The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-24

They seem to have se.lfed down tn the war conditions as if they had been. there as long as our men, and they have much the same point Of view about the war and what they iare fighting for. That is to say, they have no illusions about it; they know sxhere is nothing romantic about the conditions of warfare today. Many of the, men [ talked with had fought lin the Philippines, in Mexico, and In reyolts in Hayti, and they are fully aware these were picnics in compar- ,ison with the, sordid realism of the trenchessIn Europe,
 eve, can't have people like these :Boches4 running around like this in Enrope." expresses their attitude Thew quite expect the war to last for wears and they are modest about the part they hope to play. The Russian collapse is. regarded merely as side- show, although they realize what 1t means to the Western front. The anticstofathe Bolshevics interest them still less. It Insufficient that America is in the war, that she has always fought to a. finish, and that if event. :lrany only Britain and America are left theyrwill carry on the fight against the Germans until the enemy gives in. There is something tough and inn placable about these Sammies which makes you feel that nothing can shake their determination.
 That part of Francevwhere they are encamped looks just as if a great chunk of the United States has been transplanted at the same moment. ho lows in their broncho hats at every street corner are like the Western villages in the States. With all their guinness these Americans are a cheery lot They are just as full of good humor as our boys, although Blieshty to the Sammies has a very different significance.
 1t is truly democratic army. When poff duty officers and men meet on the l+erms of absolute equality; there are no distinctions whatever. Yet the discipline is very strict-T was sur prised to find it so exacting. The officers commands rapped out like pistol shots
 remember one day driving out with one of the divisional comman- ;ders when we met a somewhat tired
 
 The commander stopped the car and. going up to the squad began: 'T1 5yousaDe-not the toughest lot of tramps tLsever set eyes on."
 Tnemen nwereintenselya1 a1ertat once very quick and smart in obeying hi! commands, and took it all very gooC humored1y. The talk of both officer and men is full of that picturesque Il, ko Co Amer4ca1 wherever he goes in peac< or war. In France sammy rarel! speaks without making a humorou allusion to something. Thus: say one lanly lean fellow examining witt keen interest the baTbed wire encNos ing a Roche internment camp. Afte a, thoughtful silence he turned to m and said grayely;
 Wal I guess I could make Or lleans<w with a sack of coal on my bacl from that encampment" In othe words he thought that the barned wfr wanted strengthening.
 was at one camp and wanted t post. a letter to England and wonder .ethawhether ought to put it into th French or American post, so inquir ed. The reply was, wal, I shoul I I fee because if you post it in tn American pillar box 1t win be stowe than molosseS in June"
 One terribly bleak day'I was watch ing some trench digging that was gc ing on on barren waste of land whe one of the Sammies who had becom plastered with mud in the course ( his exertions looked up at me an said: You would not think was minister's son, would you now?" LiB all Amercians that man was vel proud of his home associations
 They all like, to tell you what the were in civil nfe-lumbermen, dru store assistants, safety razor manI facturers, clerks-they take~a pride it-sI found as many interesting typ' asa did ins the ranks of the old Bri ish army.
 The "O1d BilP' of Uncle Sans arm is a tall, tough, thin, veteran som where about forty, cleanshaven, vii a Saw that juts out like Gibraltar, ar hair just turning gray. He has bee half-boiled in Mexico, nearly froz' in France, so he is as hard as nails. corn-cob pipe sticks out of the corn of one of the tightest mouths ha ever seen.
 His uniform fits him very close and he walks like an athlete. works with a tremendous vigor, al when off duty you generally find hi leaning on his elbow discoursing wi cynical humor on anything tn tursn up. His favorite expression
 Here's the dope" The dope m be anything he is attending to f the time being-ammunition, or soI orders, or a cup of tea.
 Polls to him are Bert and "Al young business men from Boston,
 whom the army life is new.
 "Old BilP' goes on talking a leaning on his elbow when an offic comes into the room in the hot when discipline is relaxed, but it