Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-09
4 air OF HOWE.

Inc war mas come nome 10 US, mere
in Ottumwa, with a new significance
and new force. The brother of a
young man who was employed until
recently at the local Y. NJ. C. A. is one
of the twelve prisoners taken by the
Germans in Saturday mornings eight.
A home at Glidden is saddened by the
death of one of the three who went
down before that first charge by the
crown princes soldiers. A boy from
Collins is among the dozen youngsters
who are held captive somewhere in
Germany.
And Saturdays casualty list, which
stirred our deepest sympathies for
those mothers and fathers. sisters,
brothers and sweethearts to whom
each line meant personal sorrow,
probably is the shortest one we shall
see while the war lasts.
Men who have come back from
over there tell us that the very air OF
war-ridden France is charged with ter
ror, that death rides in every shifting
wind, that the torment of the damned
can be no more terrible than the
tumult and the tragedy Of the trenches
They tell us that when each vigil
ends with the arrival of relief troops
at the front line, the men whom they
replace creep through the darkness to-
ward the rear with single, all-consum-
ing desire Juggling at their heartstrings
"a longing for chance to forget for
the moment the grisly menace Of the
death that shrieks in flying shells.
creeps among the craters of No Mans
Land, darts on whirring wings above
the trenches, CLEANS at night in the
star shells and grins through the
Boche gas fumes.
Back of the lines, where there is a
little time to forget, is a refuge where
welcome, sanity, peace and an echo OF
home are waiting. A red triangle is
it's sign. its door is open to the trench
tired, mud-spattered fighter. AS he
crosses the threshold the sounds of
war are driven from his brain by the
same rollicking tunes that the orches-
ira was playing in the theater back
home, that last night before he left for
France. Soldier voice-good American
voices-are singing with the phono-
graph; American newspapers and
magazines strew the rough tables; sta
tionery lies at hand for letter to the
anxious family circle back home; an
American Y. M. C. A. secretary is
ready to talk of normal topics and
clear the fighters brain OF wars
worries.
This hut is home and club to the
soldier. 1t is bit Of America set
down in the center OF that realm OF
tragedy. Baseball, football and other
diversions are planned there; news
from home is exchanged. sanity reigns,
and cheerfulness, and the assurance
that sometime war will end and the
warriors will journey back to scenes OF
peace. quiet homes and familiar faces.
The Y. NJ. C. A. has demonstrated its
usefulness with the English armies
and in the American camps in France
and in America. 1t is authorized by
the United States war department to
carry on it's work among our soldiers
at home and abroad The money must
be raised by public subscription and
$4,000 of it must be contributed IN
Wapello county.
Everyone must give. 1t is our oppor-
tunity to help win the war. our oppor-
tunity to help our soldiers maintain
confidence, courage, sanity. 1t is our
opportunity to show them that we are
grateful and loyal to them. that we ap-
Lreciate their sacrifice and stand ready
to do our share here at home as they
are doing their share over there.