The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1918-09-19
OVER SEA SOLDIER.
VISITS IN CITY
LIEUT.. w. III. KNAPP, FRESH
FROM EUROPE, SPENDS
WEEK WITH FAMILY.
RETURNS TO FRANCE LATER
CIVILIANS HAVE BUT FAINT
CONCEPTION OF SPLENDID
WORK ACCOMPLISHED.

Lieut.. w. H. Knapp of Milwaukee,
fresh from oversee service in France
has been spending the past week with
his family at the Mike Schwartz home
in Sank Centre.
Lieut. Knapp enlisted in the En-
gineers corps shortly after Uncle Sam
declared war on the Imperial powers.
He received his training in America
and was commissioned lieutenant be-
fore goi1 & over seas the lat.5f part
of January He returned to the states
the early part of September.
Lieut.. and Mrs. Knapp and babies
will~leave Friday morning for Chicago.
Monday Mr.. Knapp will go on TO
Washington and his wife and two
children will return to Sank Centre
for the remainder of the war.
Lieut.. Knapp will be commissioned
captain as soon as he reports to the
war department for service. He will
be placed in charge of a Sapper divis-
ion and fit them for overseas service.
The Sapper is the French name for
engineers and Lieut.. Knapp states that
all of the allied engineers in Europe
are now known as Sappers. He was
specially recommended for the work
he is to take up and was returned to
America for this purpose. He took
advantage of the few days liberty at
his disposal to visit his family for a
short time.
Lieut.. Knapp is fine specimen of
American manhood, keen-eyed, clean
complexioned and manly. He counts
it. a privilege to serve his country in
this great conflict now raging in
Europe. He says that both the morale
and the morals of the American army
are of the higest standard, and that
private and official is cheerfully bent
to theftask of thoroughly cleaning up
the job on hand before they will be
willing to listen to any suggestions of
peace from the kaiser and his vassal
countries. a7
Lieut.. Knapp has been stationed in a
number of French camps and had an
opportunity to observe at close range
some of the wonderful things this
nation has accomplished in the past Is
months. From what he says the
Herald is certain that the average
American civilian has but a faint con-
ception of the magnitude of the ven
ture and the splendid manner in which
Al -. ov:oo,, eo1Jiarc a 10 M oofincr tho
situation /.
He insists that it is not only a
rich mans war but a war demanding
the best of American ability and that
it is being given to the country with
out stint. The rich private does not
count himself any better than his
bunkie who may have been reared in
poverty. As a leveler of class dis
tinction service with the colors has no.
competition.
Lieut.. Knapp pays the Red Cross,
the Y. M. C. A. and the Knights OF
Columbus and the Salvation Army
splendid tributes for the magnificent
work they are doing. Judging from
his conversation the Herald is of the
opinion that the Salvation Army and
the Red Cross are carrying on their
humanitarian work closer to the actual
fighting lines than any of the other
bodies.
On being questioned as to whether
there was any friction between any of
these organizations he stated positive
ly that all were working in the closest
harmony, saying that oftentimes Ca
tholic chaplains conducted high mass
for the Knights of Columbus and 9TH
er members of the church in Y. NJ. c.
A. huts, and when caring for the sold
iers neither organization questioned
whether the "Yank" was a Catholic
or protestant.
Lieut.. Knapp is an ardent American
of course. He is proud that he is able
to be of service to this country at this
time and cannot conceive how it is
possible for any man of military age,
situated so that he can go into ser
vice will try and evade his duty.
"These fellows have got to live a
long time after the war Is over" he
said. He. expects to be returned to
France as soon as his division is ready
for active service.