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It is obvious that a great deal of labor can be lost and work thrown away if a policy is not adopted and continued. Battalions relieving one another up and down the line may waste a tremendous amount of labor unless the relieved officer’s policy is explained. If each commanding officer of a relieving battalion is permitted to air his own theories, duplication of work and lack of continuity will exist. Therefore, it is essential that the officers relieving the trench be thoroughly informed of work going on. With this object in view some of the officers of the relieving battalion should do a tour of duty (about 24 hours) before their troops take over the trench. An Officer and Non-Commissioned Officer are detailed from each relieving company for this duty. In the trench this officer is instructed by the senior officer present, and the non-commissioned officer by the ranking non-commissioned officer, in the policy to be continued. The commanding officer of the occupying company should have a sketch map of his sector of trench which he turns over to the relieving officer. This map should show the work under construction; proposed work; wire defenses; and if possible, the enemies machine gun emplacements, observation posts, snipers and work in progress. The notes accompanying the map should give the general conditions concerning the work—depth to which it is safe to dig, nature of soil, conditions regarding drainage, and all information in regard to the enemies’ activities during the period of occupancy. In addition, the relieving officer has the trench diary showing all the information covering every minute detail of the happenings during that company’s stay in the trenches. This diary is a continuous record of that particular sector and remains with the occupying company until it is relieved and then passes into the possession of the relieving half company, and so on, forming a continuous running record of the policy applying to the upkeep and methods employed therein. This diary, unless it is buried to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy, will continue until the end of the war. So every half company inherits one from his predecessor in the line upon its assuming the obligations previously assumed by its fore-runner, thus preventing a duplication of work and assuring continuity of endeavor.