Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-09-25
.SAMMIESG0
over TOP
WITH ALLIES
Eager Members Of Per-
shing's Advance Force
Steal Into British
Trenches For Taste Of
Real Fighting.
TWO ARE WOUNDED:
SCARS HONOR MARKS

SCARS HONOR MARKS
Somewhere Along the British Front.
In France, Sept. 23.-(By the Associat.
ed s)-Delayed)-On a historic
battlefield which merges into the fight
Ing lines are encamped many Amerf-
can troops. far removed from the rest
OF their compatriots who form the van
guard OF Uncle Sans expeditionary In
France.
For military reasons, it Is impossi.
bic to tell the world where these m4n
are, who they are or what they are do.
ing to further the interests Of the en-.
tente allied cause, but it may be said
on authority to friends at home that
they are credit to the Stars and
Stripes, which for the first time in his.
tory fly over camp of American sol-
diers in this part Of the war.wrecked
world.
4 PROUD OF WOUNDS.
Some Of them have been working
constantly In zone covered by Cor
man guns and already two Of their
number have been wounded, q fact
whereof they are exceedingly proud.
The Associated Press heard these
men were here and sought them oat.
The visit involved long motor trim.
but the sight of their bronsed taces
and the sound Of their cheerful, deter.
mined voices more than repsid for the
long journey. They are fine, healthy.
looking lot. and nearly two months OF
hard work IN the open under real cam.
paign'ng conditions has put them In
shape and they are ready for anything.
STEAL INTO TRENCHES.
Especially are they prepared and
anxious to try honors with the Ger
mans IN fact. their only grievance R
that for the present they are not per-
mitted, except where necessity de-
mands, to. expose themselves to the
enemy's big guns. They want to feel
the thrill that one experiences wheR
explosives are going up all about an0s
when shells herald their approach
across No Mans Land with a wicked
whine which gives notice that in
fraction of minute deadly bits of rag
ged steel win be flying in all direo.
hons.
In fact, until stringent order was
issued recently. the American oficers
had hard time keeping their men out
Of the British front line trenches. II
is said that more than one American
soldier has crept away when OF duty
and after making friends with the
"Tommies." has taken his place be-
side them for few glorious minutes
while minor battle was progressing.
LOVER THE TOP" TOO.
It would have been unwise. per-
haps, for the correspondent to INQUIRE
too closely whether any of the Ameri-
can officers had done their bit" In
this manner. Nevertheless the CORE.
spondent had grave suspicious that
some of them had been "oyer the top"
with their allies in early days before
orders forbade 1t. However they are
good disciplinarians and nobody is dis
regarding the edicts which have been
issued by the higher command. al
though the sound of the artillery
brings a wistful look into their eyes.
The correspondent visited two differ
ent camps and in each there were the
same scenes of methodical activity
characteristic Of American methods.
Things were moving smoothly. En-.
cheney was the watchword every.
where.
BEANS AND-BEANS.
1t was noon when the second camp
was reached and the officers and men
were preparing for mess. Several
clean cut young officers came out to
greet the correspondents and It was
CHEEKY welcome with firm hand grip
and a hearty I'm mighty glad to see
you" One would have known he was
in an American camp had he been
blindfolded.
An invitation was extended to mesa
and it was accepted. M"Pm afraid va
cannot offer you very much to eat"
said one officer You see our cook n
i'll and just at this moment we are
getting along as best we can. But ~S
can give you plenty of beans and
we'll. plentyemore beans.' he ended
with an apologetic laugh.
SCENE. OF DEsOLATioN.
So Boston baked beans were served,
the first the correspondent had seen
in two years of knocking about which
had taken him from revolution-torn
Dublin to the Mohmand revolt on the
northwest, frontier of India. And they
were the best beans ever canned or
that ever will be canned.
During the meal the correspondent
fell into conversation with a young
officer who comes from a famous and
wealthy family of the United States
How do you like it out here?" ask.
ed the correspondent
The officer gazed refectively
through the open door Of the mess
room out acrosos the open and be-
yond the camp. AS far as the eye
could reach there was scene OF
devastation and desolation. Here and
there shattered walls of building
reared themselves to mark the spot
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