Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-21

THE War Department has not an
nounced the numerical strength
of the regulars and marines now
in France. Nor will it announce the
size of the force in the very near
future, If this guess is guided by sane
military precepts. Whether there are
20 900 or "a, 900 cannot be said.
But we know American troops are
in France, and we know they are
moving slowly but surely toward that
elastic, almost invisible line north OF
Paris that is the front. Even now
most, if not all, of them are in their
permanent camp, where they Will
learn those new methods of warfare
developed by the master minds of
Europe and not taught for patrol
along the Mexican border nor in gar
rison in the Philippines. And they
will learn within sound of the mon
ster guns that soon will be at their
backs. They will throw grenades,
build machinegun emplacements,
mosphere of battle except for the
lack of an enemy at the bayonet's
point.
The people of the United States
have been reading about the great
war for nearly three years. They
have read millions of words of and
about 1t. But they know nothing
about it after all That is only
natural, for the reason that it has
been more or less impersonal. The
average man and woman have fol-
lowed the developments in the
newspapers as they would the un-
folding of the plot in Tolstoy trag-
edy, with the feeling that it was
horrible and glorious, CHASTITY and
heroic-simply a kaleidoscope pic
ture in the panorama of life to be
gazed on and be thrilled or de-
pressed, enthused or subdued, ac-
cording to the shifting of the scenes.
Now our men have gone! More
and still more of our men will go!
They will leave American ports be-
safety must. They will be here to-
day and engulfed by distance tomor-
row; without a goodby, without a
wave of a friendly hand or GOD
speed your crossing!" They go into
that maelstrom that has swallowed
100000 other men since August
1914, but they go into battle for
the same cause that our fathers
fought for in 1875, in 1912, in 1S4S,
in 1861 and in 1898. They have a
heritage-they have a tradition be-
their tradition is courage. And they
go with a song in their hearts and a
cheer on their lips! All they ask is
the sustaining sense of support and
sympathy and encouragement al
home.
J The men I saw at a French port
nearly three weeks ago, coming III
orderly file down the gangways from
| great gray transports into mist and
drizzle that would have dimmed any
but the most rock-bottomed ardor
! knew "the folks back home" were
with them. When they went aboard
/ their transports they knew 50O,00(
/ and still another 100000 of theil
| fellows would follow them; that they
were simply the vanguard of a
! mighty host that would lift a par
| of her burdens from France. ThC
men were happy.
Don't think for a moment, how
! ever, "Pershing's army" is actuateC
| solely by exalted patriotism. Sol
! diers do not parade their patriot
! ism. 1t is taken for granted. The!
| have an abiding faith in their coun
! try's and the allied cause; they are
| willing to die if need be for it, bu
they are not shouting it from th'
| housetops. Adventure, as more thar
! one of the men has confessed to me
was some small factor of inducSmen
| to sign up in the first place. Re
cruiting posters for several years ad