The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-31

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tie was told me by one Of our men,
who said he was there when It began.
He said one OF the Australians had
carelessly remarked that the British
generals had decided II was time to
get through with the sideshow In Bel
gium. and this was the reason why
they had sent regular troops like the
Australians I'm to relieve the Canadians.
Then some sensitive Canadian wish
ed the Australians luck and hoped
they'd finish it up as well as they had
the affair In the Dardanelles. After
that our two days rest was made up
principally OF beating it out Of esta-
minas when strategic requirements
suggested new base or beating 1t into
estaminas when 1t looked as If we
could act as efficient re-enforcements.
That fight never stopped for forty-eight
hours. and the only places 1t didn't
include were the church and the hos
pitals. I'll bet to this day that the
Belgians who rum the estaminas in
Poperinghe will duck behind the bars
IL you just mention Canada and Aus
tralia in the same breath.
But I'm bound to say that It was
good. clean fighting. Nobody fred a
shot. nobody pulled bayonet, and no.
body got the wrong idea about any
thing. The Australian heavyweight
champion who landed on me went
right out In the street and saluted one
Of our lieutenants. We had just one
satisfying reflection after the fight was
over-the Australian battalion that re-
lieved us fell heir to the c0unterattack
which the Germans sent across to even
up on our bombing raid.
Down to the Somme.
We began our march to the Somme
by hike to st. Omer. the first Brit
ish headquarters In Europe. Then we
stopped for week about twenty miles
from Calais. where we underwent q
course Of intensified training for open
fighting. The infantry tactics. In
which we were drilled. were very simi.
lar to those of the United States army.
those which. In fact. were originated
by the United States troops In the days
OF Indian fighting. We covered most
OF the ground around Calais on our
stomachs In open order. While it may
seem impertinent for me. a mere non.
com, 10 express an opinion about the
larger affairs Of the campaign, i think
I may be excused for saying that the
war didn't at all take the course which
was expected and hoped for after the
fight on the Somme. Undoubtedly the
allies expected to break through the
German line. That is well known now,
While we were being trained near Ca
lais for open warfare very large
force OF cavalry was being assembled
and prepared for the same purpose. II
was never used.
That was last August, and the allies
haven't broken through yet. Even.
tually believe they will break
through, but In my opinion men who
are drawn for service In the first
half million OF our new American
army will be veterans In Europe before
the big break comes which will wreck
the Prussian hope o. success In this
war. And II we OF the y. s. A. don't
throw In the weight to beat the Prus-
slans now they will not be beaten. and
In that case the day will not be very
far distant when we will have to beat
them TO save our homes aud our Ed.
tlon. War IL a dreadful and inglorious
and I'll smelling and cruel thing. But
III we hold back now we will be I'm the
logical position of a man hesitating to
go TO grips with drunken. savage.
shrieking, spcwlng maniac who has all
but whipped his proper keepers and is
going after the onlooker. However. /
wish we had had two months more of
weather OH the Somne. There might
have been a different story to tell.
Simplified Medicine.
\ We got drafts Of recruits before we
went TO the Somme. and some of our
wounded men were sent back to Eng.
land. where we had left our safety
first battalion" That was really the
Fifty-frst battalion of the Fourth di
vision OF the Canadian forces, COM
posed OF the physically rejected, men
recovering from wounds and men I'm.
jured In training. The Tommies, how
ever, called 1t the safety first or "Ma.
jor Gilday's Light infantry" Major
Gilday was our battalion surgeon. He
was Immensely popular. and he achiev-
cd great name for himself. He made
one realize what great personal
force a doctor can be and what an un.
necessary elaboration there Is I'm the
civil practice of medicine.
Under Minor Gillay's administration