The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-09-19
THE RUSSIAN
Of the Soldiers at Close
Range.

U. S. Chief of Staff
I liked the Russian soldiers and I
believe they liked me. Everywhere I
went 1 was Amerikanski, the Arneri-
can. Often I found fellows in the
army who had been in this country
and who could talk and understand
a little English. A bunch Of soldiers
would gather around and we would
have a talk. They are big fellows
most of them and simple as children.
The first question they asked vas
usually how much pay I got. I al
ways lodged that. You see my pay
translated from dollars into roubles
would sound very big to them.
The next question would be about
our grub. Well, American army chow
is the best in the world, but I did not
feel like telling chaps whose main
food is black bread and tea that, so
I would hedge and tell them u
food was about like theirs.
Really the Russian does less grum-
bling than any soldier I ever saw.
But the Russian is not strong on sa-
luting. Russian soldier trembled
when he saw an officer. They don't
tremble any more. They don't sa-
lutte either. But I believe they are
realizing the value of discipline be-
cause at the front they fought in
unison.
One of Russia's chief troubles has
been the work of German spies. They
swarm at the front and in Petrograd.
They must be spending millions.
The Russians seemed to have all
the troops and arms they needed. I
saw many English and French officers
at the front teaching the men how to
use artillery. I believe we can help
best by sending men over to take
charge of and run their railroads as
well as rebuild them.
The Russians were surprised when
I told them we were sending troops
to France and our ships were al
ready helping to fight the submarines
You should have seen them crowd
around my general. He would talk
to them like a father speaking to a
bunch of big boys. He would tell
them America was with them and
how glad we we're they were free and
how liberty was worth fighting for.
And then all these fellows would
throw their hats up in the air and
cheer for the good Amerikanski gen.
eral.
He wanted to see some of the fight
ing in Galicia beyond Tarnopol. Rus
sian officers said there was danger,
but my general said he did not mind
that, he wanted to see the troops in
action. You should have seer him
smile when the Russians went over
the top and charged and won and
sent back Austrian prisoners.
Many thousand prisoners were ia
ken in that campaign and as they
marched past my general they could
e he was not a Russian. Prisoner
after prisoner as he went by, threw
his hand up to salute.
The Russians do not seem to hate
the Austrians. I saw Russians slip
them "smokes" and black bread. AS
I went over to talk to the prisoners,
one of them saw my uniform and
said. "Hello. American" 1t turned
out he had lived in this country. He
was "a and said he was glad he was
captured.
I noticed lots Of the prisoners were
boys If and II. He told me Austria
sent her hest troops to resist the Itai-
ians, counting on the Russians re-
naming quiet. So thew sent these
boys down to the Gali:;an front.
I had q fine time in Russia. We
we're treated ~splendidly. One of the
trains nv general rode on was iii
part iiade up of cars the czar's fam
lily used to have. The food OF the
TIP was rather monotonoC%, but they
gave us the best they; had-cheese,
boiled eggs, black bread and tea.