Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-10
Raiding Made n Science

raiding.
Raiding Made n Science
These Canadians have been raiding
the enemy with relentless industry. In
ninety days they have n,ade forty-eight
raids, and one night some of them went
out on three raids within an hour or
two of midnight They have made n
science of rasding. and carry it out
like a surgical operation. and with the
scientific interest of n surgeon in an
operating theater.
The officer. who liked the looks of
children, and had the gentlest of smiles
for them, told me how he had gone out
with n raiding party some nights ago
which had left ninety dead Germans
in the trenches before returning home.
"It was a great success" he said.
'It all went without n hitch and, apart
from the dead, there were many
wounded, all from bayonet work. We
prefer the bayonet to the bomb; it
makes a cleaner job of it,
Many of these Jobs" have been done
in the neighborhood of Neuville Nitasse.
not far from Arras. where the Germans
| were in no ignorance that the Canadi-
ans were facing them. because they
| left their visiting cards, SO as to speak.
| in the trenches and put up provocative
| messages in No Mans Land.
a little while ago they made a large
flag, upon which one of them. WHO had
| good knowledge of German. wrote some
words which they would hurt the
/ enemys feelings like rubbing salt into
| his wounds: your morale Is perfectly
rotten" was the message on the flag.
You had better wire yourself in. Next
time we are going to raid your battalion
headquarters.
Planted Flag as Challenge
One Canadian raiding party lay out
all night in No Mans Land, which, in
some parts of their front. was 1000
yards wide and in other parts not
more than 80 yards. and then crawled
forward. Before making their jump
into the German line n small party OF
them went into the ruins of Melville
Vitassc where they killed some of the
enemy, and a Canadian officer climbed
up the biggest pile of mansonry and
fixed there, very firmly and steadily,
a flag of challenge.
In civilized men the primitive in
stinct which belonged to their fore
/ fathers at the dawn of the world. when
one tribe fought for life and food
against another, and when every man
was very watchfu and quick to kill. Is
reused again along that line OF trenches
which runs across France.
On these night raids boys who had
worked IN city offices, university men,
young gentlemen who, fifteen years ago
were spelling out Little ATthur's His
tory of England" to governess with
nursery principles of life. crawl out
on their stomachs as hunters of men,
with sharp blades at the ends of their
rifles and in their hearts the intent to
kill.
But the Canadians. who have killed
many Germans in recent months, are
chivalrous to their prisoners. as l have
seen many times in the war, and they.
like all the Kings forces. are courteous
among women and gentle with children
when they come back behind the lines,
like those who played in the hay yes
terday and in the old French garden.
K hear that General Sir Julian Byng,
who used to command the Canadian
'corns, has sent a message of congratula-
ton to the men who have done so
much raiding. He has told them how.
knowing. them Of old. he had great an
ticipations of their offensive action. and
thorough field defense work, and he as
sures them that these anticipations have
been more than realized, and that the
Canadians have now added another page
of lasting fame to their history.
openly, propaganda or information
| it is felt, lies in the power of such
! newspapers to poison the minds of
| American people in the event of Ger
many seeking a premature peace, or
bv adopting other indirect offensive
| methods.