at haystack which stood alone in the center of an open field had
been excavated several rooms used as the General's Headquarters. Some
yards away from the haystack a stove-pipe projected out of the sod in
a foolish unrelated manner; under it was the kitchen in which was
cooking the evening meal for the staff officers. A clump of trees
close by might be called the General's ante-room, for here hidden
among the branches were several officers receiving and sending
messengers and dispatches. Several telephone wires ran to the haystack
and one of them connected the trees with the General's underground
office. In a neighboring wood a troop of cavalry were encamped and
numerous automobiles and motor-cycles were parked, all hidden from
distant outlooks or from aeroplanes overhead.

* * * * *

The area immediately in the rear of the battle-lines is most
interesting, for it is here that one really learns how a battle is
fought. One sees the reserves of men and munitions all hidden
carefully from the view of aeroplanes. Occasionally one catches a
glimpse of the guns, which are usually a mile or so behind the
infantry and are hidden and protected in the woods and valleys. The
artillery seldom sees its enemy or even its own front battle-line, but
fires across woods, hills, and valleys and over the heads of its own
infantry at the enemy beyond. The guns are aimed from mathematical
calculations and the results are checked and corrected by
observations telephoned back from the front.

* * * * *

We arrived in Amiens in the middle of the afternoon and I went
immediately to see the American Consular Agent, M. Tassancourt, for
whom I had messages. I found him in splendid shape and very glad to
welcome me. I discovered later in the day that he had done exceedingly
effective work during the German occupation of the city, and was at
least partly responsible for the fact that there had been no friction
between the German invaders and the population. When our official
business was finished he took me for an inspection of the military
hospitals, which occupied several hours. The city is only fifteen
miles distant from the present battle-line and contains base hospitals
for some forty miles of battle front.

I took special pains to learn the details of the German occupation and
to search for any damage they might have done. There had been no
fighting within the city and it had n