The sun., 1918-02-18


WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY I% FRANCE.
Feb. 1,.---An American patrol having
ma ssed the first line OF German entaugle-
ments and approached the second line
suddenly was cut of last night by a
current OF electricity along the first
wire line
Instead Of attempting an immediate
return to their trenches. which would
nave meant certain death from electric
snock or machine gun fire. the Americans
lung close to the earth, and later. when
the electricity was cut of, returned in
safety to their positions.
1t was a thrilling experience for the
patrol. certain number OF men SET
out from the American position In the
hope of encountering the enemy at
point In the German trenches. They
had succeeded In getting through the
nrst line and had crawled on until the
second line was reached. When they
were JUST about 10 start under the sec
ond line there was blush glow. and
turning around they saw dong. livid
sparks playing through the barbed wire
Of the first line. The enemy had turned
on a powerful electric current.
The patrollers quickly nattened out
on the ground. thinking they had been
lnentarily machine gun bullets 60 singing
overhead. Nothing OF the kind hap
pened. howeve- Apparently the Ger
mans merely turned on the current by
chance. hoping that IL any Americans
were within the entAnRlements they
would be killed on the wire or while
trying to get out
More Tricks Of the Foe.
The Germans apparently having dis
covered the meaning Of some of the
American rocket signals, caused the
Americans for a considerable distance
along the front TO prepare last night for
a gas attack. At hrst the Germans
sent into the air rocket OF certain
color which is the American signal for
gas attacks, but the hoax was discovered
soon after the troops adjusted their
gas masks.
The Gernaus u.Nt sent IN rocket
calling for bar-age by the Americans,
but the American officers on observa-
ton duty in an advance post seeing
whence the rocket came. got message
to the artillery in time TO prevent 1t
from laying down the needless shel'
Are. The command to fire was ready
to be given when the information reached
the gunners that the enemy was re-
sponsible for the barrage signal. FIX
tremely quick work was necessary 70
stop the order TO FIRE. for the American
artillery has reached high degree OF
speed IN going into action.
The Germans are coming to realize
,his. and they are not ~ free with their
shells as IN the early days Of the
American occipatinn of the line Ir
the language of the front. every time
that Fritz sends over ore shell now hf
e~ts IAN arnfui'' in return and usually
unite a number nj eonp:hlng, whi"!
might not have been INT had the Amer
leans been unmolested.
Enemy Is More Cautio"'.
Recently, however, there har" hs"'
fewer German shells coming toward th'
American positions. Ru' the Amelra'
artillery has started tactics that seem
inRly IL making the enemy JUNIPER an'
j,mrrer and the Germans are extremely
cautious about showing themselves Tn
15s are pounding the Germans, ana ever
one German is not TOO insignificant
target
The cnem! now retaliates AT times h!
,ak,ne not ehcts at the wagons ant
motor cars, but as genera rule HI
artillery is more anxious to carry on
The daily strafe on certain lonation'
thai are thought vulnerable. The enem
infantry however, has adopted IN
policy Of never lcttn: It's rihes ana ma
chine guns sleep.
An officers striker las. evening poke
his head over the top OF a trenc!, 10 se
what was doing and a bullet promptl'
came his way. just missing him. TN
reports show that another man. who 70
some reason Jumped or parapet, Wa
riddled by machine gun bullets before h
could stand up from crouching posture
c,,,,~ued oa Third Dnnf