Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1915-09-22
NEW ARMY IS FIJI
French People Are Well Pleased
With "Keecheenaires"
Bring New Element Into Life at the
Front in France-They Sing and
Whistle as They March, Say
the Peasants.
BY FREDERICK PALMER.

international News Servlce1
British Headquarters, France-The
"keecheenaires.' as the French peas
| ants call the new army, have joined
! 'Tommee Akeens." the regular, and
the "Tereetoreeals" at the front.
Tommee begins to feel like the old
est inhabitant. BY the way, he does
not like TO be called Tommy" though
the world persists in q word which
is as Objectionable to him as "Jacky'
is to the American bluejacket
The British regular did all the fight
ing for the first five months of the
war. He had his jokes at the expense
OF the Territorials. who are about the
same as our National Guard. when
they arrived. The Territorials thought
that they were made soldiers when
the war broke out; but they were
! drilled some more and set to dig
ging reserve trenches behind the line
I'm the spring they had their turn, and
the Canadians. too
Don't be downhearted, There are
still some Boches left" the Terri
torials join the regulars in saying to
| the new army. Beside the new army
| the Territorials feel like c. A r
men.
It's kind of you! We knew that
| you could have killed them all Off.
| if you had wanted to-" the Kitcheners
reply.
Don't charge too fast! Wait for
us to catch up" call the regulars.
Well wait on the Rhine" answer
| the new army
Wen named is the new army. 1t
has brought new element into life
at the front. When heard the tramp
of a company past my window the
| other morning ] guessed they were
new army men by the peculiar vigor
and precision of their tread on the
! pavement. They bore the stamp OF
long route marches over English roads
and of the merciless formal training
| of the drill ground
If the average old-timer of the
| trenches had to run five miles against
the average new army man he would
be blown half away and the new army
man would trot past the goal an easy
| winner.
The other night when one heard
some soldiers billeted in barn sing
ing one was certain without asking
that they were new army men
The British regular rarely sings
in camp or on the march Neither
elated or depressed he plugs along
doing his days work. AS the new
army flows in he will be outnumbered
but unchanged.
Those new army men were singing
God Save the King" before they lay
| down in the straw for the night in the
land of France which was all so new
and strange to them and so common
place to the veterans Their fresh
| young voices were pleasant to the ear
1T is good The Keecheenaires
sing and whistle as they march," say
| the French peasants.
Everyone hopes they will keep or
singing
If there is any ornament which il
obsolete at the front it is the sword
The sword is the officers symbol OF
| authority; the sign that he is on duty.
| I'm place of it the officer at the front
wears his sword belt His sword
| along with countless other swords has
| been checked outside the cloakroom
of war along with his umbrella which
no one thinks OF carrying at the front.
/ You cannot tell him from the other
officers except by his eagerness and
his battalion insignia.
For ten months the new army had
waited for it's Mecca It's soldiers
have read all about the effects of
modern shell fire They know what
| they are in for. Learners. they came
among experts expecting TO be nagged
a great deal as novices by the old
| hands. and except for the veteran reg
ular's little jokes at their expense
/ they have found everybody very kind.
we need you-and there can't be
| too many OF you say the old-timers.
| It's you who must finish the Job
which we have begun"
There are men I'm this new army
who have incomes Of ten thousand a
/ year digging trenches beside a man
| who had not q shilling when he en-
listed university graduates taking
their baptism of shell fire as privates
I who pal up with men who can hard
/ ly read and write
We like the Kcechceuaires said
/ Frcnchmau. They are an classes
I shoulder To- shoulder the same az I'm
our army. Rich or poor. "a man IS
nothing except the life he can give for
bis country.