The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-06
Soldiers, Calm Under Heavy
Fire, Patiently Await Or
ders to Charge
RARELY FAIL TO
HOLD THEIR GAINS
They Have Become Experts at Digging
in Face of German Counter Attacks
Any Grumbling Is Left Until They
Are Relieved from Duty.

WITH THE FRENCH ARMY IN
FRANCE, Jan. IA, Correspondence of
The Associated Press. Although great
military operations have come to a
standstill for the moment, there is no
cessation of vigilance at any part of
the French front Whether in Alsace,
Lorraine, around Nerdun, in the Ar
gonne or Champagne, or on the Laon
plateau, the French soldier stands
guard, Just as keen as four winters ago
In mud, she'll holes, in snow and almost
arctic frosts, he watches, or, when 1t Is
thought necessary to investigate what
the enemy opposite is doing, he goes
over the top and advances toward the
German lines with the same ardor as
at the beginning of trench warfare, on
~ to his dash he has added the expert
ence gained in numberless encounters.
The correspondent of The Associated
Press, who has been in the closest touch
with the French troops on dozens OF
battlefelds through months and years
of the hardest fighting, has been able
to study the psychology of the French
soldier both while he is engaged IN
mortal combat and while he is at his
so-called repose. Nothing strikes the
observer more than the quiet fatalism
with which these soldiers from the
farms and factories and offices of all
the provinces and cities of France go
forward to the attack.
A glance at the troops when they as
semble in the front line in preparation
for an operation shows an absence of
excitement. In most eases the men par
ticipating IN a big attack have been
brought from the cantonments in the
rear only a few hours before they are
ordered TO 90 over. Arrived in the
front line. they crouch and sit and lie
down as well as they can in the muddy,
and often partly demolished, trenches
and advanced saps, waiting for their
officers to give the word that probably
n4eans tieath .eFi woWeds for MANY Of
their number. Meanwhile. in most
eases, the Germans, made aware Of the
approaching attack by the increase of
the French artillery fire. are throwing
into the trench front lines hundreds and
thousands of high explosive shells and
trench mortar bombs.
In spite of the heavy firing and its
accompanying casualties among the
French troops, the men awaiting the
final order remain impassive. Most of
them have been over the top before and
know the inevitable cost of an advance
through no man 5 land and an assault
on the enemy's lines. Their GOODNESS
IN face of these perils is marvellous.
Some of them smile; others take a sip
from their water bottles; still others
look TO the sights and breaches of their
rifles or overhaul their hand grenadeS
All the time their mon CONS and
officers walk about among them passing
a cheering word here or giving a little
advice there, and from time to time
consulting their watches so as not ia
miss the time fixed for the attack, for
success depends on their absolute
punctuality.
At length the minute arrives, and
then all along the zigzagging line heav.
ily clothed figures are seen climbing
out of the deep trench. Every French
soldier when he advances wears his
thick overcoat and carries with him
sufficient rations to last him several
| days, especially when the objective j,
the capture of an enemy position, fol-
III case the troops reach their destina
ton and hold on, the enemy generally
opens barrage fire which prevents
supplies from going forward without
enormous loss of life Besides this he
carries his rifle and bayonet, several
pouches of cartridges, a number OF
hand grenades, and his intrenchinp
| tools
With all these impedimenta, the pace
at which the successive waves of in
tantry advance is necessarily slow: but
even 50, the officers and "non-coms
nave sometimes to check the impetuos
ny OF the men, who otherwise might