trenches the howl is maniacal. In the trenches are canvas bags made
to represent wounded enemies. The first wave over the top leaves
these bags for the stretcher bearers. But by the time the next
wave comes over, or the third wave comes, the stretcher bearers
are supposed to have cleared the trenches of wounded enemies, and
after that every soldier is supposed to jab his bayonet in every
bag in the trenches, as he is expected to jab every dead body, to
prevent an enemy from playing possum and then getting to a presumably
disabled enemy machine gun and shooting our soldiers in the back.
Every time a student soldier jabs a canvas bag he snarls and growls
like a jackal, and if he misses a bag it counts against him in the
day's markings. Wave after wave comes over, and prisoners are sent
to the rear, if there are guards to take them. If not prisoners are
killed, and one does not waste ammunition on them. It may be well
to pause here to say that in the gentle art of murdering the business
of taking prisoners is not elaborately worked out. They learn that
by rote, rather than by note. The Canadians, since two of their
men were crucified by the Prussians, take few Prussian prisoners.
Here is a snap-back of the film. It is the Rue di Rivoli in Paris.
Two lanky youngsters in Canadian uniform are talking to Henry and
me.

"What part of the states do you Canadians come from?" we ask. They
grin and answer, "San Francisco."

WE: "What's this story about you Canadians not taking any prisoners?"

THEY: "Oh, we take prisoners--all right, I guess!"

WE: "Well, how often?"