davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23
A Call For Volunteers.

On June ,. after the third battle of
Ypres, while Mcfarland and l were
sitting YEARLY on our hunks during
a strange hour In the afternoon when
nobody had thought of anything for
US to do. soldier came in with
message from headquarters which put
a sudden stop to the discussion we
were having about the possibility of
getting leave to go up to London. The
message was that the First, Second
and Third divisions of the Canadians
had lost 40 per cent Of their men in the
third fight at Ypres and that 300 volun-
teers were wanted from each Of our
battalions to fill up the gaps.
"Forty per cent" said Mcfarland,
getting up quickly. MY God, think of
it! Well, I'm off to tell em I'll co.
I told him 1 was with him, and we
started for headquarters, expecting to
be received with applause and pointed
out as heroic examples. We couldn't
even get up to give in our names. The
whole battalion had gone up ahead OF
us. They heard about 1t first. That
was the spirit of the Canadians. 1t
was about this time that story went
round concerning an English colonel
who had been called upon to furnish
volunteers from his outfit to replace
casualties. He backed his regiment up
against a barrack wall and said
NOW, all who don't want to volun-
teer step three PAGES to the rear"
In our battalion sergeants and even
officers offered TO go as privates. Nc
Farland and | were not accepted; our
volunteers went at once, and we were
REINFORCED up to strength by drafts
from the Fifth Canadian division.
which was then forming in England.
In July, when we We're being kept
on the rifle ranges most of the time,
all leave was stopped. and we were
ordered to hold ourselves in readiness
to go overseas. In the latter part of
the month we started. We sailed from
Southampton to Havre on a big trans
port, escorted all the way by destroy
ers. AS we landed we got our first
sight Of the harvest of war. A big hos
pital on the quay was filled with
wounded men. We had twenty-four
hours in what they called rest
camp" We slept on cobbestones in
shacks which were SO utterly comfort
less that it would be an insult to
Kentucky thoroughbred to call them
stables. Then we were ON the way to
the Belgian town Of Poperinghe, which
is $50 miles from Havre and was at
that time the rail head Of the Ypres
salient. We made the trip in box cars
which were marked in French, Eight
horses or forty men," and we had to
draw straws to decide who should lie
down.
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23

tory was launched by the Germans,
and, although the French on the left
and the British on the right fell back,
the Canadians stayed where they were
put
Right here / can mention something
which will give you an idea why de-
scriptions of this war don't describe it.
During the first gas attack the Cana
dams, choking to death and falling
over each other in fight against
new and unheard of terror In warfare.
found a wayathe Lord only knows
who first discovered it and how he
happened to do ito stay through
gas cloud and come out alive. 1t isn't
pretty to think of, and it's like many
other things in this war which you
can't even tell Of In print, because the
simple description would violate the
nice ethics about reading matter for
the public eye which have grown up in
long years Of peace and traditional de-
cency. But this thing which you can't
describe meant just the difference be-
tween life and death to many of the
Canadians that first day of the gas.
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23

We learned more the first week of our
did from November to April in Cana
da / make this statement without
fear that any officer or man of the
Canadian forces alive today will dis
agree with me, and I submit it for the
thoughtful consideration Of the gen.
tlemen who believe that our own
armies can be prepared for service
here at home.
In this war every man has got to be
specialist. He's got to know one
thing better than anybody else except
those who have had intensive instruc-
ton in the same branch. And, besides
that, he's got to have effective general
knowledge of all the specialties in
which his fellow soldiers have been
particularly trained. | can illustrate
this Immediately upon our return
from first leave in England we were
divided into sections for training In
eight specialties. They were: Bombing,
shipping, scouting, machine gun fight
ing. signaling, trench mortar operation,
bayonet fighting and stretcher bearing.
I was selected for special training In
bombing, probably because l. was sup
posed. as an American and baseball
player, to be expert In throwing. With
the other men picked for training In
the same speciality. l was sent to AL
dershot, and there for three weeks,
twelve hours a day, threw bombs,
studied bombs, read about bombs, took
bombs to pieces to see what made
them tick and put them together again
and did practically everything else
that you could do with a bomb, except
eat it.
Then / was ordered back along with
the other men who had gained this
intimate acquaintance with the entire
bomb family, and we were put to work
teaching the entire battalion all that
we had learned. When we were not
teaching we were under instruction
ourselves by the men who had taken
special training in other branches.
Also at certain periods of the day we
had physical training and rife prac-
tice Up to the time of our arrival in
England intensive training had been
merely a fine phrase with us. During
our stay there it was definite and
overpowering fact. Day and night we
trained, and day and night it rained.
At o'clock we would fall into our
hunks in huts which held from half
to a whole platoon-from thirty to six
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23
WELCOME,
EIGHTY SEVENTH CANADIANS

