The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-03-24
CORP. ALBERT CRU.
DESCRIBES WAR
IN EUROPE
Former Williams Professor Tells
of Fighting in France
NOW ENGLISH INTERPRETER
Says France is Fighting to Give
European States Their Lawful
Rights.

Forbidden by the French govern
ment to reveal any information con-
cerning the present movements. or
the future plans OF the Allied armies,
Corporal Albert Cru made the Great
War seem intensely real to an aud
ience that filled the Second Congre-
gational church chapel Friday even
ing. Mr.. Cru was created with pro
longed applause. He has many friends
in Bennington and his letters publish
ed in the Banner and other papers
have made him known indirectly to
many more. He is a picture of health.
sturdy and bronzed and, while not so
stout as when the writer last saw
him. in June, 1914, he gave an i'm
preston of soldierly manhood that
viii not seem to be forgotten.
Corporal Cru, who was introduced
by Rev. G. S. Mills. told how he was
spending the summer with his mother
in southern France when the war
broke out. On August IL, 1914, he
Joined the 18th infantry, two hours
later he was fully equipped and in two
" OCho " o5 j HbAO VI maj At9AA-
ing in the Vosges mountains. After
the battle of the Marne he was sent
to Picardy TO assist in the attempt to
break the right flank of the army OF
Won Kiuck. While in this prolonged
engagement he was wounded and
spent six months in the hospital.
While recovering, he took examina-
tions to become an interpreter and as
such joined the British army in Sep
tember, 1915 He was first a member
of the End Canadian division from
Toronto and later of the 55thG West
Lancanshire division from Liverpool,
with which division he is now con-
nected. 4,sf4l rgs rs
He described his equipment minute
ly, the revolver, he said, is merely a
matter of uniform in the present war
and is becoming an antiquated weap
on, its place being taken by hand
grenades. He explained the use OF the
map case, gas helmet, water bottle,
blinders and shell case. He gave
great praise to the immense funds
raised and enormous supplies of hos.
pital material furnished by Ameri-
cans and showed the small field dress
ing, furnished by thousands and with
which each soldier is equipped.
For 60 days during the battle of
the Somme Mr.. Cru was in action
with his artillery unit in Death Val.
ley" before Guillemont. He gave a
vivid description OF the great artillery
duel there and related many narrow
escapes he witnessed. He accounted
for the use of gas by the Allies by
saying that retaliation Is the spirit
of modern war; and lit is we'll and
good to be humane, but not to be a
fool" He told how the German rifles
were so constructed that they could
use both their own and the English
clips and showed number of the bull
lets used by the Allied and the Teu-
tonic armies The French bullet has
copper nose, which makes a clean
cut and more serious wound, while
the English and German bullets are
made with a lead core, which is not
so humane in its effects, but which
may not incapacitate a man for SO
long time.
Corporal Cru spoke OF the close
relation between the cause of
France and the cause of America and
said that all France is fighting like
one man for three purposes; to liber-
ate their territory, to restore Bel.
GUM and to give to European states
their lawful rights He qualified the
quotation referring to the soldier OF
France as a soldier OF God by saying
that France has not tried TO mono
police God and that no nation has a
right to say: God is with US, against
our neighbors."
At the conslusion of the talk, Rev.
Thornton f. Turner presented Mr..
Cru with a purse of 1925, for the per-
sonal use Of himself and his brother.
J. N. Cru, who is expected home soon
from the front