Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-21

the Amertcaa Army in Franoc
AMERICAN FIELD HEADQUARTERS.
Aug. G.
In an all-day trip about the training
nelds TODAY with General Sibert his aids
and number of French officers I had an
Intimate view OF the American soldier at
work. and believe me, II he Is going to
be half as good at the Job Of Boche killing
- he Is In eagerness and aptness to learn
how, he'll be some soldier In the first
place, he is a totally different proposition
than the man that landed at a certain port
ir France under my eyes last june
Al that time 1t was easy to pick out the
regular from the recruit Today 1t was
almost impossible. Grizzled old sergeants
that had seen years Of service were hardly
disttngushable from the youngster who did
not know the butt end OF a rife from the
muzzle few months ago. Every man
was as brown the proverbial berry, and
Is they went through the maneuvers, with
OUT blouses and with flannel shirts open
at the throat, they looked the real goods
with capital G. If this outfit is a sample
Of the sort of fighting material that can
be manufactured from 60 per cent raw re-
crdits in less than two months field work,
the conscript army Of the United states
win be something for that United States
to be proud Of
PUPILS AND TUTORS
At Z in the morning we were on the field
where a regiment of infantry marched up
IN battalions from their three encampments.
As they appeared over the crest OF a hill,
tiny specks Of brown over a mile away,
they gave little impression Of else than a
mass of men marching In platoons OF fours.
From another direction came mass OF
blue, regiment of chasseurs who are act
ing as instructors, regiment forming part
of division that is one of the crack or
eanizations in the French army, every man
tried and true under fire.
Upon three sides Of vast field the bat
talions took formation, dividing into COM
panies. one French and the other American.
Each company was then divided into squads
of fifty men, and with officers in front OF
them and interpreters before each front
rank, stood at attention
A chasseur stepping out from the ranks
threw his body forward until his hands
touched the ground Then with but his
toes and hands upon the grass, he raised
and lowered his body back and forth as
the length Of his arms permitted, going
through the exercise a dozen times. II
you think 1t is easy, try II. Try 1t any.
how, because IL iffens and hardens the
muscles of the s'oirhch. abdomen. legs, and
arms. In word it's the first step toward
hardening a man for quick movement and
the power to mount hill without putting.
After the object lesson, the entire French
squad went through the exercise, acting as
one man under command of their officer
After they had so done, the interpreter put
the command into English, the American
officer rang out, and the fifty Sammies
went through the same stunt. They had
to be instructed to keep the body rigid
at the outset but in three minutes had
absorbed the idea. In half an hour they
were within rs per cent as perfect as the
Erenchmen.
BOMBS AND GRENADE WORK
Upon another portiJn of the field a squad
I'll open order was being put through the
motions utilized in bomb and grenade throw
Ing. They had had this sort of instruction
before, because they went at il as at some
thing already known. Each man stood with
arms at side and at command reached to
the ground for an imaginary grenade. At
the second command he raised II above his
head and to the rear In the attitude OF
throwing, and at the third command
launched it forward at an imaginary Boche
They did this with real vim. And 1t was
easy to pick the ball players among them.
Elsewhere mitrailleuse squad was in
action. had often seen this work at the
front in actual advance, but here was the
FIRST time It had come to my notice without
discharging the gun. So far as 1 could
Judge. the only evident difference was that
these men before me did not actually
crickedy-crack the trigger, and that their
clothes were American khaki They gave |
evidence Of intense interest, the man |
running ahead to a specified spot, kneellng |
and raising one hand. three running i'm |
mediately behind with the tripod, three |
more with the gun which was swung into |
place in jiffy, with the marksman seated |
upon the ground. his legs astraddle the |
tripod and his hand on the trigger.
At the noon hour, the difference between |
the American lunch and the French de-
jeuner was apparent. Each Sammee was
served hot coffee in great mugs and two
big slices of bread, a couple of fried eggs
and sliced bacon in the form of a big sand
wlct. He squatted on the ground and ate
it. But the clTasscUr was served a full de-
ieuner of hot meat with vegetables and the
fncyitable 'pinard" which is army slang
for red wine. The Sammee was through |
IN fifteen minutes But the chassuer-poilu |
tookehis time and leisurely drank his coffee
over his cigarette afterward
TRENCH DIGGING
During the early afternoon / spent two
hours watching Sammees digging trenches
under chasseur instruction. arduous work
that all hands performed with earnestness |
Others were making rough intensified
trench flooring and laying it in place.
Others still were cutting lines of communi- |
cation, for. the practice trenches are upon |
Identical lines with the business ones at
the front, being built in first second and
third lines, with communicators. In the
later afternoon witnessed grenade throw
ing. in which the khaki-clad have made
wonderful progress in the relatively short
time they have been on this Job while in
another portion Of the field trench scaling
and attack were practlced, together with
the guidance Of mule ammunition trains
70 a front line.
All in all. l received vivid Impression
that these boys from home were no longer
soldiers OF modern warfare in embryo but
very close to the real thing, and that when |
they get up against the Boche, the Boehe
will sure know Il, making compa rison II |
such Is in his power. with conclusion that
The Sammee from over the sea is far from
The easiest proposition he has been fighting