Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1915-09-17
new ARMY S FIT
French People Are Well Pleased
With "KeeCheenaireS"
Bring a New Element Into Life at the
Front In France-They Sing and
Whistle as They March, Say
the Peasants.
BY FREDERICK PALMER.
international News Service.)


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 a 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.
In 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 G. A. R,
men.
Its 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.
Well named is the new army. 1t
has brought, a new element into life
at the front, When / heard the tramp
of company past my window the
other morning l 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 QrllI ground.
If the average oldtimer 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 goaA an easy
winner.
The other night when one heard
some soldiers billeted in a 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 go common
place to the veterans. Their fresh
young voices were pleasant to the ear.
TT 10 good. The Keecheenaires
sing and whistle as they march," say
the French peasants.
Everyone hopes they viii keep on
singing.
If there is any ornament which is
obsolete at the front it is the sword.
The sword is the officers symbol Of
authority; the sign that he is on duty.
In 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
nc 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 she'll fire. They know what !
they are in for. Learners, they came
aLAOllb CApIl 10 OAPCSIlll6 w NO A-a96Cu
a great deal as ncvices by the old
hands, and except for the veteran reg
llar's little jokes at their expense
hey have found everybody very kind.
"We need ycu--and there can't be
90 many of you" say the old'timers.
It's you who must finish the job
which we have begun"
There are men in this new army
who have incomes of ten thousand a
year digging trenches beside a man
Who had net shilling when he en-
listed, university graduates taking
heir baptism of shell fire as privates
Who pal up" with men who can hard
Y 'read and write. =,
I'VE like the Keecheenaires,' said
Frenchman. "They are all classes
boulder to shoulder the same as in
ur army. Rich or poor, a man is
othing except the life he can give for
is country.