Bisbee daily review., 1918-01-20

ticiDanI in the great exploit or Mes sines Ridge, that's just about the size of il. The sergeant declares that the infantry is about the whole thing m the Great War Upon it falls the burden. There are plenty of acces- s0ries before and after the fact, but the infantry is the fact itself
 The sergeant has been in Bisbee the past few weeks as a recruiting of- ficer for the British government, and has been quoted in these columns be- fore But no apology is offered Tor the sergeant 10 talk, but when he does speak he says something He knows Nearly three years with the Canadians on the western front has given this soldier a closeup" of the war that no newspaper correspondent or special writer can ever know. Tee newspaper man pressed the sergeant to tell of the practical. actual. matter of fact side of the war and of the men who are fighting and how they fight. The facts set forth herein are of vital importance. and what is more still. they are true;
 The infantry's Utility
 "The infantry" said the sergeant collectively. hold the front line trenches. In fact. they do about everything in the army A first-class infantryman has to be a first-cless machine gunner, an engineer, a bomber. a scout. a drill instructor. sniper, and everything else you can name or think of, unless it is a flier and an srtilleryman. You see. il is this way:
 When an advance is made the in fantry make it, of course. But they have to do more than merely charge and fight. If they take enemy trenches they have to consolidate them. There are no engineers up there at that time"
 Just what do you mean, sergeant. by consOlidate2-
 Glad you asked me. because a lot of folks have a very dim notion of just what that does mean. When you take an enemy trench it is built to oppose you from the front It is faced with a paTapet Behind Is what we call a paradox. Well. waen We take a trench We have to reverse it. You see, it is not built to resist attack from the rear. We have to build a fire-step-wait. and I'll tell you what that is IL is place 10 mount and fire from over the psrapet- A trench is too deep for a man 10 stand in and aim gun over the top.
 Digging In
 There are no engineers among the r,H hA h,r 10 drop their guns and rig that ditch for Q counter-attack.
 Again. when we attack and fail to take trenches but have to hold our ground. we dig in. And this is some job. believe me, with the shrapnel bursting about you. No engineers here; it is every chap for himself
 The infantry also have to connect ID new trenches hastily dug. and they have 10 block the intersections in cap tured trenches to be safe from sur prise attacks
 These chaps of the infantry in the first attack also have to string the 20-fOot belt of barbed wire as addi- tional protection. And they build the 'trio wire which is set upon iron stakes about three fee, aIgh and is mighty good protection from surprise e. tight
 Take it all in all. when there is ground to be gained or a place to take or an attack to stop. the infantry lad is one busy lad. for he has it all to do. Later, when permanent work is to De done, or before the actual fighting. the engineers and sappers do all that kind of work
 Recreation"
 There is also a lot Of wild notions about bombing raid U :s pulled off merely to gain information and to give the boys recreation and exercise. and (here the sergeant smiled) to kill as many Germans as possible. No one is ever ordered to go on a bombing raid They always call for volunteers. For work of this kind it takes a man with nerve and-without nerves. It is very dangerous work when you are successful. but when you fail to sur prise them it is almost certain death There are sure a lot of brave fellows in those front line trenches. If you are selected from a lot of volunteers -1A NL-1 A-AAAE EaAAAE AAtLE NOu with death and your partner is not. he grumbles and shorts and wants to know where you got your pull" And another thing. When volunteers are called for for a raid the boys always want to know who is going 10 lead them If he is a man they know and have confidence in. they will all vol unteer If he is not. they refuse to gO- You see, in these raids, upon the cleveTEeSs and resource and judgment of the officer in charge depends the life of every man in his party.
 The Listening Post
 Then there is a listening post. an other deadly dangerous little job. and always the personal property of the infantree-man. The man on this job must crawl half way into No Mans Land on dark and foggy nights to be in position to warn the trench of surprise attack. If there is really an attack there is not a chance that this sentry will get back alive. We al ways detailed men in turn for this most dangerous of all duties. And. do you know. talking about brave men. l have seen cases in my detail where a man was selected for this job and a fellow would come up to me and say.