Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-02
'IRBNCHLEE FAILS
10 HURT SAMMEES
Soldiers Are Tired but
Cheerful After Service
on Firing Line
ANXIOUS TO GET GERMAN
Americans Lament Inactivity
Along Sector-Wash Day Fol-
lows Return to Barracks
AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, Nov. 2.

FRANCE, Nov. 2.
GOOD luck, boysl Give them - II
they start anything"
Thanks Wen do It. Tell them to have
good hot fire going at - village when
We get back"
II was a low-toned conversation between
ineoing and outgoing American battalions
taking lessons in trench warfare by actual
experience. 1t shows the spirit of the
American soldiers as they exchange places
on the firing line
The first battallons, having completed the
given period of learning in actual battle
moved silently out OF the trenches on a
certain moonlight night. Their return march
was ever frozen ground and was marked
only by the sudden encountering of other
American battalions en- route to the trenches
and distinguishabe from the French only
by the shape of their helmets The return
irg ones were tired and muddy but thor
oughly happy
The straw beds or "Rouen bilets."
placed in long rows in the frame barracks,
looked mighty good to the "Sammees"
who have been sleeping some nights in wet
dugouts and spending many hours in the
trenches
GET SOME EXTRA SLEEP
BY the majority of these companies. re-
veiile was postponed an hour in order to
give an extra chance for sleep and it vas
o'clock before many Of them turned out
for their chuck" They were full of stories
Of their experiences and were ready to pour
them into the ears of every one they met
IL wasn't so darn bad up there" said a
sergeant who is veteran of the Boer war
as he polished his rifle But they
wouldn't give me a chance to use this old
stick. Next time l go up l would like to
be able to pot regular German"
That just about sums up the statements
OF all the Sammees
1T was not just like sic ,ping in mothers
Old feather bed" said youngster from
PENNSYLVANIA. Especially on those wet
nights II didn't fee. that way. But that's
what we came over here for. I'm mighty
glad to get little rest back here, but
nobody will kick when they start us back
in again"
Aside from the old-timers and enthusi-
astlc youngsters who kicked that they
didn't get chance to shoot, the chief
kicker was red-necked sergeant "A veteran
Of the Philippine and Mexican campaigns.
He stood disconsolately against a barn
door viewing the first men from the trenches
en- route to the rear.
PLAYS WITH CHILDREN
"Darned that blankety blank Doctor" he
exclaimed. "He wouldn't let me go up there
because he said had cold and might get
pneumonia. Wonder what he thought | en-
listed for? All I can do is to sit here and
play with a couple of French kids"
From the different battalions at the front
came the same report about the quiet con-
dtions there. The first day the troops ex-
perienced rain all along the line When It
cleared up later there an increase in
the early fire.
An officer laughingly told how he had
visited an observation post one morning
and was greeted with shower of shrapnel.
He said he quickly ducked into dugout
and stayed there for an hour until the hail
of lead was over.
The Germans, the officer said, have been
Smelling the American trenches i'm desutory
fashion. They have dropped occasional ex- |
plosive shrapnel near the trenches, but |
tempted no systematic bombardment.
A few American soldiers took pot shots |
at Germans in distant trenches or at Ger |
man working parties behind the lines. One !
night the Germans directed a steady fire |
at one of the American trenches for several |
minutes. evidently thinking they had seen
movement in the barbed wire as II a
patrol was going out. Not a single case
of pneumonia has been reported among the
returning Sammees.
ONLY ONE SICK MAN
Only one man was sent back sick from
the first battalions TO go into the trenches
Several men were suffering from trench |
feet" Their feet were swollen and ap-
parently infected. A few others had colds,
hut that was all.
II never saw a body of finer and healthier
men," said major who watched the re-
turning men.
The village where the troops stopped
after they came back looked like the Bronx
on wash day after the troops had been
there few hours. The hillside trees and
houses were covered with the Sammees'
clothing hung out TO dry.
The first thing the men had TO do after
getting back was to take a gasoline bath
This was for disinfectant purposes. Many
Of the Sammees have lost their campaign
hats and now are wearing their steel he'll
NETS all the time.