The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-28
HARRY LAUDERAT
The FRONT TELLS
WAR imp RESSION
Scotch Songster Entertains
The Boys In The Trenches
and Watches Fight
tcopyright 1917, by the Interna-

dlu w dtCAcS lSut
(copyright 1917, by the Interna-
tional News Bureau.
Harry Lauder, the idol of the boys.
Lauder is now singing his choruses
) with the lads from the trenches.
"BoomI BoomI Boom!" 1t is the
sound of the heavies. am in a
camp, an army, world of soldiers.
1t seems to be that there's nothing
else in the world but soldiers. Mud
caked soldiers. soldiers at the base,
soldiers in the train. soldiers on the
march. soldiers in the linbers of big
guns. soldiers in motor-lorries. sol
diers in billets. soldiers in the
trenches.
to the tune OF the guns yonder, away
In the distance i. never had such
a time in my life. But I'll tell We
my first Impressions.
I'm over the border.
How does the song go ? "a the blue
bonnets are over the border" For
blue read khaki, and there you have
1t. Every man around me Is in kha-
XII from head to waist. and even the
Draw Hielandmen wear khaki APP
ron to prevent the flaming tartar OF
their kilt from drawing the German
fire. 80 r -
An army7 why this is q nation.
an Empire. a world at arms.
lam over the border. Yesterday
was in civilian world. looking out
of my hotel window at the civilian
street. or reading, seated in my easy
chair, the latest news of the war
the war that seemed. in spite of an
4 a - = Eel ~,
OF firing. to be so many millions of
miles away.
And now. hey presto! I am in the
war. It swings round me with or
DERBY rattle and tramp. 1t envelopes,
possesses me. Everything that i see
and hear and touch--apd smell
means war.
There are other signs more ter
rible, more pathetic that / am almost
at handshakes with q ruthless enemy
bent on our destruction. But of that
later. At present ! am overwhelmed
by the suddenness and the complete
ness of the change. I am over the
border; I have passed the barrier; ]
am in another world.
And, the barrier is so thin. while
was yet in England could hear
the sound Of the big guns at the
4 aLIOflLS dLlQ A1I10&L DGlQT6 L nave Iln-
ished congratulating myself that ]
haven't been seasick am here. OF
course. knew how near the great
battle was. I have measured the
distance on the map. have talked
about 1t with my friends. But only
now at last I realize the nearness OF
your peaceful to this intense and
and wrathful life. 1t Is next door
If we were part OF France, If some
of our land had been blasted and de.
filed by the Huns, If German shells
broke on our pastures, and If the
lines Of trenches ran down our val.
leys and up our hills we should rea,
slize the nearness quickly enough. But
because of that narrow strip of blue
water Britain has not yet felt the
touch of war.
When I landed at-wel1, never
mind doubted was still in Eng
land, though 1t was an England a.
war For there was rnore British kha.
xxi on the quay than French But ther
/ noticed that the man who wa,
threatening to take away my bag wa.
talking to me in q language with
which was imperfectly acquainted
There was a British sergeant on, tn,
quay trying to make two Frenchmer
understand what they were to d.
with a big bale OF war material H.
had no French but "Na-pooi" the,
had no English. He issued I1is in
structions in parade voice, and the.
stared He shouted, and they looked
more helpless, He yelled, and the.
put their hands to, their shoulder
and lamented In a strange tongue I
+, was just like men and the French
man in Three Cheers" BY the tim
/ had landed the bale was on troll
ley, and the sergeant was marching
behind Il, stiff and stern and tri
umphant- Heaven knows how he't
uone IL, put somehow he'd climbed
the barrier.
am between barriers. Behind M
is. the barrier of the sea, and ou
Fleet. Before me is the barrier o
our armies. And SO just now 1t 4
very natural that / shoulds be think
ing of borders and barriers.
There are barriers in your Londol
streets. For almost everywhere yol
go Just now you'll find the road up
And II, in your agitation, you TAX
refuge in a restaurant, you'll Otter
find a bar
There are barriers between mai
and man and class and class-thougl
you wouldn't think SO If you wer,
out here and saw the comradeship II
our glorious army. recruited alik,
from the palace, the suburb, the cot
tags, the dwelling and the slum.