New Britain herald., 1917-10-04
WAR ALMOST ENDED,
 HUMAS0N'S BELIEF
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 from ty-eight years and are doingi
 work for the most part. which I am
 ashamed to say would about finish
 in two days time about forty young
 Americans of Section 1 T. M. 1S4.
 Well. to use an expression which is
 as common over here as Bon Jour,
 Cost Ia Guerre.
 Although there has been little actual road work we have been kept fairly busy putting up a new barracks. l
 much to the disgust of everyone. We J were just settled comfortably in ourl
 little huts when we got an order to move; presumably to ges settled for
 the winter. The new barracks are located much nearer town and in a
 good many ways it is much supertor}
 to the old location. We are in the |
 middle of a hill just off the main
 street. near water and we'll sheltered
 for winter weather It Is much |
 nicer, however. to be on the \
 hill in separate huts for the fellows
 were laid out in congenial groups and
 those who wanted to read late could
 read, those who wanted to talk could talk but in barracks one man can keep the whole crowd awake.
 IAC ldCh Ol WoIh lAIOAy uAS dIouSc0
 8 spirit of slight discontent among the fellows which has spread from group to group. Take a group of young healthy Americans and put them under ! a half-baked military discipline, for We are volunteers and not bound by any particular ties except moral. and they can crab about as much as anything that existed, Put them in
 little town where the only news they get are papers very old, once a
 week from the States and which are
 read by everyone in two days and
 listen to the noise increase. But after
 all 1t is not much more than noise. Unfortunately our Chief de Section
 has, I fear, lack of imagination, an overdeveloped bundle of nerves and a desire to please everyone. When any, ono under existing conditions attempts to please the aforesaid forty Americans
 he is attempting huge task and when he Is handicapped by the lack of im- agination and takes every kick at its l face value 1t works on his nervous | system and his inability to please l everyone does the same and he doesn't live a happy life. While few kicks are we'll grounded, the majority are l simply the output of young. irrespon- sible minds. I saw the identical thing at home for one whole year. I have seen 1t at various colleges and to hear l the fellows talk you would think they l wouldn't stay there minute If they l didn't have to, while probably not one would have left If he had the op- portunity. " Last night the chef called us to- l gether and told us he was going into l the groupe office to assist the French
 captain and we were to have a new chef. May he live in peace for 1 awhile.
 For myself I am perfectly satis- 1 fied that chose this service although [ the moments of leisure and . lack of mail have brought a little home-sick- | ness on occasions I must admit. Had l not received any mail for some days | until last night when your letters of 1 the 9th and 24th arrived. I also got l package of cigarettes from Mon
 roe. Life, however, has failed to ar l rive for two weeks although two other fellows have received theirs regularly and no Heralds for nearly a month. 1 C'est Ia Guerre, as we used to say In | France in the great war of 1917. "One thing here has surprised mo | greatly. I had an idea, received back in the States. that the French had learned the subject of sanitation to the Nth degree put apparently they have not learned the first letter. For instance take the location of our new barracks. To place one they simply look for free. open field and con sider the matter settled regafdless of the location.
 Y see that articles and pictures
 on the Camion Service are increasing
 in the States. Evidently my friend,
 A. Piatt Andrews Is coming to his senses and beginning to realize that
 publicity will do more than stealth
 and mtsrepresentatons.
 While this Is not an answer to a
 question. you need feel no anxiety as to the unfulhllment of the Kaiser's prophecy This war Is won now and while all of the Allies may have to pay for awhile longer. peace Is none the less sure. I still have hopes of being able to eat my Christmas din- ner at home in peace although I must admit my optimism is not shared by many.
 'I saw two recently caught Boche prisoners yesterday and will bet 100 to i that they were not over If years old. When Germany Is reduced to these straits it must mean the beginning of the end.
 Austria is apparently as near down and out as was Russia so I can see but one end directly the opposite to the Kaiser's prophecy. It won't come without a continuation of the bitter struggle but when it comes 1t is going, I believe, to come quick"