Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-05-18
Berkeley Michael Writes Home;
Enroute To Salonikj Front

"a letter from Berkeley Michael. son
Of Mr.. and Mrs. j. $. Michael. of Sioux
City. now with the French army on the
Saloniki front.)
March q, ls17.-A week has passed now
since we arrived in Paris. We have been
out for drives every day until yesterday.
when We went before the project and re-
ceived a license. Now We are free to go
TO the front when called upon. There are
about 40 fellows around here now. main
ly Harvard men. with Il few scattered
from Williams, Yale. to western reserves
in Cleveland and California. We are quar-
quartered in q building about two blocks
from Rue ~Raynouard, the American am
bulance headquarters, sleeping on regular
army cots. We have one room i'm the
house that is heated. where Nine. Rauu.
the landlady gives a tea party every
afternoon to those that happen to be
around. There is hardly a fellow in the
house who has not a cold. France has
had its coolest winter for 20 years. hut
it is due TO be over April l.. so you see it
will really be wonderful weather when
we are on the front. most of the time.
DR.. Andrew, head of the field service, and
an old Princeton grad, Is one OF the finest
personalities YOU want to meet. Paris
with its spacious avenues and boulevaidS
and the winding Seine which divides ii III
two is the most beautifully aid out city
l have seen. Then there are such mas
%terpieceS of architecture as the Arch DE
Triumph. Notre Dame cathedral and the
Iciffel tower, and such buildings as the
Louvre and the Trocadero and the Palais
ROYAL to add interest. The subway sys-
tenn takes you anywhere i'll the city and
Is much easier to travel in than New York
Boston beside it is "A farce. The only
theatcr We have seen so far Is the French
Orpheum. but the crowd in the theater
was more interesting tina the show.
French and English officers and soldiers
almost entirely. delighted for a few days
of good times with their fair loves. and
enjoying every minute of the show. Prac-
tically all of the women were dressed in
black. Probably there are none OF them
who have not lost a brother or close rela-
tive or sweetheart.
This week we have mainly been given
odd jobs and driving at 81 Pue Ray
nouard. but Vic and put in three after
moons doing volunteer work at the Amer
lean fund for French relief and Vic was
good enough to put In one afternoon when
was out some place. setting up print
for blind soldiers, but the work at this
old AlcaZar restaurant, where the Amer
lean relief work is located, is very inter
eSting. Practically all of it is done by
American women. Some of them very
wealthy-from Boston, New York.. Phila-
delphia, and even San Francisco. They
work all day down there in old ging-
hams, packing clothes and provisions of
every variety. sewing sacks. mailing box
cs, etc, all of which has been sent over
by American people, and which is sent
! either to hospitals OH the front OF to- in
vaded villages for the women and chill
dren. one can hardly imagine the delight
and comfort that will be occasioned when
thu. articles reach Their destination. One
lady gave me two pairs of baby socks
' tina had been knitted and sent over by
an old lady 11 years old. DIR. Andrews
said last night that he had a letter from
the war department which would be
! signed the day war is declared 10y the
United States, assuring the men i'm the
ambulance service that their work is as
valuable to our own country as work in
the regular army. 50 ! really feel justi.
fed IN coming. IL the war still lasts and
We are i'm it. will naturally join the
American army when my service is over
Last night IDr. Andrews said he had
practically decided to send a fellow from
Philadelphia who came ON the same boat
and me to section three in Saloniki.
did not ask to go there. but simply TOLD
them ] was willing to so wherever
was anle to be of the most service. We
Will leave Il week from today as they neet
seven or eight men at once. The other
fellows will I've from old sections. If we