The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-26
Continued from page ~

purpose.
"A finer group Of men I've
never seen in uniform than our
boys in France. This talk about
their not living straight comes
from Germany. They are many
per cent better men than the best
young men In our communities at
hoRes We will be proud OF our
boys over there and what they
are doing for their country and
my hope is that when they come
back they will be as proud Of the
people over here.
'AOns thing we must not forget
and that Is that the line Of COM
munication IN this war stretches g.
900 miles across the sea from over
there to every heart, hearthstone.
every kitchen and every harvest neld
in this country. We must not SUI
fer this line to be severed for one
minute by neglect, or prejudice or
by subtle propaganda.
This war we must realize as
serious matter. One gets serious as
soon as he gets on the boat to start
for over there. You begin to real
ize what war is like when you see
the big guns mounted on the fore
and after decks and the smaller guns
on either side of the boat with young
fellows-mere boys-standing guard
at these guns and more Of them up
in the crows nest of the vessel,
watching the ocean for any speck
that NAV appear like a submarine.
You see these boys alert every min
ute and at the guns the minute any
thing appears in the water. When
YOU get a little way out and you see
them shooting at targets five miles
away and see the shells from the
guns penetrate the mark exactly in
the center you begin to realize how
we'll these boys are trained-that
they know their business and know
it well.
Put Women In Your Care.
''You realize you are at war, as
did, when you are directed as your
position at the life boat to which
you are assigned and you are told
to protect so many women aboard.
You realize IL when you are given
strict orders by the authorities to
carry q life preserver with you to
the dining room OF the ship and
place IL on the floor beside you
ready for instant use. i
zone day when We were nearing
the danger zone we saw two small
specks on the horizon, As they came
closer and finally swung into posi-
ton beside us we found they were
American cruisers. When we saw
those ships flying the American flag
ready to protect as we felt mighty
good. One Of these ships has since
gone down with all on board and
two OF those lost were Michigan
BOYS whose homes were in Bay City. /
That brings it home pretty close.
Motor LOrry Trains.
TN France we were met by an
English major. 1t was at night
when we went across the channel
and az we started out In the fog we
passed thousands Of three and nye
ton motor trucks along the roads |
the front. These motor lorries are
going night and day and have been
for the last three years. We hna1-
ly arrived at q beautiful old French
chateau which was the field head
quarters. 1t had stood there for
several centuries and was surround
ed by q moat The orderlfes on
guard let q. drawbridge down for US
to cross and we entered the build
ing which contained all sorts Of war
materials including steel helmets,
mans and many other things includ-
ing trophies from the fighting.
1--WE were given candles and
sent upstairs into old atone-wail-
and without any fire. The only
heat was from the eandlea. he
BrtRish officers have been living
thars for months without heat
The next morning we got up feal-
ING stiH and cold.
eve started out early in military
motor cars which took US along at
the rate Of IS to 40 miles an hour.
We passed men coming and going in
great long lines on our way TO the
battle front. There were more
trucks by the thousands and thous-
anda Ioa horses. I thought there
must be some great military move
ment on IN the vicinity and We nm
aIly asked the commander. He said
there would be three lines going and
coming IL there was anything unus-
ual going on.
I'm the first town we came to on
the battle front We were told to put
on the gas masks they had given US.
An officer said the town had been
gassed two hours before we arrived
and another attack might occur.
we were also warned to keep away
from the shattered walls Of buildings
al the location was being shelled
and that the walls might crumble
any minute. We started to go out
the Menin road. The oncer tolo
us we would take a chance though
we had been advised 1t would be
dangerous. We finally were COM
PEELED to turn back ana take announcer
course.
mWa saw The place where once
had lain the beautiful hills Of
france. These were all gone. In
their plaeos were barbed wire
entanalemants and great shell
orators. The only trace there
was OF the existence OF many
ANAL places was once in while
: Jew hrioka on q piece of curb
atone. Our French guide woula
~. There was q town. ] think
those four words will aivl2ys ring
n NV ears. They best describe
the conditions that exist.
eve saw a place where doctor
In charge Of a field hospital had 70
level down shell craters In oroer 70
establish a place to take care or
the wounded brought In from Dress
ing stations. This doctor superin-
tended the work of construction ana
the making Of the roads about II.
In the barracks I saw boys ~ ana
90 wears old with arms and legs on
saw one boy, a Canadian with
a leg shattered from the nip down.
/ asked him how he got IT ana ne
told me he had been up IN an arr
plane. The weather was foggy, ne
said. and ne sailed down to within
3 200 feet OF the earth to make OBJ
Elevations. The Germans attacked
him with shrapnel and one snot
shattered his leg, but he turned his
machine and flew back two miles
and landed near hospital.