Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-03-21
AMERICAN SOLDIERS
 IN FRANCE KEPT BUSY
Washington Becoming Pretty We'll Acquainted With Routine of
 Soldiers at Front.

Washington, March G0.-Washing- ton is becoming pretty we'll acqualnt- ed with the routine of the American soldiers now fighting at the front. thanks to the first hand stories brought back by the many high off cers of the United States army who have paid recent visits to France. The business of fighting and the happen ings on the actual battle line are al ready familiar to the public through descriptions furnished by press cor respondents and others. Equally in. teresting are the accounts brought back of how the American soldiers spend their time when outside the trenches
 With a combatant unit one day is very much like the other. The red letter day comes when the soldier, after taking his turn in the trenches, is given leave to come out for spell. Even in the Quietest sectors, the strain is very great, on officers and men alike. Neither sleeping nor eat ing are indulged in with any great amount of regularity. The soldier cannot take off his boots. He can, it is true, get a wash, but if the trenches are bad and weather unfavorable the inducement to undertake ablutions Of ones person is not great.
 In these circumstances a man looks forward to the day on which he Is due to come out of the line as schoolboy to vacation time, as the bride to her wedding-morn, as the landlord to rent day. In rest the sol dier can generally count on a bath and change of uniform and linen and the delight of a hot tub with plenty of soap and clean towels, fol- lowed by change into clean clothes is certainly one of the greatest com Densations of the men in the fighting line.
 The morning after coming out oi the line is an orgy of laziness com pared to the watchful and strenuous activity of life in the front trenches All military duties are relaxed. eX cept that in the course of the morn ing there may be rife and gas-hel met inspection, followed perhaps by 8 "feet parade"
 Foot inspection Is solemn rite which inevitably follows tour in the trenches. In wet or frosty weathe, even few days of the front line will play havoc with the mems feet though 'strench foot" Is no longer. re sponsible for as many casualties as il was in the early part of the war
 At foot inspection the men are ltn ed up in their bare feet. their boots on the ground before them Each platoon officer goes round his pla toon and inquiries of each soldier if his feet are all right.
 The remainder of the first day "out' the men spend much in acceptance with local conditions. If the position Is quiet and the men can move about freely, there is a vast amount of washing and shaving, and cleaning ot rifles and boots and equipment Men who have been reported for misde meanors when in the line--choppine off pieces of the timher-work of the trenches for firewood and talking on the way up the lire are the most com mon offenses-are marched hefOre the commanding officer to be dealt with But by rhe time the buoles sound the call for the midday meal. the days work is done. After hearty dirner the more welcome because it is thor oughly hot and may-SOmetimes, not always-be eaten in security, the men have the rest of the day to them selves.
 When large number of soldiers moves out of the line into rest in one of the French or Relgian villages be hind. the village street, in the after noon hours. presents wonderful sight. Khaki is everywhere. Every cafe that is not out of bounds-there are strict regulations regarding hours and thc supply of liquor to the troops --is crowded Almost every shop has its quota of extravagant and enthu siastic shoppers, for the needs of the American soldier on active duty are manifold and apparently he nossesses the whercwithal to satisfy them. Al ter more than three years Of war, vii