We were new battalion. We had
been less than seventy-two hours on
the continent of Europe, and the Ger
mans were not supposed to know any
thing that was going on behind our
lines!
We learned afterward that concealed
telephones in the houses of the Bel
gian burgOmasters of the villages of
Dinkiebusch and Renninghelst, near
our position, gave communication with
the German headquarters opposite us
One of the duties of detail of our
men soon after that was to stand these
two burgomasters up against wall
and shoot them.
In concluding this first article | want
to say frankly that any man who
claims he is not afraid when for the
first time he goes into that hell of fire
on the western front is Il liar. and I'll
tell him so to his face Later we be-
came impervious. but that first day
| PRAYED. and | would have bent down
and prayed only my knees shook so.
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23

Metagama A British cruiser escorted
us until we were 400 miles Off the coast
OF Ireland. Then each ship picked up
destroyer which had come out to
meet her. At that time notice was
posted in the purser's office informing
US that we were in the war zone and
that the ship would not stop for any
thing, even for man overheard. That
day a soldier fell off the Metagama
with 800 in his pocket, and the ship
never even hesitated. They left him
where he had no chance In the world
to spend his money.
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23

As Dawn Broke We Made Out Big
Front Trench.
Official orders now tell every soldier
what he is to do with his handker-
chief or piece of his shirt if he is
caught in gas attack without his
mask.
The. nearest / can come in print to
telling you what the soldier is ordered
to do in this emergency is to remind
you that ammonia fumes oppose chic
rine gas as neutralizing agent and
that certain carnations of the body
throw off ammonia fumes.
Now that I've told you how we got
from the Knickerbocker bar and other
places to situation which was just
$50 yards from the intrenched front
Of the German army in Belgium l
might as well add a couple of details
about things which straightway put
fear of God in our hearts. At day
break one of our Fourteenth platoon
men, standing on the firing step, push
ed back his trench helmet and remark
ed that he thought it was about time
for coffee. He didn't get any. A Ger
man sharpshooter, firing the first time
that day, got him under the rim of his
helmet, and his career with the Cana
dian forces was over right there. And
then. as the dawn broke. we made out
big painted sign raised above the
German front trench. 1t read:
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23

r DON'T lay claim to being much of
writer, and up till now 1 have
never felt the call to write any
thing about my experiences with the
Canadian troops in Belgium and
France, because | have realized that
a great many other men saw quite as
much as | did and could beat me tell
ing about it. OF course believed that
my experience was worth relating, and
| thought that the matter published in
the newspapers by professional writ
ers sort of missed the essentials and
lacked the spirit Of the bitches in
good many ways in spite of its excel
lent literary style but l didn't see any
reason why it was up to me to make
an effort as a war historian until now.
Now there is a reason, as look at it.
believe l can show the two or three
millions of my fellow countrymen who
will be tout there" before this war is
over what they are going to be up
against and what they ought to pre-
pare for personally and individually.
That is as far as l am going to go in
the way of excuse. explanation or COM
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23
90VER THERE"
The Thrill and the He'll of
the Trenches, Described
by an American Boy.

Sergeant Alexander McClintock Of Lex
ington, Ky, and the Canadian Army Has
Gripping Tale That Every American Will
Read, For He Tells the Facts-Unadorn-
ed Wounded, Distinguished Conduct
Medal Man, He Was Invalided Home,
but Is Going "0ut There" Again to Fight
For Uncle Sam and His Allies. An In
spring, Interesting, Personal Narrative,
Full of the Spirit and Atmosphere of the
Trenches.
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23
No. |. In Training
By Sergeant Alexander McCIintOck,
D. 6. NJ, 87th Overseas Batt.,
Canadian Gren. Guards.
Copyright 1917, by the Bell Syn
dictate, Inc.
FOREWORD.

