AMERICA.

Taihape Daily Times, 28 November 1917, Page 5

AMERICA.

AMERICA'S ENEMIES. WASHINGTON, November 26. The Department of State lias ordered an investigation into the torpedoing of the American steamer Schuykill in the Mediterranean. This increases the possibility of a declaration of war against Austria.

ON THE FIRING LINE. LIFE IX THE TKEXCHES. An Auckland officer serving with the First Canadians, writing from the front under date of September 16, 1917, states: I am sitting in a cellar a short distance from the Bosehes* lines, with nothing to do excepting to keep awake and attend to anything that may arise. Fritz, seems to have more shells than ever, and he is extremely generous with them. He evidently did not know which were our outposts, or which of the dozens of trenches we were occupying, therefore he threw more shells, minnies, and rifle grenades than I have ever known him to do, and yet we did not have a single casualty. From one of our posts we could look through a hole in the wall and see' the German sentry walking up and down in front of what was evidently a headquarters. Soldiers were coming and going N all day long with papers, and officers were wandering around arm in arm. There were also some soldiers strutting around without blissful ignorance that, had we liked w T e could have shot them as easily as picking apples off a tree. > He did not know 7 that we were in a house just across the street from him, or he would not have been so quick on the promenade stuff. Unfortunately that was the onlj- spot where we could ■ see them and had we started shooting although we would most likely have ■ bagged a few Germans, we should ourselves soon have been blown to smith" ereens. It suited our purpose more for. getting intelligence than to use for sniping from. Fritz, is having a very; anxious time here, and starts his S.O.S. artillery o nthe slightest pretence, wo" slipped a bunch of gas last trip, an?E he turned all his artillery oh, but, fortunately for us, it was on a trench" which was unoccupied I -Every night the Germans are work* ing feverishly, strengthening the de-. fences, and seem always expecting usS to attack, I'll bet that the officer in' charge over there heaves a sigh of relief at dawn each morning. Unless a miracle happens, we will, of course, spend this wdnter in the trenches, but next year will see old Fritz where we" want him. Everybody is kind of warweary, but I think the Huns will soon realise that our boys will never be weary enough to quit without finishi ing the job, and finishing it right.