The “as” can be found in every branch of the Army, and he is recognised as one by his comrades, even although the world at large is ignorant.  Perhaps we shall find a word for his British correlative, who must be numerically very strong too.  The letter A alone might do it, signifying anonymous.  “Voila, un as!” says the French soldier, indicating one of these brave modest fellows who chances to be passing.  “You see that chap,” one of our soldiers would say; “he’s an A.”

All that I know of the “as” I have gathered from the French satirical paper, a child of the War, La Baionette.  This paper comes out every week and devotes itself, as its forerunner, L’Assiette au Beurre, used to do, to one theme at a time, one phase or facet of the struggle, usually in the army, but also in civil life, where changes due to the War steadily occur.  In the number dedicated to the glory of the “as” I find recorded an incident of the French Army so moving that I want to tell it here, very freely, in English.  It was, says the writer, before the attack at Carency, and he vouches for the accuracy of his report, for he was himself present.  In the little village of Camblain-l’Abbe a regiment was assembled, and to them spoke their Captain.  The scene was the yard of a farm.  I know so well what it was like.  The great manure heap in the middle; the carts under cover, with perhaps one or two American reapers and binders among them; fowls pecking here and there; a thin predatory dog nosing about; a cart-horse peering from his stable and now and then scraping his hoofs; a very wide woman at the dwelling-house door; the old farmer in blue linen looking on; and there, drawn up, listening to their Captain, row on row of blue-coated men, all hard-bitten, weary, all rather cynical, all weather-stained and frayed, and all ready to go on for ever.

This is what the Captain said—­a tall thin man of about thirty, speaking calmly and naturally as though he was reading a book.  “I have just seen the Colonel,” he said; “he has been in conference with the Commandant, and this is what has been settled.  In a day or two it is up to us to attack.  You know the place and what it all means.  At such and such an hour we shall begin.  Very well.  Now this is what will happen.  I shall be the first to leave the trench and go over the top, and I shall be killed at once.  So far so good.  I have arranged with the two lieutenants for the elder of them to take my place.  He also will almost certainly be killed.  Then the younger will lead, and after him the sergeants in turn, according to their age, beginning with the oldest who was with me at Saida before the War.  What will be left by the time you have reached the point I cannot say, but you must be prepared for trouble, as there is a lot of ground to cover, under fire.  But you will take the point and hold it.  Fall out.”

That captain was an “as.”

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