Williston graphic., 1918-09-19
ae. that th.y .rs only Used n Ii. IN.

WILLIS
idea thas they ars only used IN ths II.
fantEy.
With my commission % gunner.
received orders to 60 to Brest and Join
the dreadnaught Cassard. This 90
signment tickled me, for my pal Nur.
ray was aboard, and I had expected
trouble in transferring to his ship In
case I was assigned elsewhere. We
had framed It up to stick together %
long as we could. We did, too.
Murray was as glad as was when
I came aboard, and he told me he had
heard Brown, our other pal, had been
made q sergeant In another regiment
of the legion.
We were both surprised at some Of
the differences between the French
navy and ours. but after we got used
to 1t, we thought many Of their Gus
toms improvements over ours. But We
could not get used to 1t. at first. For
instance on an American ship, when
you are pounding your ear in a nice
warm hammock and It is time to r.
lieve the watch on deck. like as not
you will be awakened gently by a burly
garby armed with fairy wand about
the size of a bed slat, whereas In
French ships, when they call the
watch, you would think you were In q
swell hotel and had left word at tho
desk. It was hard to turn out at first,
without the aid Of club, and harder
still to break ourselves of the habit
Of calling our relief in the gay and
festive American manner, but, AZ ]
say, we got to like it after a while.
Then, too, they do not do any hazing
In the French navy, and this surprised
US. We had expected to 60 through
the mill just as we did when we Joined
the American service, but nobody slung
hand at us. On the contrary, every
garby aboard was kind and decent and
extremely courteous, and the fact that
we were from the States counted q lot
with them. They used to brag about
It to the crews Of other ships that were
not so honored.
But this kindness we might have ex-
pected. It is just like Frenchmen In
any walk of life. With hardly an ex-
ception, have never met one Of this
nationality who was not anxious to
help you In every way he could; ex-
tremely generous, though not reckless
with small change, and almost always
CHEEKY and there with q smile In any
weather. A fellow asked me once why
It was that almost the whole world
loves the French, and told him 1t was
because the French love almost the
whole world, and show 1t. And I think
that is the reason, too.
About the only way you can describe
the Poilus, on land or sea, is that they
are gentle. That is, you always think
that word when you see one and talk
to him-unless you happen to see him
within bayonet distance Of Fritz.
The French sailors sleep between
decks in hunks, instead Of hammocks,
and as had not slept in q bunk since
my Southerndown days, It was pretty
hard on me. So / got hold Of some
heaving line, which is one-quarter-inch
rope, and rigged up a hammock. In
my spare time I taught the others how
to make them, and pretty soon every
body was doing it.
When I taught the sailors to make
hammocks, / figured, of course. that
they would use them as we did-that
is, sleep in them. They were greatly
pleased at first, but after they had
tried the stunt Of getting in and stay
ing in, 1t was another story. A ham
mock is like some other things-it
works while you sleep-and If you are
not on to It, you spend most Of your
sleeping time hitting the floor. Our
gun captain thought I had put over q
trick hammock on him. but I did not
need to; every hammock is . trick
hammock. ....-..
Also, I taught them the way We
make mats out Of rope. to use while
sleeping on the steel gratings near tho
entrance to stoke holes. In, cold wealth
er this part Of the ship Is more COM
Portable than the ordinary sleeping
quarters, but without a mat It gets too
hot.
American soldiers and sailors get
the best food In the world, but while
the French navy chow was not fancy,
1t was clean and hearty, as they say
down East. For breakfast we had
bread and coffee and sardines; at noon
q boiled dinner, mostly beans. which
were old friends Of mine, and Of the
well.named navy variety; at four In
the afternoon, . pint Of vino. and ut
six, supper Of soup, coffee. bread and
beans.
(Co .ntinued next week)
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