The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-08-03

les.
tie was told me by one of our men
I who said he was there when it began
He said one of the Australians had
| carelessly remarked that the British
generals had decided it was time tc
get through with the sideshow in Bel
GUM, and this was the reason why
they had sent regular troops like the
Australians in to relieve the Canadians
Then some sensitive Canadian wish
ed the Australians luck and hoped
they'd finish it up as we'll as they had
the affair in the Dardanelles. After
that our two days rest was made up
principally of beating it out of esta-
minas when strategic requirements
suggested a new base or beating it into
estaminas when it looked as If we
could act as efficient endorsements.
That fight never stopped for forty-eight
hours, and the only places it didn
include were the church and the hos
pitfalls. I'll bet to this day that the
Belgians who run the estaminas i'll
Poperinghe will duck behind the bars
if you just mention Canada and Aus
tralia in the same breath.
But Pm bound to say that it was
good, clean fighting Nobody fred
shot, nobody pulled bayonet, and no.
body got the wrong idea about any
thing. The Australian heavyweight
champion who landed on me went
right out in the street and saluted one
of our lieutenants. We had just one
satisfying reflection after the fight was
over-the Australian battalion that re-
lieved us fell heir to the counterattack
which the Germans sent across to even
up on our bombing raid.
Down to the Somme.
We began our march to the Somme
by "a hike to ST. Omer, the first Brit
ISL headquarters in Europe. Then we
stopped for week about twenty miles
from Calais, where we underwent a
course of intensified training for open
fighting. The infantry tactics. In
which we were drilled, were very SINH
lar to those of the United States army.
those which. in fact. were originated
by the United States troops in the days
of Indian fighting We covered most
of the ground around Calais on our
stOmachs in open order. While it may
seem impertinent for me, mere non
com, to express an opinion about the
larger affairs of the campaign, | think
r a. 20, trin that tho
war didn't at all take the course which
was expected and hoped for after the
fight on the SOmme. Undoubtedly the
allies expected to break through the
German line That is well known now.
While we were being trained near Ca
lais for open warfare very large
force of cavalry was being assembled
and prepared for the same purpose. 1t
was never used.
That was last August, and the allies
haven't broken through yet. Even
tually believe they will break
through, but in my opinion men who
are drawn for service in the first
half million of our new American
army will be veterans in Europe before
he big break comes which will wreck
he Prussian hope of success in this
var And IL we of the q. S. A. don't
brow in the weight to beat the Prus-
'ians now they will not be beaten, and
n that case the day will not be very
ar distant when we will have to beat |
hem to save our homes and our ma
ion. War is dreadful and ingloriOus |
nd i'll smelling and cruel thing. But |
we hold back now we will be in the |
ogical position of man hesitating to |
% to grips with drunken. savage.
spewing maniac who has all
ut whipped his proper keepers and is
DING after the OnlOoker. However. | |
Tish we had had two months more of
7eathereOn the Somme There might
ave been a different story to tell.