El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1921-01-05

] and after Excerpts VIII be published IN
I this column daily during the next several
l mouths Today's instalment. containing
. the general narrative. relates experiences
] on the 1feuse-Areonne battle front
II De- suggeEted that readers clip these
/ articles each day and paste them IN scrap
] books; they viii not be reprinted and back
[ numbers cannot Be supplied
! DADY and dismal the 18th Of
n October. Near here is a railhead
where enormous stores of every
thing for supply and military use are
on hand. One Of the remarkable things
I noted on the other front was the ex-
Z pansion Of the American rail distribu-
I ton center at Is-sur-Tille in a few
months from a scattering collection OF
huts and rail sidings with some milf
{ tary stores piled around or on cars,
/ to a modern freight classification yard
and warehouse city with miles and
miles OF electric lighted trackage, con
| crete platforms, and steel and concrete
I warehouses, giving the effect Of Kansas
I City yards.
Pershing's tactics and strategy In
the present pushi releptless attack in
Z what may be called wedge formation,
{ resistless power exerted on narrow
I frontage, always creating new flanks
I by denting the enemy's line, and then
denting in another place and forcing the
I enemy back in general, 24-hour fire
and attack is followed By l2-hour rest
/ for resupply and new preparations,
then new assault launched; miles
gained. As attacking units are used
mp, others take their places, leap
frorniugn or afiltering' through.
Enemy is being punished aad battered
back but at heavy loss to our forces
engaged
L October l9ls-Rainy, not very
cold, clearing in evening. Very little
firing all day. Conditions in our front;
mud; none Of original surfHee Of
ground visible because Of intensive
shell fire during long period this region
was held or fought over; destruction
terrible.
How the First army Is supplied and
fed; Organizing the rear; vast and in
tricate system The French Uniform
and ours; much might be done to per
feet and coudense equipment Of officers
and men Question Of individual
prophylaxis against grip and all throat
and lung diseases
The great roads through here; con-
tInuai traffic carrying impression OF
mexhaustible resources and Imitless
power. Traffic on roads near front
now so heavy i Is impossible 70 con-
fine movements TO night. Much day
raiding and shelling General attitude
of many organizations now j. 70 relax
precautions and wade In. Much burn
ing Of lights and fires among other
troops here; seems strange to us
coming from the other front where
utter darkness Is compelled; but We
noticed same thing when the 18th dIYi-
sion moved into our sector over there's
may It be that discipline is actually
better in the National Army divisions
When one considers what effect Ger
man mastery Of the air might have on
our men II Is easy to see what demora-
lIZatlOn our bfg air squadrons would
bring TO the enemy if they ever should
arrive as promised Jncannv feeling
when enemy airmen are active around
men feel u, a sort Of helpless uneasi-
ness and sense that one is sport Of
fate, while artillery fire seems more
definite and direct and easier TO get
back at The air bombing always seems
sort Of unfair like taking advantage
Of q man in his sleep, while the artil-
lerv seems legitimate and decent by
comparison, more Ike a stand-up fight.
Effect Of arplanes on morale of
troops is greater than that Of any other
weapon employed, yet actual material
damage is small by comparison
Except as 10 front line service and
the effects Of exposure 70 wet and
cold and irregular habits and deprira-
ton, 90 percent of soldiers illness over
here comes from deliberate refusal Of
fresh air and ventilation when they
are available, and from oTereating and
lack of mastication- Few officers OF
men seem TO have correct notions of
how TO conserve their own health; sick
list longer than IL should be, to large
extent avoidabie by rational personal
habits, as in civil life.
Curious attitude toward corpses and
death, our own men or enemy; I'M
personal, detached Ordinary human
feelings seem largely 70 be in state of
suspended animation. among war sur
roundings. do not think this effect is
anyTise permanent; a merciful prOri-
sion Of nature.
Future wars win aim at greater de-
struction Of human life and greater
percentage Of permanent disability;
modern methods reclaim considerable
proportion Of wounded and gassed too
readily 70 suit military necessity which
is humiliation Of the enemy. There Is
such a thing as irving 10 make war so
humane" as merely to pr0long It.
Is October l9lS-AioVe down from