ON THE FAR RIGHT OF THE FIGHTING LINE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2717, 11 March 1916, Page 3

ON THE FAR RIGHT OF THE FIGHTING LINE

THE MAN ON THE FRONTIER. Mr. H. Warner Allen, special correspondent of the British Press with tho French armies, describes a visit to the Franco-Swiss 'frontier and the soldior on tho extreme right. He says:— . . . Once through tho half-ruined village we were in tho zone that, is sacrosanct from both French and Ger-man-shells and bullets. Here one can walk abovo ground without danger, since, for the present at any rate, even Germany will not run the risk'of creating an international incident - with Switzerland. By a sentry-bos' there stoo'd the man whom the General-had called ''L'homme do I'extreme, droite,"' the sentry who guards the- extreme point of the French right wing, -Ho was a Customs-houso officer; so- long as he stood there on duty with fixed bayonet ho was in perfect safety, but as soon as he was relieved and went away to rest in the neighbouring-village he entered the danger zone and might at any time be shelled The trenches were hidden in tlieWoods 500 yards away, and one mi^ht -have thought that the place' was ' quito'without defence, but nothing has been left to chance, and the French are ready for any eventuality. Tho Swiss sentry saluted at tho sight of tho French officer with us, and a Swiss sergeant camo out from the neighbouring guardhouse' on our arrival. We had a little conversation across tho fence , that divided Switzerland from France, and then lie proceeded to a formality which he called "opening the frontier." Half the barrier across .the "road was moved asido and replaced by a long wooden table. From tho French side there appeared a number' -of-peasant' women with large baskets; their papers, were examined by "L'homme de l'ex-; treme droite," and they were allowed to pass. Then buying and selling began across the frontier counter. The Swiss Government allows the peasants in the French frontier villages, .to, .buy provi-. sions and the.like:from the-Swiss shop-, keepers, provided that certain.articles do not go out of the country.*.. It was curious to watch tho"women gossiping and bargaining as though they were at market in some peaceful country village, and to remember that scarcely 500 yards v away there were men with their fingers on the triggers of their rifled watching. for , the slightest movement of t-lie enemy. ;...