Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-22
No. | A.
In Training
bp Sergeant Alexander mcClintock.
D. G. H., 9th Overseas BAIT.
Canadian Gren. Guards To-
Copyright, 1917, by the Bell Syndicate. Inc.
FOREWORD.

Hero u literary product 1ohich ts
at once an admirable example of the
force of simple realism in the descrip-
Non of things which arc difficult of
ordinary comprehension, and hand
book and guide for every prospective
soldier Of our armies.
Sergeant McCVntock has not scrit-
ten stories about the soar. He hos
scritten the ,odr itself. reducing It,
sone might oJmost soy, to CORDS Of ono
syllable, yet bringing to the readers
Steso, oIeor1y and vtvtdly, the t'arious
/, aspects of the great struggle, hidden
t0.0Il except tho mon 11ho is actually
q plrt of Il. His contribution to the
history of tho tcar must be czassed as
one ,oFtch shines 10Th ,eso Hight.
It q fascinating In Its strap1icity,yet
thrilling In Its convincing detail. It
leads one, sOith ever0rotoing and COM
pelling interest, from, q casual CONFER
sation in a hotel IN Ne,o York through
scenes of strife and blood and thrill
in0 conflict to the moment 10hen the
king and queen Of England came to
the bedside of q Kentucky youth in a
London hospital to thank hin, Il, the
name of their nation for his services
IN the cause sohich soe havs no1o come
to recognize as thdt of 1oorld humanity.
Sergeant McOltntock received the
Distinguished Conduct medal before
Leaving England for home on leave.
He - returning to accept q commits
sion IN the Canadian overseas forces.
The story Is told in AcCHntpck's o.on
1nGdorned tCay.
YDoNT lay claim to being much Of
writer, and up till now have
never felt the call to write any
thing about my experiences with the
Canadian troops In Belgium and
France, because I have realized that
great many other men saw quite as
much as I did and could beat me tell
I ing about it. OF course believed that
my experience was worth relating, and
I thought that the matter published in
the newspapers by professional writ
ers sort Of missed the essentials and
lacked the spirit Of the bitches" in a
good many ways in spite Of its excel
lent literary style, but didn't see any
reason why it was up to me to make
an effort as war historian until now.
Now there is a reason, as look at It.
believe can show the two or three
millions Of my fellow countrymen who
will be tout there" before this war is
over what they are going to be up
against and what they ought to pre-
pare for personally and individually.
That IL MS far as am going to go In
the way excuse, explanation or COM
ment, call 1t what you will. The rest
of my story is a simple relation Of
facts and occurrences in the order in
which they came to my notice anu hap
pened to me. It may start off little
slowly and jerkily, just as we did, not
knowing what was coming to us. I'd
like to add that 1t got quite hot enough
to suit me later several times. There
fore, as my effort hs going to be to
carry 80. right along with me in this
account Of my experiences, don't be
impatient II nothing very important
seems to come off at first. felt lit
tie enpui myself at the getaway. But
that wis certainly one thing that didn't
annoy me later.
Y In the latter part Of October, 1915,
decided that the United States ought
4 to 81 fighting along with England and
France on account Of the way Belgium
had been treated, If for no other reason.
A. there seemed to be considerable
division Of opinion on this point among
the people at home, ] came to the con-
\ sIuSion that amy man who was free,
i white and twenty-ona and felt as did