The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-18
Topeka Flyer Tells of His Ex-
periences in France.
Donald Hudson, Grandson OF
Mai, ]. X. Hudson, Over.
AVIATION LIFE GREAT ONE
He Says American Flyers Are
Well Cared For.
Cigarets and Luxuries Cheaper
i'm France Than Here.

/ Lawrence, Kan. May 1s---The
vaa-tIsr has been very bad for the last
/ week and has hampered the flying
have managed to get up only once IN
that time.
/ Donald Hudson. a University OF
Kansas student three years ago ana a
resident of Topeka for several years,
writes this IN describing some OF his
work as a member of the aviation
service Of the American army IN
/ France. He has been in France al
most three months, being among the
FIRST Of the aviation forces trained in
officers training camps to be sent
/ across.
/ Hudson is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Paul Hudson. who formerly lived in
! Topeka He is the grandson OF Mai
T. K Hudson, editor and founder or
the Topeka Daily Capital His father
has been editor and owner of the Mex
lean Herald in the City of Mexico the
/ last fifteen or eighteen years. Mr.. and
Mrs. Hudson now live in Washin gton-
I MiTnrd Wear, a junior in the univer-
sity this year. is one of his cousins
/ I'VE are at the largest aviation
! fields in France. and. according to the
major, the largest in the world, he
writes I'VE are working with scout
busses. We have heard a great many
humors about the kind of machines we
will fly at the front, but guess no one
/ knows except the powers that be in
Paris.
| Squadron in Luck
I We have been very fortunate in
/ our squadron, with the exception Of
/ continued quarantine, wherever we go.
/ One of the other squadrous, that is
/ cldSsed the same as ours. and has been
with US ever since we left the United
J States, seems TO have struck a streak
| Of bad luck in the last few days. One
/ Of their Heutenants, a (. Q. man by
( the name of Seward from Neodesha,
| got into a spin Saturday afternoon
and was killed we buried him YES
terday.
| 1T was the first military funeral T
have ever attended except grandfath-
/ er's. Another of their men was in
! jLred today, out so far We have not
been able to find out how serious his
| injuries are OF course, we are hoping
| &c get of lightly.
| Before coming here we were sta
| toned in a city where one of the
| largest BATTLES of the middle ages was
| fought There are many interesting
| things here and I don't think T will
| disclose much when I say that one
| of the oldest eathedrals is there. The
| remainder might not get past the
censor
Il visited the cathedral on Sunday
/ One begins to get a little idea of the
way France has had to suffer to see
| all the women, and among them very
/ old men, all in mourning. offering up
prayers for those who had given their
EfuH measure and for those who per
/ maps at that very moment were Civ
! ing all that they could for humanity
| &c our Lord did on that same day
hundreds OF years ago.
"Thsra were few bright coIors but
they stood out startlingly against the
/ great Background of black 1t brought
the fact to me that the United States
! does not realize that there is a war
On. nor Toes it appreciate the suffer-
I ing it brings with it. I realize more
4 than ever before that those who stay
behind suffer more than those of US
who 60 We have something to keep
US gOI1.-, and in my branch of the
service We really enjoy it,
/ We get cigarettes for half what
we pay over there, and the commits
sary here is well stocked with Injuries
i equally IS reasona BILE We have to
from the United States now. but we
won't s:,ffer, for things are SO rea-
sonable and easy to get here
ct have the misfortune of being
| censoriu5 officer for the day for the
squadron and some of the men have
written as many as five letters I
/ viii apply for the job OF proof reader
when I get back
I'VE are very nicely fixed There
is a Y NJ c. A and a Red Cross sta
ticn here Both have writing rooms
for them and there are club rooms for
the officers at the Red Cross. The
NJ -. A gives some kind of an
entertainment every evening Elsie
! Js mis- Was here last night Then there
are movies and concerts and every
imaginable kind of entertainment TO.
keep up the men in spirit The quar-
ters AMI food are a lot better than
they were in England