Here Is a literary product aohich is at
, of simple realism in the description of
things aohich are difficult of ordinary
comprehension, and q handbook and
guide for every prospective soldier OF
our armies.
Sergeant McClintocE has not fcritten
st0ries about the acaS. He has acfitten
the a1Gr itself, reducing it, one might
almost sag, to aoords of one syllable,
yet Aringi11g to the readers Ute1p, clear
IN and xiUid9y, the CariOus aspects of
the great struggle, hidden to all except
the .nsnss acho is actually part Of it.
His contribution to the history of the
soar must be cldssed as one achich
shines apitb a nei0 light.
1t is fascinating in its simplicity, pet
thrilling In its convincing detail. 1t
leads one, aUith eUergrOtcing and COM
peJling interest, from a casual CONFER
sati0ss an a hotel in Neto York through
scenes of strife and blood and thrilling
confict TO the moment a0hen the king
and queen of England came to the bed
side OF a Kentucky youth in a London
hospital to thank hin, in the name OF
their nation for his services IN the
cause a1hich ace hare n0to come to rec
ognige as that of acoyld humanity.
Sergeant lfcCHntock roccired the Dis"
tinguished Conduct medal before teGO-
mo England for home on lcdUe. He Is
returning to accept q commission il, the
Canadian orerseds forces. The story is
told in McClintock's o,cm unadoWed
qodU.
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23
In the Front Trenches.

We got into Poperinghe at I a. M,
and the scouts had led US into the
front trenches at the next morning.
Our position was to the left of st. Eloi
and was known as ''the island" be-
cause it had no support on either flank.
On the left were the User canal and
the bluff which forms its bank. On
the right were 300 yards of battered
down trenches, which had been rebuilt
twice and blown in again each time
by the German guns. For some rea-
the Germans were able to drop what
seemed a tolerably large proportion of
the output of the Krupp works on this
particular spot whenever they wanted
to. Our high command had concluded
that it was untenable. and so we, on
one side of it. and the British. on the
other, had to just keep it secuted and
name they had for that position was
the "bird cage" That was because
the first fellows who moved into it
made themselves nice and comfy and
put up wire MEETINGS to prevent any
one from tossing bombs in on them
Thus, when the Germans stirred up
the spot with an accurate shower of
'.whiz bangs" and coal boxes" the
same being thirteen Founders and six
inch shells, that wire netting presented
a spectacle of utter inadequacy which
hasn't been equaled in this war.
They called the position which we
were assigned to defend ''the grave
yard of Canada" That was because
of the fearful losses of the Canadians
here in the second battle Of Ypres.
from April 81 to June /. 1915, when
the first gas attack in the worlds his
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23

ment, call it what you will. The rest
of my story is a simple relation of
facts and occurrences in the order in
which they came to my notice and hap
pened to me. 1t may start off little
slowly and jerlsily, just as we did, not
knowing what was coming to us I'd
like to add that il got quite hot enough
to suit me later several times. There
fore, as my effort is going to be to
carry you right along with me in this
account of my experiences. don't be
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23
make a Break 7"

Through my training in the V. M.
l., / was able to read semaphOre sig
nails, and l caught the message from
the destroyer which escorted us. 1t
read:
Each ship for herself now. Make
breakr'
We beat the other steamers OF our
convoy eight hours in getting to the
dock in Liverpool, and, according to
what seemed to be the regular system
OF our operations at that time, we
were the last to disembark
The majority of our fellows had new
er been In England before, and they
looked on our travels at that time as
fine lark Everybody cheered and
laughed when they busted off one Of
those little toy trains and brought At
up to take us away in it, After we
were aboard of it we proceeded at the
dizzy rate of about four miles an hour,
and our regular company humorist-
no company complete without one
suggested that they were afraid, II
they went any faster they might run
off the island before they could stop.
we were TAKEN 10 brdiuSuOlt camp, III
Hampshire, twelve miles from the
Aldershot school of command. The
next day we were given kings leave
eight days, with free transportation
anywhere In the British Isles. 1t Is
the invariable custom to give this sort
Of leave to all colonial troops immed1-
ately upon their arrival in England.
However, in our case Ireland was bar
red. Just at that time Ireland was no
place for a newly arrived Canadian
looking for sport.
After that they really began to make
soldiers of us. We thought our train
ing In Canada had amounted to some
thing We found out that we might
as well have been playing croquet.
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23

