El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-12-23

In War Time
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK

5IlHunliIlIIlI
The Oversees Notebook" contains q
variety OF material Eathered BY the editor
OF The Herald IN Europe during the war
and afte-- Excerpts VIII Be published On
thisee5lumn daily during the next several
months. Today'1 iuEtalment. continuing
ths general narrative. relates experiences
on the saint Mlhiel front after the more
active phases Of the great battle OF Sep
TENDER. 1919.
II Is suggested that readers clip these
articles each day and paste them in scrap
books they viii not be reprinted and back
numbers cannot be supplied
7 IGHT rain fell during the day, Is
l. September 1918; 1t was generally
quiet but there was some Smelling
along the front. At night, considerable
air activity especially IN rear of US and
on our right some heavy Smelling,
same vicinity.
70 September lQlS-Heavy rain in
evening. Considerable artillery activ-
ity along front all day. Enemy syste-
matically shells and bombs roads and
towns and railroads in divisional area.
IlR strong points and organized
terrain" I have seen depart consider
ably from the normal" or STANDARD"
forms taught in the schools; there is
of course much merit in the American
AAlAAAAAHH ~ NAAAAAA NaAAAAAAH NAHAAA AAAAA
so accurately. In changing trench war
fare into a war Of movement it Is not
enough to create artificial flanks bv
denting the front line; the attempt be-
comes a disaster If it is not followed
up swiftly and relentlessly. The see
saw" tactics have already developed
out Of necessity.
Rumors OF another big movement
impending.
The country here Is still very flOWery
and few signs Of autumn.
The statue Of the Virgin or Jeanne
dare still stands on Alt. MOusson. /
should like TO get a closeup Of that
astonishing figure some day.
20 September l9lS-Rained hard all
last night and this forenOons cold, then
clear and bright and crisp; bad times
for the men out front. Continuous ar
tillery fire through night and morn
ing from both sides and much ar ac-
tivity; the German planes seem 10
come and 90 about as they please, by
day or night; we know, however. that
allied planes are doing things behind
the German lines too. German attempt
at counter attack on part of our diyi-
sional front frustrated
Fields and hedges as floWery as ever,
many strange flowers
y September i9IS-Sunday. Attack
follows another attempt Of enemy to
counter Enemy lost heavily he fell
into trap deliberately set by our IN
isntry. Quiet day generally. Bright,
by rain in late afternoon
Smelling roads and towns behind our
lines by the enemy continues at r.
regular intervals. Men are tempted
10 careless exposure and then comes
The surprise lt Is really all one bat
Hes continuous, varying only IN IN
.ensity.
Our men in advancing through the
forests are getting back almost to from
Ter Indian warfare methods. The rifle
IS proving itself all the time and need
Tor expert craftsmanship and confi-
ience in the weapon never greater,
even with all the automatic weapons.
Old rule, the way TO advance, and save
Yourself from getting shot is to pick
off the one man who has his eye on
you; every departure from this is a
involving dependence on
countless uncertain factors.
There Is a whole story in the actual
fighting methods used BY our men.
The most formidable looking arm de-
7eloped BY the war Is the American
trench knife, vet / am unable 10 learn
IF its ever being used in combat though I
rave heard of orr men fighting with
-ocks, sticks, and even fists. Bayonet
used little or not at all on this part
Of the front though it is wen enough
% master the weapon and have con-
.idence in ones ability TO defend one
elf; no bayouet wounds come through |
lie hospitals.
After all, the human viii is the one
weapon against which there is no /
rnown defence: the viii to advance and !
70 through with it, the VIII to Kill, /
he viii to overcome and to>smash-
When the Germans eVacuate a town 1
hey take only the able bodied VII |
ayers along but they tel the remainder !
hat they viii fill the town with gas /
nd pulTerizc it with artillery fire
CONTINUED tomorrow