The Washington herald., 1917-11-22
Two District Boys Tell of
Experiences "Over There"
Jimmy Maloney and Bert Casson Satisfied
With Life in French Army Camp; De-
scribe Trip on Transport

got in. I argued with him in Emf
lish and he with me in French and
| neither understood what the other
was saying. Finally Qt was real
early someone came along and
/ Strengthened US out. We have lots
of fun trying to 'parleyvoo' and it
is surprising how our 'vocabs' in
crease. But when the words are
stuck together they must make awful
hash for the French to digest. /
suppose We slaughter their language
like the wops-sand Greeks slaughter
ours. A dandy little French girl
gives us lessons three times a week,
but so far none of US have been able
to arrange for specials
Maybe French danes can't SIT
chilly! They don't make any bones
about It, either. and spectators don't
affect them a bit. don't know from
experience. but merely from observa-
ton. Lots of other things are differ
ent from what We see in the States,
but you fellows will be over and
can see for yourself. 1 am writing too
much now.
Has American Cooking.
I'VE are living so 'gloriously' since
arriving here. Each man has been
issued cot with a straw mattress
and five blankets. I have the mat
tress working like an 'old-timer'
now. but fell out Of bed the first
night; all the straw seemed determined
to hold a conference or congregate
in one particular spot and 1 slid off
onto the floor. The blankets and
winter uniforms are needed. The
weather just now is cool, but the
first few days (when I had only two
blankets, incidentally were cold as
the deuce, and maybe it wasn't pleas
ant trying to shave in cold water.
However, things are shaping them
selves now, and we are being made
as comfortable as possible, especially
in the vicinity of our. stomachs, for
We started in the other day with
American cooking.
The first week we were rationed
by the French government. The
breakfast consisted of war bread and
coffee. the other two meals of meat
and potatoes (or beans.) The meals
worked like the German army-war
bread and coffee, potatoes and meat
beans and meat. meat and beans
meat and potatoes, war bread and
conee, on, on, for ever and ever
Amen. You can't appreciate French
conee until you drink it. There are
no words in English to describe the
conee or cigarettes. But just try
them! Good night
nriIIa Aft., S,u-
We are being given military train
ing now and drill every evening after
supper. I'm strong for 1t, too, but
there are a few who do not like it
Dut that's all the good it does, for
we're in the army now, etc. You
should see us drill; the noncommis-
stoned officers have lost all sense of
humor, II they ever had any, for only
once or twice have seen them laugh.
Our line sometimes looks as though II
were modelled after the New York
Police Department. Yesterday I was
In the rear rank and I know I COW
cred at least four different men and
toward the end Of the drill 1 was in
the front rank.
"A fellow named Siegel Just come
In. and as he is baldheaded, prac-
tically, I am reminded of a joke that
was played on him coming over. He
was told that he would have to get
his head shaved and his skull painted
with radio-light, in order better to
see him in the event we were sunk
at night. He fell, too, and was
charged 50 cents by another fellow,
who said he used to be a barber, for
having it done. Then he was brought
up on deck, without his hat, by
fake drill, so that everyone could
gaze on him. He was going to click"
everybody on the boat. I wrote two
perfectly good letters that I had to
tear up, for no ship stopped to take
back mail" Altogether we had a
pretty good time coming over.
so, waiting with outstretched arms
for our little blonde cupid desist."