New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-02
By !. f. NEWMAN

broke out and the Germans took Bel
GUM and the Lusitania was sunk by
a German submarine later, my fighting
blood began to boil, but ! held back
until June, 1915. then went over to
Canada and enlisted in the 10Th In
fantry, Canadian Army.
was sent to Camp Borden, Canada
70 get toushened up for the trenches.
surely was toughened up, drilling IN
the hot sand six hours a day, during
July and August. The Canadians used
the English drill manual, the direc'
opposite of the American drill, carry
ing their rife on the left shoulder, in.
stead of on the right Their drill
seemed very odd and awkward as com
pared with the American drill. VI
course, tried to tell them that the
American drill was much more con-
venient and easy, which some of them
admitted; that is, the Canadians would
admit it, but not the English, VINO
wouldn't have it that way.
The Canadian Army is composed OF
one-third Americans, the other two
thirds English and Canadians, md, be-
lieve me, the English soldiers DIDN'T
have much use for the Americans be-
fore we entered this war. As soon as
we came in they became very friendly
and everything went fine, but before
that We had many spat and ! have
never seen an American soldier in the
~ An+ In oh "a
the drop of the hat if you said the
least thing against the United States
because when man volunteers 70
fight he is generally there with the
goods.
Toughened in England
After | was in Camp Borden three
months a unit was ordered 70 Erg land.
! was transferred to that unit. After
being in England three months we
were sent TO France, tough as an OK, pc
cause after you 20 through that EngllSn
war drill you are either broken down
or as tough as an OK. Thousands OF
men that were sent to England never
went to France. because they could not
stand that hard drill, and were sent
back TO Canada. But now chey harden
them up in France, assigning each man
to the task he is most fitted FOR.
After we were in France three weeks
we were ordered to the trenches for
the first time, something ! Will never
forget. There are three grades OF
trenches front line trench, second
line trench and communication
trench, with a dugout behind the hrst
and second line trenches. Some OF the
trenches are quite convenient, except
the front line one, which is never con-
venient, wet or dry, because the Ger
man bullets are singing so loud that
you can't sleep, and when 1t is ram
ing hell couldn't be any worse thar
the front line trenches.
The second line trenches are the
same, except the observation posi-.
Then there are reserve dugouts, anu
first-aid posts and barb wire entangle-
ments in front of the first line trench.
All trenches are dug at night, while
you are resting; however, most men
would rather dig trenches than be IN
the first line trenches firing at the
Huns or Fritzes, a trench name for
the Germans.
| remember my first day in the first
line trench. | was weak in the knees,
and | expected 70 drop every minute,
and when a bomb would explode my
nerves would jerk straight up. But
this only lasted for few hours. Most
every man has a different reaction
for his first time in the trenches :.
then he begins to think, "Oh. well, l
have only got once to die and he set
ties down TO business.
Five DAYS in First Trench
I was in the first line trench five
days on our first relief, as men can
only stand il four or five days in n
trench in cold weather or in the rainy
season, but in warm weather one could
stand it ten or twelve days.
You sit up nights to sleep. if you
can, but as rule you are scratching
yourself, because after you are in the
trench a few days you are covered
with Coolies" and the rats in the
trenches do not hesitate TO take piece
off your nose if you go to sleep, so you
are compelled to sleep with your head
covered, or take chance. You cal
scare the rats away if you stay awake,
but you can't scare the Coolies"
they stick like glue, even the Germans
can't scare them-they are also COW
cred with them, as we found trenches
taken from them with more "cooties'
than ours.
One thing | hate worse than Ger
man bullets is the German gas, for
when you are well gassed you will
surely go to heaven, or wherever you
belong. They have gas helmets, but
they are not gas proof. Many of the
men become overgassed and report 70
ST. Peter. When gassed it gives you
weak sensation and you become as
soft as a rag. You feel sort of hope
less, with a desire TO desert and 10 be
shot by your own men, for that is a
sure thing. That was the effect It had
on me. IL made rae hate war, and !
don't believe that | could ever get used
to it, and | wonder why such things
should be necessary among civilized ma
tions.
Coming back TO the trenches, fine
place 10 be is on front line trench in
an outpost, when you can't see a Ger
man bullet, and a German sniper is
liable to kiss you with bullet be-
tween the eyes most any minute. An
other comfortable place to be is cut
ting the barbed wire at midnight about
thirty feet in front of German first
line trench, for If the Fritz listening
sentry should detect you it's good night
for you.
Never Volunteer for the Job
Men never volunteer for this job, but
they get il in turns, and when you get
it the next man will say Good luck to
you, Yank," or the Irish might say,
God bless you" But those blessings
are not always heard by st. Peter, as
they are generally said at midnight,
when st. Peter is sound asleep. Or
you might have bad record up there,
and St. Peter wouldn't answer your
call.