HOT BATHS IN THE TRENCHES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 6, 22 January 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

HOT BATHS IN THE TRENCHES.

SMOKING CONCERT UNDER ENEMY'S FIRE.

Amusing sidelights on the war and the wonderful way in which the French soldi* rs have accustomed themselves to wench warfare are contained in letters from the trout, writes a Paris correspondent.

I have hrfore me the copy of a letter written by an infantry officer nt pre sent fighting near Noyon. He describes with verve the good hurour of hies men and with some pride th 0 ultra-modern comforts of his particular line of trenches.

" Yes. my dear.'' lie writes to bis wife. "we are at last clean. Thanks to the ingenious handiwork of X . the engineer officer whom, mother knows by name quite well, we can all of us take between ton and twelve every morning a copious 'hot shower bath. Would it not aggravate- tiio 'Bodies' if they knew? For the shower bath is installed right in our lino of trenches. Imagine a great pit aliout six yards in diameter paved and walled with white porcelain-faced brick's taken from a shell-ruined house near by and covered with a roof of galvanised iron which is in turn protected by a thick lawrr of earth on which green corn 3s sprouting. On the roof we have placed an enormous cistern. Pines from the cistern fitted with taps traverse the roof and are terminated by the roses of four watering-pott'. Next tin. ci'-tera is a brick furnace with a bailer where the water i,s heated. •'''Underneath, next to the bathroom, there are cabins in which on e can undress, with a stove to beat them and a cubicle with pegs to hang up one's uniform.

" This morning 7 hnd a bath, th* first since I loft. I can tell you that I needed it. All the generals came t« sec it—tho bathroom, I moan; not me bathing. But that is not all. We have also a hair-cutting and shaving saloon in the tranches. •'And now for the last luxury of all. Wo arc preparing a ''revue' to he preceded by a concert. And we have Bomie good singers, too. It is extraordinary The talent one finds >in a regiment. AVe have a cyclist messenger who is a clown and an acrobat. H e has hi, trained dog with him. The animal lias followed him all the time and runs after him when he gocn into the firing line. He is awfully funny and makes us thriek with laughter." The Breton soldiers and ths mem of the naval brigades who. under Admiral Ronarc'h, have been giving 6uc'h a splendid account of themselves in Flanders, are among the jolliest troops in the French Army. Many of them are nou: too skilful with the pen and it often fall; to th<j lot of their officers to write home, to Anne-Marie the new* of her sailor tovor'o well-being. TOBACCO FOR A HARE. M. Charles Meunier-uSrcouf, who is a lieutenant in one of these Breton regiments, says that the days are long ill the trendies and to kill time the men invent all sorts of funny tricks. Here, ho says, is an example ftvhich is nlisoliiLely true : "A bar? ran between the French and German lino-. Puspv was art once greet, od by a double volley and fell d-aul. Sonic of my men, with characteristic impetuosity, were about to rush to )r.zk it up when we saw a white handkerchief wav.d frcm the German trenches. 'Tobacco! Tobacco!' tlhey call out. Our men understand. It means vh.it the Germans will let them pick the haii'c up 'n exchange for a packet of tobacco. There is a hurried collection and one c.f |our men leavfs the trench and runs and fetches ihe hare, leaving a- goodlysized packet of soldier's tobacco in its place. "As Noon as lie returned to the trenches a "German with a spiked helmet junipfd out of the ground a hundred' Yard's away, ran put, picked np the packet of tobacco, and disappeared again. A minute later the first head that showed itv-elf incautiously from the shelter of the ground was the signal for a furious fus'Jlade."