The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-09-24
U. s.. SOLDIERS
ENCAMPEO NEAR
FIGHTING LINES
CONTINUED from Page One)

|
The correspondent visited two diff
ferent camps, and in each there were
the same scenes Of methodical activity
characteristic Of American ways.
| Things were moving smoothly and
no false motions were being made.
Efficiency was the watchword every
where.
1t was noon when the second camp
was reached and the officers and men
were preparing for mess. Several
clean cut young officers came out to
greet the correspondent, and it was
CHEEKY welcome with a firm hand grip
and a. hearty I'm mighty glad to see
you"
| One would have known he was in
American camp had he been blindfold-
ed. An invitation was extended to
mess and it was accepted.
Tn afraid we can't offer you very
much to eat" said one officer. ''You
see our cook is i'll and just at this
moment we are getting along as best
we can. But we can give you plenty
of beans and-well, plenty more
| beans he ended with an apologize
laugh.
So Boston baked beans were served.
| the first the correspondent had seen in
two years of knocking about which
have taken him from revolution-torn
Dublin to the Mohmand revolt on the
northwest frontier Of India And they
were the best beans ever canned or
that ever will be canned.
| During the meal the correspondent
fell into conversation with a. young Of
hcer who comes from one of the ia
nous and wealthy families of the Uni
ted States.
1 xynr ~rrA
asked the correspondent.
| The officer gazed reflectiveIy
through the door of the messroon out
across the open and beyond the camp.
AS far as the eye could reach there
was scene of devastation and desola-
ton. Here and there shattered walls
OF a building marked the spot where
a farmhouse, or perhaps village had
stood. For miles could be seen splin-
tered trunks of trees that had been
n1assed by great shells as though
rended by lightning. Occasionally the
eye met q little graveyard with it's
/ wooden crosses, - some for German
soldiers and some for British who had
/ died in the sanguinary fighting which
had taken place over this ground In
places there still were remains of Ger
man dugouts. for the enemy had held
/
1 growing over all this waste, but the
green carpet could not conceal the
myriad of mounds that marked the
lips OF great she'll craters which pitted
1 the entire zone. The officer returned
from his contemplative gaze to the
conversation, and answered:
Wen. 1t isn't exactly the same here
as Forty-Second street and Broadway,
out we didn't come out looking for
the great white way We are here
Tor business, and we like ft-partly for
itself and partly because we ought to
like 1t. We want to do our duty and
we are more anxious to do it than ever
before.
| 7 think that some Of our boys who
nave crept up and stolen look at the
Hsnting lines have been a little dis
appointed in q way. OF course, thew
read of what 1t was like over here. but
1t did not seem quite right not to see
banners flying on the battlefield and
not to witness troops moving out in
4 the open. But they all are tremend-
ousiy impressed with things in gener-
al They realize more than they did
what a vast business this is, and they
are all anxious to do a bigger part.
The health Of the camp is excellent
and the men are as hard as nails. We
are all ready for the call to real ac-
ton"
j The American quarters are very
simple. One officer proudly display
ed quarters that he had built out Of
4 airplane wings which had been dis
carded by the British and had been
presented TO him by a colonel. It
was an ingeniously constructed little
house and certainly made of unique
| material.
The. reported high reward offered
by a German officer for the first
American soldiers brought into the
German lines. dead or alive, has i'm
mensely amused the Yankees.
I'VE aren't worrying about it any"
( laughed one officer. 1--WE are here,
4 and Fritz can come after us any time
he is ready. We will be waiting"
This contingent of Americans is
learning all the, while, and should
make a valuable addition to the
American fighting front. All the Of
i ficers are loud in praise of the fine
welcome and treatment accorded them
by the British.
''They are mighty fine folks is the
unanimous conclusion of the Afneri-
| cans.