Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-08-28

gOOQ, clean nRnClnB. NOUOuy uleu q
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 q hike to st. Omer. the first Brit
ish headquarters in Europe. Then we
stopped for a 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 1t may
seem impertinent for me, a mere non.
com, to express an opinion about the
larger affairs of the campaign, think
l may be excused for saying that the
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 a 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
the big break comes which will wreck
the Prussian hope Of success In this
war. And If We of the q. s. A. don't
throw in the weight to beat the Prus.
slams now they will not be beaten. and
In that case the day will not be very
far distant when we will have to beat
them to save our homes and our ma
AZ s, ,I In oil ri
and Ill smelling and cruel thing. But
If we hold back now we will be in the
logical position Of a man hesitating to
60 to grips with drunken. savage.
shrieking, spewing maniac who has all
but whipped his proper keepers and is
going after the onlooker However, ]
wish we had had two months more Of
weather on the Somme. There might
have been a different story to tell.
Simplified Medicine.
We got drafts Of recruits before We
went to the Somme, and some Of ouI
wounded men were sent back to Eng
land, where we had left our safety
first battalion" That was really the
Fifty-first battalion of the Fourth di
vision of the Canadian forces, COM
posed Of the physically rejected, men
recovering from wounds and men In.
jured in training. The Tommies, how
ever, called 1t the safety first" or MA
jor Gilday's Light infantry" Major
Gilday was our battalion surgeon. He
was immensely popular, and he achiev
ed great name for himself. He made
one realize what great personal
force doctor can be and what an un.
necessary elaboration there Is In the
civil practice of medicine.
Under Major Gilday's administration
no man in our battalion was sick If be
could walk, and If he couldn't walk
there was reasonable suspicion that
he was drunk. The major simplifed
medicine down to an exact science OF
two forms Of treatment and two rem
edies-"number mines" and whale oil
Number mines" were pale oval pills.
which, If they had been eggs. would
have run about eight to an omelet
for six persons. They had an internal