IN THE FIRING LINE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16751, 5 January 1915, Page 7

IN THE FIRING LINE.

TROOPS IN GOOD HEART. SUFFER THROUGH HEAVY RAINS. "Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services. LONDON, January 3. "Eye-Witness." of the 'lntelligence Staff, says:—"Everything possible is done to mitigato the rigours of active service under wintry conditions. The troops are fed as no army in the field was ever fed before. Thov have received every imaginable kind' of garment from public and private sources, aiud want for nothing that it is possible to give them. They are in good heart,

hut there is a dearth of mouth-orp-ans. Any instruments for solos or the accompaniment of songs in the. evenings, when the men are collected in burrows or dug-outs behind the firingline, would be n godsend. Piles of plum puddings, chocolate, tobacco and other luxuries aro to be seen at every regimental headquarters. Over eighty tons of pudding were transported in two days. The men suffer most through their feet swelling, owinc to standing in mud and water in the trenches. GERMAN'S TRIBUTE. HURLED AT HELL'S GATES. A German on the Yser says:-—"We have rlone all that man could do. »e attacked day and night, and hurled ourselves at. Hell's gates, sometimes making progress, often beaten back, always defied by hidden English, well armed, fed and clothed- Sometimes we thought we had beaten them. The silent voices of our dead tell the truth. Thev fought, and died in vain." CHRISTMAS COMPLIMENTS.

SPEAK OF GREAT VICTORIES. Germans, talking with the British trenches, said:—" The Kaiser is no good, but. the Russians have been completely wiped out, and our armv is coming west to scatter the Allieis.'" Somo had printed postcards, saying. " We have won a great victory over the English, but eighty thousand aic reinforcing them. These are the last of the British Army. After that the war will be over-"

GENERAL OFFENSIVE IN THE SPRING.

(Received January 4, 5.50 p.m.) LONDON, January 3. In response to the French Press seeking opinions as to prospects in 1915, General Duchesne said he was certain that next spring would see a general offensive that would for ever drive tho barbarians far away. The Paris Municipal Council said: " "We hope the Kaiser's ' good old God ' will keep him alive and in good health long enough to see the greatness of his crime.

MASQUERADING AS BELGIANS. PARIS, January 4.

It is reported that the Germans secured Belgian military identification papers at Brussels and Gorman officers and men are using them to enable them to masquerade in France and possibly Britain as Belgians.