The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-12-26
U. s SOLDIER IS
BUTCHERED BY FOE
American Sentry Found With
Throat Cut After Raid by
Germans.
MEN sWAMPED WITH GIFTS
Number of American Troops Spend
Christmas Eve Under Fire
Play Santa Claus to
French Children.

With the American Army in France,
Dec. Fisherman atrocities against
American soldiers are officially report
ed An American sentry has been
found with his throat cut and, it is
officially declared, "he must have been
so killed after capture"
Information concerning German saw
agery has reached the troops in one of
series of bulletins read to them by
the unit commanders and posted on
the bulletin boards. Here is what they
heard:
"After raid by the Germans on
trenches held by American troops a
lone sentry of - infantry was found
with his throat cut from ear to ear.
He had been surprised by an over
whelming force Of Germans and must
have been SO killed after capture.
"Such brutality is familiar to old
soldiers who served against savages in
the Philippine campaign"
Another bulletin tells the men how
the Germans in occupied sections Of
France and Belgium are turning wom-
en- and children out of their homes into
the snow, the buildings being then
given over to soldiers, horses and mate
U. S. Engineers Promoted.
With the American Army in France,
Dec. 26.-One hundred American SOL
diers received promotions for their
Christmas presents.
Included in the lucky list were two
engineering officers whose coolness at
Cambria helped the British check the
boches' counter-attack.
Numerous enlisted men were COM
missioned in recognition of their ex-
ceptional work since arriving in
France
The soldiers were swamped with
presents from home, but they did not
forget the French refugee children
Thousands of the youngsters received
candy and toys from the Yankees bill
leted in dozens of villages.
Christmas eve was spent in song.
Stop Work to Celebrate.
The American expeditionary force
on Christmas capitulated to Santa
Claus. With a light snow falling
throughout the evening every man in
General Pershing's army - dough
boys" cavalrymen, artillerymen, ma
rine engineers, "mule-skinners"-
and started into do the bidding of the
joviai saint temporarily in command.
First there was a rush to open the
| Christmas packages from home, for
during the day mail truck after mail
truck had arrived in the various towns
where the troops are quartered, load
ed to the top with presents.
Make Children Happy.
With their new sweaters on, new
pipes in their teeth, some of them
smoking fragrant cigars, the men of
the army then set to work in earnest
making it merry for the children Of
France.
At some distance from the American
zone the railway engineers at the Brit
ish front and other engineers at the
French front were spending their
Christmas eve under fire, but even
there the children of nearby neighbOr-
hoods were being cared for.
1t was in the headquarters town Of
the first division to land on French soil
that the most elaborate entertainment
was held, however. Because the
church there was small, the Y. NJ G.
A. hut was Communicated. During the
afternoon the American officers and
men worked hard erecting a gigantic
Christmas tree and decorating 1t,
while sentries posted outside kept in
quisitive youngsters at safe distance.
Finally the doors were opened and
the procession filed in, each little
French boy and girl dressed in his or
her best and accompanied by the
mother or, in the cases of the little
refugees whose mothers and fathers
are missing, by the woman caring for
them.
There was a tense air of expectancy
until the lights were suddenly flashed
on and the tree and Santa Claus re-
vealed.
Piled nigh at the base of the tree
there were many boxes containing toy
soldiers, guns, uniforms, tops, sewing
sets, heavy woolen mittens muff1ers,
warm coats, dresses and shoes.