Show War Correspondents Correspondent's Note Notebook ook J JOnly Only Soldiers Actually h Know of Tough Days Ahead B By Hal lIal Boyle Bolo 1 LONDON Delayed UP p- UP Theres There's nothing like a visit to London London or or New York for that matter matter to to convince you that only the allied fighting man at atthe atthe atthe the front has a bedrock knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge of the tough days that lie ahead before the nazi military machine can be broken No headquarters' headquarters officers in inthe inthe inthe the various capitals no civilian who rides home to a warm dinner dinner dinner din din- ner and a soft bed can appreciate appreciate appreciate the job that still faces the combat man man man-be be he American British Canadian French Russian Russian Russian Rus Rus- sian or Polish who makes possible possible pos pas pos pos- sible the fair life behind the battlefields That's be because c a Use there has grown up after five years and three months of this monumental monumental monumental mental effort a great desire for forwar forwar war to end end and and an abstract t delusion that it soon will It frightens many thinking men along the front They realize that therein lies perhaps the greatest single d danger nger to toa toa toa a quick finish of this bloody business Underrates War Var Its It's sad that despite warnings warnings warnings warn warn- ings by Pres Roosevelt Roosevel t and Prime Minister Churchill the average allied citizen still underrates underrates underrates under under- rates the German in this the sixth year of continuous war Ive I've been in London several days now and a number numb r of f people have asked the Inevitable question How soon will it if end In most cases it does little g good and to point out the thc hardships hardships' of winter wa warfare fare across the chill quagmires which slows armies and numbs battle morale It does even less good to point out that great numbers n of Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans still are fighting with great skill and valor and that these warriors still are well- well supplied and well Telling these things to one Londoner I concluded that only an unforeseen collapse behind the lines would prevent the nazis from fighting on through the winter and until the attrition of superior allied m man a n power bowed them under I Go Home Soon Yet this man replied smilingly smiling smiling- ly Well VeU perhaps perhapS but but I still think most of your your blokes will be booked for home by Christmas That is the feeling feeling and and it is no more British than American but but few veteran combat soldiers soldiers sol sol- soldiers sol sol- diers are are convinced that such a time is at hand They know the Germans There are arc music and white table cloths in Paris London New York and nd Washington Though Paris Pans and London know the terror of occasional V-bombs V the people in these towns towns' eat at tables and lie down in beds at night In Germany the snow- snow wrapped hills and pastures are marked with rivulets of mud and mire Attacking allied soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- sol sol- diers must crawl through this freezing muck and get wet f fand f f fand and w wet t bellies Their lea W boots and ana their wool cl cloth 4 cant can't keep out the water the chill W When en thc they take enemy position t there ero alwa still another ahead and German s shells an and and mortars bullets keep coming oming c C coming It know one vet veteran era n that just laughs whenever body brings brIngs' up the quest the war finishing JJ 1 Hell It'll never end end say g go on forever f so will we jj 1 f And they keep on Plu plugging i if |