Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-22
Varied Experiences
For Recruits Sent
to Quiet" Sectors

Correspondence Associated Press.l
With the American Army in Lor-
raine, July IA quiet sector said
an officer OF an American division
holding a position so designated ap-
pears to he a part OF the front where
nothing but scouting, patrolins, shell
ing and cassing are going on, with
little bombing and hame-throwing 10
vary the monotony.
In a quiet sector the American
soldier gets his first experience Of war.
Stane OF the relatively small things in
this war look so big to the new man
that he is inclined 10 take them for
bigger ones" said an American gem
eral, and il IS important for both the
new soldier and the young officer TO
get familiar with the little friGhtul-
nesses the Germans send over so as 10
get tle proper proportion between
them and real attacks.
Patrols are large contributors TO the
war diary Of the division in this sector
and the American soldier is particular
ly apt at it. 1t is no secret for the
Germans that he IS always at 1t and
that he is venturesome enough 10 push
tllit liitIl Lll4tS stI4IA l!4LS NA4N 4'''"- -
back of them The Germans find their
wire cut in most unexpected places.
even live wires in some cases. \ patrol
caught at this dangerous work found
itself In the range of machine guns ana
had TO roll hack under the wire and
across no mans land with bullets
whistling over their heads. Another
patrol pushing into a German COM
handing post and finding il vacant
dragged an officers trunk back over
the shell holes TO their own trenches.
The patrol is expected 10 do nothing
more than bring in information. The
orders are to avoid contact with the
enemy, bat patrols often met and oc-
| casionaliy are obliged to fight.
One man of an American patrol, sep
arated from his comdades and cap
tured by the enemy, had gained some
interesting information that he deter
mined to take back if he could. His
rifle had been taken from him but he
had managed to conceal a couple of
grenades. Slyly removing the cap from
! one OF them as he was being led across
no mans land he struck it against the
other let il drop then sprinted back TO
safety.
/ Indian troops are rendering great
service in this work, getting over the
ground between the lines without
( seeming TO touch a thing that produces
| noise, and bringing back most useful
/ information.
/ Men in observation posts and captive
I balloons furnish detailed information
! OF everything they see going on back Of
/ the enemy's lines. From their reports
/ the war diary registers a daily count OF
/ the number of trains and the number
/ of cars in each train seen on the lines
! Of communication. A count is also
I kept of columns Of smoke with the
/ hours and minutes when they are OBJ
! served.
| Working parties and the directions
| Of their movements noted. sometimes
/ leading TO the discovery of new en-
/ placements for heavy artillery. An
aerial photograph showed recently
where battery found in this way had
| been completely destroyed by our fire.
| The men out scouting or on patrol. N
| the listening posts or observation bal
! looms quickly sharpen their faculties
| OF observation get better grasp Of the
I significance of li;tie things and their re-
| lation to big ones. Their sense of pro-
! portion developers and they are no
| longer TO be misled as TO the scope OF
| the enemy's harassing operations.