Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-06-14
CHAPTER XIV.
Prspsrlno for the nlo push.

NeJotulHk AtWeu utteE tuc VAvCuttob
I had q hard time trying to keep my
secret from him. l think I must have
lost at least ten pounds worrying over
the AFFAIR.
Beginning at seven In the evening Il
was our duty to patrol all communica.
tion and frontline trenches. making
note Of unusual occnrrencss. and ar
resting anyone who should. TO us. ap.
pear TO be acting In q suspicious man.
nen We slept during the day.
Behind the lines there was great &C.
uvity. supplies and ammunition pour.
Ing In. and long columns OF troops con.
atantly passing. We were preparing
for the big offensive. the forerunner
OF the battle Of the somms or "Bis
Push"
The neverending stream OF men.
supplies. ammunition and guns pour.
Ing into the front lines made q mighty
spectacle. one that cannot be de-
scribed. II has TO be witnessed with
your own eyes to appreciate ita vast
ness.
At our part Of the line the innux of
supplies never ended. Il looked like
hinge snake slowly crawling forward,
never q hitch or break. a wonderful
tribute to the system and efficiency OF
Great Britain's "contemptibls little
army" OF I've millions OF men.
Huge fiftecn-inch guns snaked along.
foot BY foot. by powerful steam tract.
tors. Then long line OF -four point
i've" batteries. each gun drawn by ak
horses. then a couple Of mine point
two" howitEers pulled by immense
caterpillar engines.
When one of these caterpillars would
pass me with lts mighty monster In
tow. flush Of pride would mount 90
my face. because could plainly read
on the name plate. MADE In U. y, A."
and would remember that II wore O
name plate II would also read, From
the U. 8. A." Then ! would stop 10
think how thin and straggly that
mighty stream would bs II all the
made In U. 8. A." parts Of II were
withdrawn.
Then would come hundreds Of hm-
bers and 20. B." wagons drawn by
sleek, wsll-fed mules. ridden by sleek.
well.fed men. ever smiling. although
grimy with sweat and covered with the
fine, white dust Of the maryslously
well-made French roads.
What a discouraging report the Ger
man airmen must have taken back to
their division commanders, and this
stream Ia slowly but surely getting big.
ger and bigger every day, and the pace
is always the same. No slower. no
faster, but ever onward. ever forward.
Three weeks before the big push of
July las the battle Of the Soinme has
been called-atarted. exact duplicates
OF the German trenches were dug
about thirty kilos behind our lines.
The layout Of the trenches was taken
from airplane photographs submitted
bg the Royal flying corps, Ths trench
es were correct to the foot: they
showed dusouts. saps. barbed wire de-
lenses and danger spots.
Battalions that were TO go over In
the first waves were sent back for
three days to study these trenches, en-.
gage in practice attacks and have night
maneuvers. Each man was required ts
make map Of the trenches and fa.
vnlta riRa htrraatR xnrt1h Sha namaa and
location Of the parts his battalion was
to attack.
In the American army noncommiS-
stoned officers are put through q course
OF map making or road skstehing. and
during my siE years service in the
United States cavalry had plenty Of
practice In this work. therefore map.
ping these trenches was q compare
lively easy task for me. Each man
had to submit his map to the company
commander to be passed upon. and !
was lucky enough to have mine select.
ed az being sufficiently authentic to use
In the attack.
No photographs or maps are allowed
to leave France. but in this case It ap-
Dealed TO me as u valuable souvenir Of
the great war and managed to SNUG
gle It through. At this time II carries
no military importance as the British
lines. l am happy to say. have since
been advanced beyond this point 30
lin having II In my possesston am not
breaking any regulation or cautions
Of the British army.
The whole attack was rehearsed
and rehearsed until We heartily cursed
the one who had conceived the idea.
The trenches were named according
to q system which made 1t very simple
for Tommy to find, even in the dark
any point In the German lines
These imitation trenches. or trench
models, were well guarded from Obser-
walton by numerous allied planes
which constantly circled above them
No German airplane could approach
within observation distance. A re.
stricted area was maintained and nc
civilian was allowed within three
miles, 30 we felt sure that we had q
great surprise in store for Fritz.
When we took over the front lint
we received an awful shock. Tbt
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