South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-09
DUR BOYS PUZZLE
TO FRENCH HOSTS
interesting Letter From
Somewhere in France"
Tells of Life.
written for the international News
Service
BY II. W. ROSS.
"a Californian with the American
Forces i'm FranccD

Ion, two-page digest Of new
sight-page order. outlining the cen
sorshiD restrictions IL is an i'm
pressive document Uncle Sam.
-nough a novice in the game OF do
.ng something without letting the
world know about IT,. has gone ais
'elliserenr associates one better
han they ever thought Of. This, T
suppose, because OF the comparative
sase with which a spy otherwise
could operate IN the American
army
The new order Is the most dras-
nc ever adopted by any nation and
q blow 10 the Sammie ambitious 20
tell 'eIH about it. Gt embojies an
ocean of 'dont's' and not q single
do and one is won't 10 wonder
after a first perusal. what the deuce
ne can write about 7 was puzzled
myself until got the knack Of
sticking to generalities. 4 good
way 70 I'll up white paper. also. is
20 devote two or three paragraphs
20 telling the folks that you can't
tell them anything. and why
Lots of "DOn'ts."
Sorted. and alphabetiCally ar
RANGED these 'don'ts' run from a
20 T.. After reading down through
II and II the newcomer finally
decides TO sit down and write. mere
~. Il am we'll All references or
opinions 10 present or future where
aoouts. work or operations is pro
hibited. The mention of troops In
connection with any particular place
Isl forbidden. And this is carried
even to military correspondence, I
am told. the addresses reading mere
U.s. Regiment So and SO. A. F. F.,
three initials which will be- used a
lot ian the next few months or
years. Postcards. both of the pic
ture varicty and those with mes
~ages on them. are taboo other
subjects 1 can't discuss are. InfOr-
nation concerning casualties. unless
they've been officially announced;
the effect of hostile hre. all infor-
nation about aircraft and the con
lition. moral or physical of our
own or allied troops. And, what is
more. no criticism of any sort Will
be allowed of our own officers or
those Of the allies. So I can't. FOR
instance, tell you what ] think Of
my corporal A. matter OF fact
however, haven't got one In
the clerk of my company and spend
most of my day fighting the Ger
mans with "a typewriter-no casual
ties vet felt no conscientious
pangs about being armed with so
innocent a weapon as typewriter.
however.
Work is Various.
There are many things besides
gums which figure In this war. over
here the slide rule the surveyors
transit. the cross-cut saw. the cleo
tricians pliers, are q few that are
aus honorable as the Krag. and the
naker and the cook the dentist and
me barber. the store clerk i'm the
Juartermaster's and the cObbler.
The woodsman and the bridge build
er. the Ok layer and the road
builder all are useful-and essen
tial-in their place. And their
work is regarded as being as hon
orable as that OF the man who goes
down into the first line trenches.
Il used TO think that all an army
had 90 do was TO march up 10 the
firing line and go to IL, but this
trip has produced realization Of the
elaborate preparation necessary be-
lore we even begin 10 fight There
must be hospitals behind the lines.
manned los nurses and doctors and
attendants railroads TO convey
troops and food. automobiles bak-
cries. bath houses. laundries and
50 hundred other things. and all
these must be in readiness before
The actual hghting begins. There
must be "a pretty efficient organiza-
ton perfected merely as a prelim-
mary And that is why there is a
dignity 10 the man with the shovel,
the axe and other tools could
enumerate He already is at work
g-hile the fighter is waiting until
ne stage Is set.
Plenty OF Wine.
The liquid refreshment question
here is an interesting one. or course
there is not even the hint of any
liquor prohibition on the part OF the
French government. The French
.iewpoint would not even admit OF
NUUEnHAANA VI NANAA ~ AAAAAAEt AtN
Frenchman tights OF wine. 1 ordered
water in a restaurant here one
night and created great excitement
Americans drink water the
waitress asked in amazement.
The American soldier arrives in
rance ripe for a time He has
travelled in seclusion as near abso-
ute as possible for from three 10
I'VE weeks and his first relaxation
IS usually rather violent. The policy
followed. judging from my observa-
ZION. is 10 give incoming soldiers as
much liberty as reasonably posi-
lie. with few rules OF restraint.
Then. as privileges are abused. re-
stricuons arc made. There is one
own near here for instance. in
hich members of this regiment
IRE forbidden 20 drink The gov
.rnment OF troops thereby evolves
into a sort Of local option propo-
-ltion-wlth the option I'm the hands
~ the commanding officer. Resi-
nents are something Ike iudivi-
.uais. They have "a character of
neir own-and a reputation. And
rhe frtir1atfou is that rules and or