the mud sidewalls while dead men
on crossed rifles were carried out, every head in that particular bit of
trench being bared as the sad procession disappeared.

Although the maps show the lines of fighting to be rather wavy, one must
go to the front really to appreciate the irregular zigzag, snakelike
line that it really is. The particular bit of trenches we visited cover
a front of twelve miles, but so irregular is the line, so intricate and
vast the system of intrenchments, that they measure 200 miles on that
particular twelve-mile fighting front.

When one leaves the trenches at the rear of the communication boyaux, it
is astonishing how little of the war can be seen. Ten feet after we left
our trenches we could not see even the entrance. We stood in a beautiful
open field having our pictures taken, and a few hundred yards away our
motor waited behind some trees. Suddenly we heard a "zip zip" over our
heads. German snipers were taking shots at us.

In addition to the enormous force of men constantly in the trenches
along the entire line there is an equal size reserve line directly
behind them in case of sudden attack. The artillery is posted
considerably further to the rear along with revictualing stations,
aeroplane hangars, and headquarters of the Generals, but through all
this enormous mass of men which we passed daily going to and from our
front observation posts never once did we get the impression of parade.
Three were just troops, troops, troops everywhere, every hamlet, every
village filled with them, every crossroads with their sentries. All of
them, hardened by Winter and turns in the trenches, are in splendid
condition, and as opposed to the Germans, at least to the German
prisoners I have seen, each French soldier has a clear and definite
knowledge of what the war is all about. The greatest event of his day is
when the Paris newspapers arrive.

[Illustration]

What impressed me greatly was that in all the officers' quarters were
copies of the French "Yellow Book," the English "White Paper" and German
documents attempting to prove their innocence in causing the conflict.
It is not sufficient for French Generals or officers just to go to war;
they must know why they go to war, down to the last papers in the case.
In six months the French privates have acquired one habit from the
British Tommies--that is drinking tea. Back of every section of trenches
I found huge tea canteens, where thousands of cups