New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-03-03

to carry the can that far when the water
wouldn't stay in it, but we had to do II
many times during the next five days.
couldn't eat lunch. I thought it strange
any one could. In fact, hardly ate any
thing during the next five days. The very
thought of food was repulsive to me.
Immediately after lunch we started to
prepare dinner. 1t is astonishing how
much food soldiers eat. | must have
peeled $4,000 potatoes | worked rapidly
but the pile of Unpeeled potatoes didn't
seem to diminish. Every time l looked a
it grew dizzy. They seemed to wink at
me, those potatoes. I've peeled them in
my sleep every night for the last two
weeks. When finally the potatoes were
peeled was put to work peeling onions.
Pealing onions is worse than peelng pota-
toes. They get into your eyes. They got
in my eyes so | didn't see two ladies APP
proach. 1t wasn't until they were quite
close that | recognized them. | had met
them in Spartanburg and invited them to
call on me in camp. And what time
they picked. Fortunately they didn't rec
ognize me at all. They asked re was
in and | told them | wasn't. I told them
| had been put on special duty for fvc
days, and they asked me to tell myself
they had called. promised them would
Their failure to recognize me naturally
made me think I had changed somewhat
in the past twelve hours. so | waited nv
chance and stole down to my tent and
looked at myself in my trench mirror.
had changed, not to the same extent as in
the four days that were to follow, but a
change great enough to astonish even my
pathetic eyes | am not a vain man But
in those far-away days Of peace and pen-
ty | had a face that was not unpleasing
That face was now streaked with mud
and grease. My hair was matted as thick
~ as the coat Of wirehaired fox-terrier
My O. D. breeches were caked with a
smelly mixture of everything I'd handled.
After supper we cleaned the pots again
and emptied the water again. At 8 80 the
mess sergeant told US there was moth
ing more to do until 6 40 the next morn
ing and staggered to my tent SO
ended the first day. The other four
days were painful repetitions of the first
| lost twenty-five pounds, my appetite,
pride IN my profession and personal APP
pearance, respect for my fellow man and
such kindly feelings as I'd held for pota-
toes and onions.
On the sixth day ] gratefully returned
to the routine of squads east and squads
west. I'm not tired of this war It's the
best war / ever attended. And when | get
impatient because we're not going to get
into it as quickly as we'd hoped 1 console
myself with the message that General
Pershing gave General Organ, that
there's enough war for everybody, even
seconds, which shows General Pershing
must know something about working in
the kitchen. But have plan to suggest
TO the President. 1t is this: Establish a
permanent X. P. Detail to it every nan
with a German-sOunding name and an
Irish sounding "can't-be- beaten-and how
cruel England n-other-wars. Detail
to it lot of newspaper editors who can't
think of anything else to write except how
long the war will last and how much it will
cost and how many lives will be lost and
how much the poor will suffer.
Throw in every German U-boat cap
tain and hospital bombing aviator that's
caught. And put EN- all in charge of
Jerry"