El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-08
FLANDERS Mud
NOT THE WORST
British Veteran Prefers 1t
to Klondike Mud; Can
Swallow Tanks.

Paris. France, Feb. s.-When Shak-
spere said that the army swore ter
ribIy in Flanders" he did not need 10
say why the army swore. He kne"
that his auditors would know The
army swore at the mud. All armies
since Shakspere have sworn at the
mud, and the armies are swearing TO-
day. These heartfelt curses are
heard at home, but nobody ever
seems 10 have thought Of giving the
people at home a serious description,
without cursing. of what French mud
is really like. Capt Roger Pocoeks OF
the Br,tish army. undertook tle Job
of explaining to Americans, trencn
and Flanuers mud. a task for Wnlcr
he is qualified by long experience OF
many KINDS of American mud. and oy
three years OF 1t over there
Mud" said Capt. Pococks may De
taken seriously BY the novice who
flattens his soul and lies down IN II,
or II may be taken cheerTuly, witn
shovel
TO some o. US. VINO were pioneers
on the Red river of the north. ana
: fterwards on the trails to the Klon-
dixie goldfielus, il is rather good mud.
as mud goes. The old Red river muu
say in Main street, Winnipeg. Woulu
swallow a prairie schooner with team
of oxen complete The mudnoAes On
the Klondike trails used to drown our
horses by thousands the Flanders
mud has appetite TO absol b British
tank, but the French mud is satls-
fled with a pair Of gum boots On
the whole, this war mud is subject
for study rather than for GRIEF.
There are two species the French
and the Flemish. which have 70 pc
considered separately.
The French species is chalk mud,
and as chalk does not flourish IN
America, II may need e1p4alnlne
there. II is made OF tiny sneAls, OF
little creatures who lived al the sur
face Of the sea. and when they dleo
dropped their shells on the sea-floor;
In the course OF ages the Shell mud
on the sea floor became q bed sew
eral hundreds OF feet thick.
Forests Of Sponges.
Forests of sponges grew on the
ooze. and these sponge torests nase
been hardened into beds OF hints
Afterwards, other rocks were laid on
top. which pressed the ooze into
I chalk. Later still, the shrinking OF
the planet wrinkled up the crust OF
the earth into a series or waves
known as the Alps OF Europe, 2no
some small outlying rippleS OF that
movement have folded the chalk
downs. They are rolling plateaus
and ridges OF chalk, usually four e
six inches thick on the average. THU
soil. when pounded and kneaded, oy
war traffic. forms a clay impervioui
to water, and Is therefore an exceed,
ingiv sticky. slithery. beastly kind OF
mud, up TO the boot tops as rule
I And vet. II the 9-inch soil be removed
the whole of the rain flows straight
l through the actual chalk. forming nf
mud at all Indeed chalk Is the very
best substance ever invented foi
/ ing down 70 the chalk surface maks
I q camp perfectly clean
Costly Road Building.
Nobody knows what Il cost the
! Fiemings 70 carry paved ROADS Al
over Belgium The SOL seems 10 o.
fathomless. varied with pans o. ga 90
which keen Il waterlogged- The hol
lows are lakes In winter. the land:
| towards the coast below sea level. an6
/ dyked to keep out the sea storms
| To get an army across that land IN
der shell fire which churns the entir'
countryside into paste. Is the bigges
Of problems for the British higne'
command. The difficulty Is met b.
means OF a growth Of ste ndard gauE'
railway lines which bring sea anS
rock ballast into Flanders. From tn.
| trunk railways the branches breal
into s1urs. the sDurs into systems O.
sidings and the sidings iuterloel
with m enormous overwhelming sys
tenn Of lieht railways. The sand ant
rock ballast. trans-shinDed from tn
s+andard railways 70 the LIGHT lines
is Dumped at the ultimate rail head
| IN build carseways Of road or rail To-
the sdvarring armies.
i To HeIn TIE Men on Top.
"Agaiu this fiuid land can be com
pacted by the use OF sandbags. ant
revetments. 50 that trenches are mad
! to secure the fighting troops II
1 keep the men out Of the mud forest
are feiled 10 supply the lumber 70
durk boards A blackboard Is like
I ladder laid on trestles in the mud.
'"rhis description. IS not so gloomy
as II seems. II so ha1nens that al
across the Flanders COUNTRY side Their
are old dunes Of wind driven sam
from the coast. forming ridges o
] hills In their retreat from tn
| Marine the Germans were wise enough
For lines OF defence. There they weri
dry shod. overlooking orr founder
j In. half drowned. attacking Rriftsl
force Little bv little the Brttisl
have captured these chains OF ire
roenSors Qualifications. 80 that nov
the army Is comparatively dry shod
overlooking the floundering drown
ing counfer-attacks OF the peevisl
enemy. II the mud was unplea san
for us. our overwhelming artiller'
makes Il ten times worse for the Ger
lmans."-Copvrigh 1918. by McClur