The Washington herald., 1919-05-25

ca. tne WprtemDurgers fought des-
perately In their tunnels ana many
died rather than surrender. 1t il a
pity that throughout this war the
enemy adopted methods of fighting
which made chfvalry more impossible
than even the horrible nature of
modern warfare with its wholesale
massacre OF, men above ground and
below ground might have permitted.
His use OF poison gas embittered
all fighting men against him, though
we had to take to this foul weapon
ourselves in self-protectien. His
habit OF leaving "booby traps" be-
hind him in his retreats-high ex-
plosives In fountain pens or. cigar
boxes to blow some poor fellows
head of, and charges attached to
slow fuses or exploded when an acid
ate through q metal disc beneath a
house In which our men were bill
leted-belonged to the dirty tricks
of war which we find It hard to for
give.
In spite Of all this. however, there
were many German soldiers who
fought cleanly as far as Il was pos
sible in the foul nature of war, and
now and again their generals and
troops did chivalrons and sports
manlike acts which should be re-
corded in their favor. One of these
acts was on July 1. 1915. after the
first attack OF the British in the
battle Of the Sonpme. On tAe right
of Fricourt and Mametx and Mont
alban the British troops had sue
ceeded In smashing the German de-
fences but on the left there had been
CHA silly tragedy.
offered Ten Hous' Truce.
This was at Gommecourt. where
the London and Ulster battalions
were cut to pieces. They had ad-
vanced through German trenches
under a fury OF machine gun fire
and then found themselves isolated
and helpless as the troops on the
right and left of them. mown down
at the outset. had failed to Join
them. The German gunners boxed
them round with a wall OF high ex-
plosives so that ten of the London
| lads could break way through and
then rolled over them with a bar
rage OF shell fire. There were many
dead boys on that ground and thou
sands Of wounded. Even the enemy
had pity and they sent over a mes
sage by airplane offering q truce for
ten hours and the service of their
own stretcher-bearers to carry the
British wounded back to their own
lines.
The general of the London divi-
| sion-Phllip Howell-accepted the
offer for the sake Of the boys he
loved. and the German stretcher-
bearers mingled with the English
and helped to carry the wounded
back. Another time when they act
ed with the same chivalry was when
an Australian brigade was almost
destroyed near Festubert and the
German communication trenches
were choked with wounded AN
zacs," cut of without hope OF res
cue.
| 1t is fair that these things should
be known, and accounted unto the
German for righteousness in atone
ment for their many crimes. or indi-
vidual cases of gallantry and fine be-
havior in the heat OF battle l meet
many myself in my talks with Ger
man prisoners and British soldiers In
the field. During the battle OF Cour-
celette. which was captured by the
Canadians. two German doctors whom
met helped to dress our wounded
and worked bravely and steadily un-
der shell fire for many hours. One of
them objected to having a sentry put
near his dugout. as II was a needless
precaution. 'I am not a fighting
man." he said. 81 did not help to
make this war My work is for hu-
manity. and your wounded are the
same to me as ours-poor suffering
men needing my help. which am
glad to give"
The Gallant German Doctors.
I met another German doctor COM
ing down from La Boiselle when that
place was under a storm of shell fire.
He was n tall. heavy-bearded fellow
and noticed that as he came striding
over the fields where shells were
bursting he was chatting amiably to
his two English guards. / also noticed
that one of the soldiers was carrying
a handbag obviously belonging to the
German, and II seemed to me the
queerest thing had seen. because as
a rule English soldiers did not act as
Wallets to the prisoners. One of the
men explained the mystery.
When the British troops swarmed
into the German trenches and hunted
around the dugouts with naked bay
onets, this bearded giant had come
out OF n mole IN tne eaTtn ana Salu.
very calmly. in good English: MY
friends, surrender" They offered to
let him join a batch of prisoners and
go down under escort to the safety
behind our lines. but he said. I'm
doctor and will help yith your wound
ed"
So he stayed under the fire OF his
own guns which were turned on to
this position 20 that many English
soldiers were killed and wounded. and
for nearly two days. with an utter
disregard OF danger and a noble de-
votion to suffering men. he dressed
their wounds. I had a long talk
with him and 1 thought then. as I
think now. that il all Germans had
been like this doctor there would have
been no war and we should have
been saved a world Of agony
In La Boiselle that day there was
another German, but his Job was
not that of helping wounded men.
He was one of those ma chine gun
ners who kept up fire OF dropping
bullets upon the British troops who
assaulted the position, and he stay
ed In his emplacement while the earth
all round him was upheaved by shell
fire, and though he was wounded in
nine places he was still working his
terrible little gun.
They took him prisoner. and, in the
English way. bore no grudge against
him. but sang his praises as a gall