Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-10-12

age of wheat, an official decree in eff
feet for nearly year, provides that
the white flour must be mixed with a
large percentage of rye, barley or Oat-
meal.
German captives Pleased.
The few German prisoners who have
been turned over to work for the
United States in exchange for their
food, are fairly in rapture over their
situation. The food of the Americans
is a never-ceasing marvel to them.
They work like men possessed in
order that they may not be dis
qualified from participating in the
American ratiOns and they are the
envy Of their less fortunate fellows.
No better idea of what the Germans
are told by their own officers can be
conveyed than by the assertion Of
recently made prisoner.
He was standing in the street Of
village in the American area when
two officers went by.
"Are those Englishmen?" he asked in
perfectly good French of his captOr
and in the hearing of the corre-
spOndent.
mo. They are Americans" replied
the French guard.
The German only smiled unbeliev-
ingly.
but they may be some staff officers
on visit to the front. There are no
Americans in France, because they
told me so before l was TAKEN" per-
sisted the prisoner.
Just then company Of infantry,
rifles over their shoulders, followed
by huge mOtortruck with ~. s. A."
painted on it in bold letters. swung by.
"You see" grinned the "pOilu" tri-
umphantly, there are American SOL
ders."
"They lied to us at home" answered
the prisoner after a moments hesita-
ton.
To any who might be inclined to
ask, why do troops need to go through
such thorough and intensive training
for trench warfare, an idea of what
our boys have to learn would be the
simplest answer.
Recognizing the Army.
With the reorganization of the
American division from its pre-war
footing Of approximately $4,000 men
to the French basis of 1900 men,
come changes that upset the whole
idea of war as they have learned it,
and a redistribution of duties that
sounds rather formidable.
Formerly company consisted SIM
ply Of the company commander, two
officers, two musicians, a cook and
two men. Now that is all changed.
There is the commander and his Off
Ger of liason, or connecting link with
the company. his lieutenants and the
musicians and the cook, but with the
addition of mOtOrcyclists. farriers,
signal corps men, mechanics, bomb
ers, sappers, automatic riflemen in
addition to the machine gun company
of the regiment, messengers, sharp
shooters, etc.
The company Is divided into
platoons. Even the platOons are sub
divided into groups. The first group
may be bayonet men, who "go over
the top" and lead the charge. The
second group is the bOmbers. They
charge with the bayOnet men, but
when the latter have attained their OBJ
jective and may still push forward,
the bombers stay behind to "clean up
the captured trenches. and see that
the enemy, emerging from their dug
outs, do not take the rifiemen in the
rear.
Instead of having machine gun
to each regiment, as former
ly, there is machine gun company
to each battalion. There is q COM
pany of pioneers which supports the
in their advance. Before they
are out of their own trenches. the
trench mortar company, new thing
TO the American army. must get in its |
work.
Each man must learn his new du- |
ties and how and when to fulfill them |
to the utmost advantage. Each man,
IN addition to his regular and regi- |
mental marking. is badged to show
his post is behind or in front
Vt the lines. Messengers wear spe-
cial insignia that permits them to
pass to the rear without the slightest |
delay.
These are only a few of the thou
sand and one things that the men in
amp are learning and learning quick
v, but it takes time to instruct them
20 that they may take advantage Of
he lessons already drilled into the
french and British soldiers, namely
hat a soldiers greatest duty is to do
lis work in such a capable manner
hat he may help in the protection Of
lis own life as well as those of his
omrades and associates.