French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-10-18
AMERICAN OFFICER TELLS
ABOUT BOYS IN FRANCE.
Captain w. A. CaprOn. q. S. A. Has
Been to Charlotte on Visit to Wife
and Daughter.

captain W. A CdprOHs y" % ASs has
Been to Charlotte on Visit to Wife
and Daughter.
Captain w. A. Capron, of the 18th
field artillery, U. S. A., spent a few
hours in Charlotte Friday, says the
Charlotte Observer, enroute to Wash
ington. He returned from France the
early part Of the week and came here
for a brief visit with his wife, who was
before her marriage Miss Mary Os-
borne, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. F. l.
Osborne, on Baldwin avenue, and their
lutte daughter, Agnes Allyn.
Captain CaprOn is, for the present,
detailed in the ordnance department,
and was Sent to France on a special
mission early in August. He made
the voyage over with U. S. regulars
and the return trip on a commercial
boat. The sea travel features of his
Journey we're without incident, ,ex-
cept for the tense feeling of appre-
hension which exists on board all yes
sells sailing the war zone, the excite
ment incident to wearing life preserv-
ers throughout the journey, and the
81 lug vi WuAA4AS VI 44SuC0 " p4V-
vent the ship being seen by the enemy.
The experiences. of the American
officer after landing "over there it is
naturally assumed, were not without
incident, though he was not inclined
to speak of his stay in France, and
was not at liberty to answer a number
of questions asked by a newspaper
representative.
Captain Capron visited battlefields
of France, Flanders and Verdun.
IT will just say this, that at the
front it is indeed hell" was all that
Captain Capron would say in reply to
a query as to actualities of the war as
compared to reports received in this
country. He admitted that all that
has been written is true of the depress
ing effects of the everlasting mud, es-
pecially in the law country of Fland-
els where the rains create a condition
which causes men to fight up to their
necks in s1ush. and there have been
men drowned in it. He did mention
one other horror of war, which, he
said, having encountered, one could
never forget, and that is the frightful
odor from the battlefields and in adj
.jacent community where battles have
been waged. This is due in large
measure to the numbers of horses
slain in battle that cannot be imme-
diately moved or buried.
Asked if the men Of the United
States army are comfortable and have
all the supplies they need, the reply
was. in the affirmative. That the
American soldiers are distressingly
short on tobacco was admitted, a con-
sdition which the officer regretted. He
stated that cigarettes are being APP
porioned three or four to a man for
one day. The effort to reach men on
the other side with home ~delicacies,
such as jellies and preserves. was de-
clared useless. Even if they reach
the other side in condition, they are
unfit before the boys get them.
In one instance the smashing of a
box of edib1es stored together with the
mail In the hold of the vessel, ruined
a great bunch of letters.
That the boys on the other side
should be given first consideration, is
the opinion of CAPTAIN Capron who
says that thew arc working so desper.
ate1v hard that the work soldiers dc
in this country seems mere loafing in
lcomparison- Trench warfare as they
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