FROM THE TRENCHES TO PICCADILLY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2476, 1 June 1915, Page 7

FROM THE TRENCHES TO PICCADILLY

AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF JUST PLAIN WAR. [Being an extract from the letter of a Wellington officer on active service in France.] Scene: Piccadilly, London. Time: the strenuous present. Dramatis person ac : Thu junior subaltern (in mufti), who was once a "kiiut"; who has not yet "done his bit" for his country. "Hullo! Where'vc you been all this time? Haven't seen you about lately." "Been spending four months in the trenches—that's all."

"Oil—then you haven't seen any of the real fighting yet—what?" "I haven't—what? Look hero! You fellows who air yourselves in Bond Street make me sick. I'm blowed if I can understand the British public. Don't i ,ou road your paper?" "Fed up with the war news, old chap —bored to tears. Frightful nuisancc this war, don't you knew." The junior subaltern 6tared. The apathy of the average wan .in the street amazed him, sickened him. London was as gay as, if not gayer, than ever, and the night clubs were fairly boomiii" He thought of the giddy days when he, too, was one of the "knuts."

He turned to the other: "Heavens! Nobody here seems to think that there is a war on I Two days ago I was in a dug-out in one of tho trench lines, with the Germans about 150 yards off— fairly comfortable. I usually woke up about noon —unless something lively was doing—breakfasted off bacon and eggs, and cocon, and if the enemy did not take it into their heads to shell my trench 1 might expect to spend quite a tolerable day. The worst of it all was the dull, endless monotouy." "What about the night?"

"Oh, well —at night wo worked In the trench, and blazed away intermittently at the Huns, who would do the same in return. Sometimes we would see a light flare up in the sky, with a burst of lire. Then there would be a momentary pause in the fighting. In tho daytime we just sat tignt. "I suppose you're rather pleased at summer coining round again?" "Pleased I The winter was just hell I Of course, when the advance begins someone's going to get hurt. If wo 'have to take the position in front of the line we now hold, there's going to be the deuce of a scrap unless we have such superiority of artillery as to blow up the enemy's wire and trenches first. Boil tlie whole business down and it is reducible to a matter of big guns and ammunition. The French 7o's and our Gin howitzers are the guns of tho war, the former for their rapidity of fire and tho latter on account of their trenchdestructiveness. The R.F.A. 18pounder is too light for trench work, and is really only good for an advance or retreat, or to stop the reserves and supports coming up. For trench work the Gin. G.A. guns are easily the best, and we must have more of them— hundreds of them, and thousands of rounds. Infantry cannot advance against the modem entanglements, magazine rifles, and machine-guns—they are simply mown down. The Germans couldn't do it at Ypres, so it's a cert, we can't.

"As far as I can see," he went on, "we will not attempt much on this front for some time, and I think tho Germans will most likely fall back to a stronger prepared position—perhaps the Meuse line. Of course, if tho Russians continue to advance, and Italy takes the field, the Germans will have to alter their plans, but as things are at present it will bo some time before wo are strong enough to force him out of Belgium. They are a wonderful race. No nation. 011 earth could have done what they have and yet still go 011 fighting. I "do not believe a word nbout their food shortage, and apparently they have plenty of ammunition. So if they mean to see it out we will be hard pushed to win even now. On the other hand, there is no doubt that their plans of a short and decisive campaign have miscarried, and it is likely that they would accept peace 011 'easy terms.' "Unless we utterly crush Germany now, once for all, she will surely crash us hereafter. This is essentially a war of conquest, as al! great wars have been in the past, and the sooner the British public realise this the better. To my mind we should set ourselves to wipe Germany off the international programme. If we win thjs war and Germany still has a battleship afloat, then have we fought and died in vain."

"H'm," said the 'Isnut-,' "then I suppose we'd better begin to wake up— what?"

"Yes—and hustle. What about yourself ? Better get your papers fixed and do your bit."

ISO, thanks, old chap, fairly comfortable at present. Besides, I haven't seen the new revue yet." Tlie junior sub. paused in the act of lighting his cigarette, his matcli poised in tho air. "You blighter 1" he said, and turned on his heel and walked