The Wahpeton times., 1917-09-20

THE W.
French and Americans, arose as one
man, without the faintest suggestion
Of q smile from the Americans, and
shook the little man from Pau By the
hand.
1T is one Of the happiest moments
Of my life" said the latter simply as
the company resumed their places.
Despite the obstacle of Language a
strong feeling Of fraternity has
sprung up between the men. Many
an American commissary sergeant has
won the heart of higher French Off
Ger by presenting him with a loaf of
white bread fresh from the field
bakery.
The French in return gave presents
OF sardines, sausages and other items
from their supplies that go to vary
the American menu. Through an ar
rangement made by one wideawake
American commissary sergeant his
mess has more than once been treated
to q real chicken dinner. White bread
has been thing Of the past in France
for some months, and nothing tickles
the French palate more than we'll.
baked, fresh white bread, for bread is
one of the principal articles Of food in
this country. Because Of the short
age of wheat, an official decree in eff
feet for nearly year, provides that
the white flour must be mixed with q
large percentage of rye, barley or oat-
meal.
German captives Pleased.
The few German prisoners who have
been turned over to work for the
United States in exchange for their
food, are fairly in rapture over their
situation. The food of the Americans
is never-ceasing marvel to them.
They work like men possessed in
order that they may not be dis
qualified from participating in the
American rations and they are the
envy Of their less fortunate fellows.
No better idea Of what the Germans
are told by their own officers can be
conveyed than by the assertion of a
recently made prisoner.
He was standing in the street Of q
village in the American area when
two officers went by.
"Are those Englishmen?' he asked in
perfectly good French of his captor
and In the hearing of the CORE.
spondent.
mo. They are Americans,,' y replied
the French guard.
The German only smiled unbeliev.
ingly.
''But they may be some staff officers
on visit to the front. There are no
Americans in France, because they
told me SO before I was taken" Der.
sisted the prisoner.
Just then q company Of infantry,
rifles over their shoulders, followed
by a huge motortruck with ~. s. A."
painted on 1t in bold letters, swung by.
"You see,' grinned the ''poilu" tri.
umphantly, 'there are American sol.
diers."
'They lied to US at home," answered
the prisoner after q moments hesita.
ton.
To any who might be inclined to
ask. why do troops need to go through
such thorough and intensive training
for trench warfare, an idea of what
our boys have to learn would be the
simplest answer.
Recognizing the Army.
With the reorganization of the
American division from its pre-war
footing Of approximately $4,000 men
to the French basis Of $4,000 men,
come changes that upset the whole
idea Of war as they have learned 1t.
and redistribution of duties that
sounds rather formidable.
Formerly company consisted sim.
ply of the company commander, two
officers, two musicians, cook and
two men. Now that is all changed.
There Is the commander and his Off.
Ger Of liasOn, or connecting link with
the company, his lieutenants and the
musicians and the cook. but with the
addition of motorcyclists. farriers,
signal corps men, mechanics, bomb.
ers. sappers. automatic rifemen in
addition to the machine gun company
OF the regiment, messengers, sharp.
shooters, etc. =. .. :.
The company is divided into
platoons. Even the platoons are sub.
divided into groups. The first group
may be bayonet men, who "go over
the top" and lead the charge. The
second group is the bombers. They
charge with the bayonet men, but
when the latter have attained their OBJ
tective and may still push forward,
the bombers stay behind to "clean up"
the captured trenches, and see that
the enemy, emerging from their dug
outs, do not take the riaemen in the
feaE s~1
Instead Of having q machine gun
company to each regiment, as former
" there fs i machine gun company
tn oonh ho%toff,xS ~