Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-11-22


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 Ii
one Of the principal articles Of food In
this country. Because Of the short
age Of wheat, an official decree In ef-
feet for nearly year, provides that
the white -four must be mixed with O
large percentage Of rye, barley or oat-
meal.
German captlves 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 q 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 q
recently made prisoner.
He was standing In the street Of a
village in the American area when
two officers went by.
"Are those Engllshmenf" he asked in
perfectly good French Of his captor
and in the hearing Of the CORE
spondent.
mo. They are Americans" replied
the French guard.
The German only smiled unbellev.
ingly.
'But they may be some stan officers
on a visit to the front. There are no
Americans in France, because they
told me so before I was taken" per
sisted the prisoner.
Just then a company Of infantry,
rides over their shoulders, followed
by q huge motortrnck with ~. s. A."
painted on 1t In bold letters, swung by.
"You see," grinned the 'poilu" tri-
umphantly, "there are American SOL
dlers."
"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 60 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 2S,OOO men
to the French basis Of $4,000 men,
come changes that upset the whole
idea Of war as they have learned 1t,
and q redistribution Of duties that
sounds rather formidable.
Formerly q company consisted sim
ply of the company commander, two
officers, two musicians, q 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 rihemen In
addition to the machine gun company
Of the regiment, messengers, sharp
shooters, etc.
The company IL 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 IL the bOmbers. They
charge with the bayonet men, but
when the latter have attained their OBJ
jective and may still push forward,
the bombers stay behind to "clean up"
the captured trenches, and see that
the enemy, emerging from their aug
outs, do not take the riAemen In the
rear.
Instead Of having q machine gun
company to each regiment, as former
IL, there Is a machine gun company
TO each battalion. There Is q com
pany Of pioneers which supports the
rifemen In their advance. Before they
are out Of their own trenches, the
trench mortar company, q new thing
to the American army, must get In III
work.
Each man must learn his new du'
lies and how and when to fulhll them
10 the utmost advantage. Each man.
In addition to his regular and regl'
mental marking. II badged to snow
whether his post IL behind or In front
Of the lines. Messengers wear spe'
cial insignia that permits them 70
pass to the rear without the slightest
delay.