Evening star., 1918-08-11
HUNNERVE SHAKEN
BY ALLIED SUCCESS
Nervous and Disturbed and
Fears Attack in Force if
Enemy Appears. .
.ILL-FED, POORLY CLOTHED
By PAUL AYREs ROCKWELL.
CableEram to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1918.

BY PAUL AYREs ROCKWELL.
CableRram to The Sunday Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES.
Aug. s.-German prisoners state that
the entire German armies are greatly
depressed over the failure of their
offensive. Since the latest operations
executed by the French the Germans
are nervous and disturbed.
Nightly our sentinels fear each
instant they see the French surge
forth upon them" states captured
Prussian army officer. They always
imagine an attack is going to ne
launched in their region. 1t Is de-
plorable for US that our famous offen-
sive spirit was completely disap-
pointed"
The prisoner had been told by
officers that the French were weak
ened by the use of black food for
rations.
German Soldiers Ration.
The ration of the German soldiers.
according to prisoners. now is the
following: 700 grams (about one and
a half pounds) of bread, fifty grams
(about one and a half ounces) of but
ter. cheese or jam daily. Meat is
Dry vegetables or sugar beets and
potatoes occasionally in tiny Quanti-
ties, are served.
For a drink. they have to put up
with imitation coffee. Beer and wine
may be bought at the canteens when
the troops are in the cantonments or
on repose. The men are also entitled
to twenty-five grams three-Quarters
of an ounce) of sugar daily. This Is
distributed only during periods of re-
pose.
Every man is given daily four Gig
arettes or one cigar or a pipe OF to-
bacco. or may buy at the canteens a
prices charged in the interior Of Ger
many. Eggs are sold at the canteens
at so to 70 pfennigs GA to IS cents)
apiece.
Clothing Scant and Poor.
New clothing is distributed only
when absolutely necessary. For this
purpose every company possesses a
small stock The uniforms are made
of poor material and soon become
threadbare and ragged. The average
German prisoners are dressed like
beggars.
The war of movement has done
away with the divisional cinema per-
formances. the soldiers clubs, writ
ing rooms, regimental libraries and
the like. One prisoner confesses that
in his regiment the last patriotic
conference on the wars origin was
given by the officer charged with
questions of discipline in December,
1917.
Formerly these regimental confer
ences were held monthly, but the
allied punches have robbed the enemy
officers of the time to attempt to
raise the morale of their men or to
divert them.
Enemy's Doings Reported.
Instead. bulletins are distributed
regarding the allied troops. as is
witnessed by this translation of a
document captured from the 14th Prus-
sian Reserve Division:
Information regarding the enemy
drawn from recent attacks: The
French infantry are fighting in re-
markable fashion About all are
clever in the utilization of machine
gun nests. The terrain favors par
ticularly their disposition and we'll
known skill The French have been
able to profit largely by this fact for
machine gun emplacements.
although sometimes our troops
advanced far enough into the hostile
lines, it happened that isolated ma
chine gun nests defended themselves
for several hours. An accompani-
ment of batteries Of light minenwer-
fers (bomb throwers), and even rife
grenades have been our best auxil-
iaries in breaking their resistance
A T,,1x hx,
dier of the 23d sBavarian Regiment
reads:
I'VE are not yet relieved and have
been fighting since the LIST of June.
There were bloody days while we
were fighting until June IA. We had
a stubborn adversary in the French
Cuirassiers death regiment. They
defended themselves like lions.
Yes. it was bloody. We were all
half dead from gas
Francis Bos, 86th French Infautry.
accompanied battalion chief July Is
The intense gas bombardment made
progress difficult. 1t was impossible
feet ahead through the mask.
Near Pourcy village Bos was sud-
denly surrounded by a hostile group
five Italians he was conducted to Avri-
court, fifteen kilometers (between nine
and ten miles) behind the front.
While walking the two Italians be-
came too fatigued to march. They
were whipped and then shot.
Bos' attitude offended his captors-
When they reached Avricourt he was
thrown into a cell.
He was taken out July 23 to carry
rolls Of barbed wire into the first lines.
Risking everything. Bos hid In a
trench after depositing his burden.
He awaited the night and crawled to-
ward the French lines.
Despite the bright moonlight he
now again facing the Germans. rifle
in hand.