The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-23
nun SURREIDtRS
on his BIRTHDAY
ALL EAGER FOR DINNER

u, DAMON RUNYoN

downright 1918 by Universal Service)
with the American First army
Oct. 22.--"Gentlemen. it's my birth
day. and ! am bringing some OF my
friends over to take dinner with you.
was the naive announcement or a
German officer in surrendering 10
Lieutenant Reardor. of New York's
Seyenty-seventh division. up in the
Argonne the other day.
He spoke perfec. English. His face
was weather in smiles He waived MS
hands towards the woods behind MIN.
Out popped thirty German soldiers.
They Also were smiling. They mao
been surrounded by detachment OF
the seventy-seventh Tor some time.
After making brisk fight, they de-
cided to give It up.
It. seems that It really vas the Ger
friends'' rot their dinner with the
Americans all right.
OneNof the m-n who saw EDDIE
Grant Killed was a former policeman
at The Polo Grounds.
Eddie Grant was dog tired said
4 his mao today But he stepped OF
u. the head OF his outfit with no more
concern than IL ne were walking to
his old place al third base after MS
side had finished its turn at the BAT
Like many others. he was worn down
almost TO a shadow. He staggered
from weakness when he first started
Off. but pretty soon he was marching
hriskiy, with his head up.
Grant Is the first big-league ball
PLAYER 10 be killed m the war. His
rhum. Harry Mccormick, was she'll
shocked some time ago and Is back
In the states. They went to P'atts-
burg together.
Tom Jenkins, former White Sox
catcher, was discovered yesterday
scraping the mud off himself in a way
side bilist He had just come out OF
the line with his outfit. He has seen
quite a los OF service.
Some IT the men from the seventy
seventh are now mt "de-lousing
station This In Just what the name
implies. There's no use making bones
about IT, est Ia guerre. as the French
man saws.
The men are marched there direct
from the lines. They strip themselves
rud each ma - clothing In tied up In
a bundle with his name on. The bun
dies then are passed through a steam
ing process which destroys what the
soldiers call seam squirrel. This
takes about forty minutes. Meantime
the men watt around with nothing on
but their rain costs. sometimes not
even them,
After hsing rid 3i the unwelcope
roommates. they get rest.
The Germans are great hands at
building elaborate dugouts and other
shelter if their trnches. Our men
move into these habitations as fast
rs they can chase the Germans out
They always discover that Jerry
has left many Of his pet coolies be-
hind. When man gets the German
breed mixed up with his good old
fashioncd, home-like Uncle Sam gray
hack. much unrest develops.
The nxhting has passed beyond the
lArgonne but every Cav scores Of new
stories come fioattng out of the for
est. Of startling incidents OF the great
campaign whole book could be
written about the battle In the woods.
One division was under the COM
sHaszd of General Alexander kssun. a.
thick 4set md warrior. He MAIDS the
division pep Hike new saddle from
the moment he took hold. One of
his brigAdes was under General Wit
semeyer. who started with the divis-
ion AT Upton He helped form and de.
baptism OF blood ns the Sesie, as
well as through it's great trial by fire
In the tangled grove OF Eastern
France, that will forever be hallowed
10 Americans
Wittameyer IL erixxled foot sol
der who has followed the nag all over
the world. He was with the Ninth in
fantry In the boxer campaign, Hand
o-hand scraps were frequent.
Last night we had the frst clear
In the region close to the
front in many weeks. 'Jerry's" Fox
kers promptly took the air.
They went out sightseeing. In one
little town which was once the scene
OF much bombing. during different
periods Of the war. = major. . COM
mandant. walked into an officers club
where htg crowd was dining. He
announced casually that "alert" had
been sounded and that II might be
good idea for tho folks to 80 ID alb
ris tShclters).
Then ne sat down calmly and be-
gan eating hts own meal. No bomb
inr was repOrted