The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-10-04

the American menu. Through an ar
rangement made by one wideawake
American commissary sergeant his
mesa has more than once been treated
to real chicken dinner. White bread
has been d thing of the past in France
for some months, and nothing tickles
the French palate more than we'll
baked, fresh white bread, for bread is
one of the principal articles of food in
this country. Because of the short
age of wheat, an official decree in eff
feet for nearly year, provides that
the white flour must be mixed with a
large percentage of rye, barley or oat.
meal
German Captives Pleased.
The few German prisoners who have
been turned over to work for the
United States in exchange for their
food, are fairly in rapture over their
situation. The food of. the Americans
is a never-ceasing marvel to them.
They work like men possessed in
order that they may not be dis
qualified from participating in the
American rations and they are the
envy Of their less fortunate fellows.
No better idea of what the Germans
are told by their own officers can be
conveyed than by the assertion OF
recently made prisoner.
He was standing in the street of
village in the American area when
two officers went by.
"Are those Englishmen?" he asked in
perfectly good French of his captor
and In the hearing Of the CORE
spondent
mo. They are Americans" replied
the French guard.
The German only smiled unbeliev-
ingly.
"But they may be some staff officers
on visit to the front. There are no
Americans in France, because they
told me so before 1 was taken" per-
sisted the prisoner.
Just then company of infantry,
rifles over their shoulders, followed
by huge motortruck with ~. S. A."
painted on it in bold letters. swung by.
"You see," grinned the ''poilu" tri-
umphantly, "there are American SOL
diers."
'They lied to us at home" answered
the prisoner after a moments hesita-
ton.
To any who might be inclined to
ask, why do troops need to go through
such thorough and intensive training
for trench warfare, an idea Of what
our boys have to learn would be the
simplest answer.
Recognizing the Army.
With the reorganization of the
American division from its pre-war
footing of approximately $4,000 men
to the French basis of $4,000 men,
como changes that upset the whole
idea of war as they have learned 1t,
and a redistribution of duties that
sounds rather formidable.
Formerly company consisted SIM
ply of the company commands, two
officers, two musicians, a cook and
two men. Now that is all changed.
There is the commander and his off,
Ger of liason, or connecting link with
the company, his lieutenants and the
musicians and the cook, but with the
addition of motorcyclists, farriers,
signal corps men, mechanics, bomb
ers, sappers, automatic rifiemen In
addition to the machine gun company
of the regiment, messengers, sharp
shooters, etc.
The company is divided into
platoons. Even the platoons are SUBJ
divided into groups. The first group
may be bayonet men, who "go over
the top and lead the charge. The
second group is the bombers. They
charge with the bayonet men, but
when the latter have attained their OBJ
jective and may still push forward,
the bombers stay behind to "clean up"
the captured trenches, and see that
the enemy, emerging from their dug
outs, do not take the rifiemen in the
rear.
Instead of having machine gun
company to each regiment, as former
ly, there is a machine gun company
TO each battalion. There is a COM
pany Of pioneers which supports the
rifiemen In their advance. Before they
are out of their own trenches, the
trench mortar company, new thing
to the American army, must get in Its
work.
Each man must learn his new du-
ties and how and when to fulfill them
TO the utmost advantage. Each man,
in addition to his regular and regi-
mental marking. is baGged to show
whether his post is bef'iid or in front
of the lines. Messengers wear spe-
cial insignia that permits them to
mass to the rear withou, the slightest
delay.
These are only a few of the thou
sand and one things thst the men In
camp are learning and learning quick
w hit it takes time TO instruct them
so that they may take advantage OF
tbe lessons already d;Si;ed into the
French and British settlers, namely
that soldiers greatest duty is to do
his work in such cs.Able manner
that he may help in the protection OF
his own life as well ef those OF his
and associatess
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Due cauties.