |
German line, the dog barking as
soon as he smelled them said the
major "Wcll. today they say
there's duck out there that
quacks when anyone gets near him.
They probably heard some boche
with hay fever
1t was now time 20 stumble out /
in the blackness to our car which .
had all lamps out excepting the tail .
light. ] wore both British and .
French gas masks, in accordance
with a very awkward American
army regulation We also had .
British tin hats
When we were about half a mile
down the road chorus OF Nank .
big guns made a mess of red and I
yellow in the sky ahead and flashed .
back to black before the uproar
reached us, giving me a twitch that
toppld my tin hat to tipsy angle.
Those steel headpieceS give a great
feeling Of security. ! fastened mine
securely this time.
At first our car raced along, then
We went more slowly. Tor dark
forms disclosed themselves along
the road, small parties Of Nauks
going TO and from the trenches. or
a lone officer on horseback.
Finally We reached i point where
our car was no longer permitted TO
approach the front lines. We got
out and walked a short distance
over duckboards to a telephone sta
tion connecting all the batteries.
was shown a relief map OF the whole
sector so that / might understand .
my trench meanderings. Here the |
generals aide turned me over to a /
colonel who assigned another cap /
tain to escort me to headquarters, I
where / was TO be turned over TO a .
major for my usher up 10 the front.
Midnight Inspection.
The major was pulling on hip
boots when we arrived. and said he .
was Just about TO give our oulrosts .
their regular midnight inspection.