The five remaining articles in this
remarkable series will appear one each
week.
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23


~ men-and drop into exhausted sleep,
only to turn out at a. m. to give
sudden and exact imitation of what
we would do to the Germans If they
sneaked up on us before breakfast in
six inches of mud. Toward the last.
when we thought we had been driven
to the limit. they told us that we were
to have period of real. intensive train
ing to harden us for actual lighting.
They sent US four imperial drill SER
geants from the British grenadier
guards. the senior foot regiment Of the
British army and the one with which
we We're affiliated.
1t would be quite<unayailin for me
to attempt to describe these drill ser
geants. The British drill sergeant is
an institution which can be understood
only through personal and close CON
tact and is about as cordial as loose
electricity. II he thinks major gen
eral is wrong he'll tell him so on the
spot in the most emphatic way. but
without ever violating single sacred
tradition of the service. The sergeants
who took US in charge TO put ON the
real polish to our training had all seen
from twenty to twenty-five years OF
service. They had all been through
the battles of Mons and the Marine.
and they had all been weunded. They
were perfect examples of a type. One
of them ordered all of our commissions
ed officers. from the colonel down. to
turn out for rifle drill one day and put
them through the manual of arms
while the soldiers OF the battalion stood
around looking on
Gentlemen" said he very politely
in the midst of the drill. when | see
you handle your rifles | feel like fall
ing on my knees and thanking God
that we've got a navy"
The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-23

Subscribe for The Star-Mirror.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1917-09-05
GERMAN FLOTILLA
OFF GULF OF RIGA.
Petrograd Reports Air Battle
With a Squadron of Forty
Hostile Planes.
HARB0R WORKS ARE BOMBED
Destroyers and U-Boats Sighted by
Russians-The Italians Report
Further Gains of Terrain
French Operations Subside.

London.-Having failed in all their
direct attacks by land to break the
Russian front and capture Riga, Rus.
sia's principal naval base and arsenal
on the Baltic, the possibility that the.
Germans are now preparing for an Of.
fensive by land and sea is forecast
in the maneuvers of their torpedo boat
destroyers, submarines and mine
sweeping trawlers in adjacent waters
and in aerial attacks in the Gulf Of
Riga itself.
Forty airplanes of the enemy have
winged their flight over the waters of
the Gulf, dropping bombs. Ninety OF
these missiles we're loosed Thursday
upon Russian warships and harbor
works and raids also were carried out
against islands in the Gulf What
damage, II any, resulted is not stated
in the Russian official communication.
Neither the Petrograd nor the Der.
lin War Office has announced the re-
commencement of infantry activity IN
the marshy district west of Riga,
where recently the Germans made ad
VdnCeS, dll0OuSH DcTllu says Luds
northwest of Dvinsk, in the region Of
Illukst. the Russians have taken the.
offensive and are carrying out raiding
operations. The situation on the other
sectors of the Russian front has not
changed materially.
The Italians are still making gains
on the plateau north of Gorilla and
also have renewed their offensive to
the south on the Carso Plateau. More
than 600 additional Austrian prisoners
and five machine guns have been cap
tured in the Bainsizza region. South
of this region, on the dominating peak
of Monte San Gabrielle, more ground
has been taken. On the Carso Plateau
the big Caproni airplanes are aiding
in the attack.
Aside from artillery duels, which are
violent at various points along the
front held by the British and French
troops in Belgium and France, only
minor operations are taking place.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1917-09-05
WORLDS NEWS IN
CONDENSED FORM

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Phillip,
of Wisconsin, wired Sheriff No.
Manus that should delegates of the
PEOPLES Council Of America for
Democracy and Peace arrive in MIL
waukee they be informed that 1t Ia
his wish that NO meeting be held.
The Sheriff was told to, telephone
for instructions" after this was
done.
PETRoGRAD.-The Russian rail-.
road situation is desperate and If not
remedied will result in a national dis
aster.
WASHINGTON. - viscount IshII,
head of the Japanese mission 10
America, in an address to the Senate
pledges his nations loyalty in war and
promise complete smity with the
United States.
LoNDoN.-AvIaters will scatter
copies of President Wilson's reply to
the Pope over Germany If the Berlin
forbids its publication.
IoNDoN.-Lord Robert Cecil, Min
lister of Blockade, Endorsed President
Wilson's reply to the peace proposals
of Pope Benedict, and said he was not
certain any furths- response would
be necessary.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1917-09-05
PITH OF THE
WAR NEWS

The Manchester Guardian sheds a new
light on the famous conversations
between Lord Haldane and the
Kaiser and his advisers In regard to
sea power and the general situation
In Europe before the war.
As the work of establishing a base for
the American army In France pro.
ceeds on vast scale, the French
gave invaluable aid in organizing
and eduipping various fieln units
and departments.
French repulsed German raiders east
of cerny and British bent back pa
trolls below Lens. Artillery battle
continued on both banks of Meuse,
Two Russian regiments, Petroorad
announced, left their trenches on
the Rumanian front and retired
before the enemy; one was dispersed
and the battle to restore the posi-
tions was renewed.
Italians repuIsed all Austrian attacks
on the Isonzo front and at some
points made gains, Rome reported.
French artillery men have outnun1-
bered the infantry during recent
operations on the Verdun front, ow.
ing to the eunners' difficult tasks.
The U-boat menace is being overcome
gradually by the excellent work Of
American sestroyers on convoy duty.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1917-09-05
Animal Trainers Win Fortunes.

Since the beginning of time mankind
has been amused by attributing human
faculties to animals, and wherever one
of the lower creatures has shown signs
of intelligence, public curiosity has run
high. We have long been familiar with
the elephant which stands on a ball
and does similar feats; but the first
elephant to accomplish these things
was a seven-days' wonder. One Of
the most unique novelties ever offered
to the public was the first batch Of
trained seals, brought out by Captain
Woodward. Their ability to play mu-
steal instruments, throw a ball about,
and so on, captured the fancy Of the
nation and made their owner rich.
Another novelty Of this kind brought
wealth to Leoni Clarke, who taught
a cat to go up in a balloon and de-
scend by a parachute
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1917-09-05
247 AEROS IN A BATTLE
GENERAL CADORNA DEFEATS
AUSTRIAN REAR-GUARD.
italians Confront Fortified Positions
and Wait for Their Heavy
Guns to Come Up.

London.-The Italians, still pushing
forward on the conquered Bainsizza
Plateau have reached a powerful Aus
trian defensive line and are attacking
It, the Rome War Office announces.
On the heights beyond Gorilla the
Italians made gains.
The Italians captured more than
1000 prisoners and several machine
guns. Altogether, BAT airplanes par
ticipated in the battle. A squadron of
forty Caproni airplanes, which took
part in the action east Of Gorilla,
dropped more than 1000 Kilograms of
projectiles on enemy batteries in the
Panovizza wood.
What may have been the fore-unner
OF large scale diversion was deliv-
cred by the Austrians on the Trentino
front. General Cadoyna admits that
Austrian attacks in the upper Zebru
valley succeeded In penetrating the
Italian lines. "Our men, however" he
adds, were able to occupy higher
summit, from which they keep their
old positions under fire."
Austria is making her last stand In
the plains of Gorilla, with a strong
line Of previously prepared defenses
which the Italians are now attacking,
according to the official statement.
The intimation is there may be
lull in the advance while the heavy
artillery, which has not been able to
advance with the infantry and light
artillery, is being brought up. There
Is every confidence that a further ad-
vance is only matter Of hours, as the
morale of fresh troops brought up by
the Austrians has been demoralized
by the fate which has overtaken the
men who have been driven back from
Monte Santo.
Russian troops continue to desert
the firing line in great bodies. Petro-
grad announces that one whole divi-
sion on the southern Russian front
has thus fed in disorder.