The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-03-28
OFFICERS SPIRIT
ELATES BRITISH
eagemesS of the Americans to
Get to the Front Is
Always Noted.
MAKE THEMSELVES At HOME
0e4 ION the Job" at Once and Dis
play = Desire to Learn and to
Be Where the Shells Arc
Whixzino.

AOuOOu.-Mdny interesting StOr1e
come from France about the keennesl
~ mind and the eager spirit Of thu
American officers arriving at the front
These officers get ION the Job" at once
and display desire to learn and to BIZ
where the shells are whizzing and the
Huns are to be seen.
The first tendency Of the Britishers
= to be somewhat envious Of the elab-
crate paraphernalia and equipment Of
the Americans. but the disposition OF
the latter to share everything he has
with his colleagues, be they French or
British, at once puts him on a most
friendly basis.
A British officer, writing In the
Daily News, tells Of the arrival Of
two Of these American officers at
the front. After describing an old
French chateau, full Of gusts Of wind
OF ghosts and labyrinthine passages"
he says that these two Americans
lugged into the place with trunks and
bags and quickly made themselves at
home.
Mike Themselves At Home At Once.
He describes their entrance thus:
"And just then the door creaked
open, and two pleasant faced young
men In khaki, and wearing wide
awake hats with gold and black cord
twined around them, put their heads
in, looked round, babe me a pleasant
good evening, looked at the pile Of
boxes, said they supposed this was
where they were coming in, and ex-
pected, and were quite prepared to put
mp with hardships, and rapidly took
possession.
'"This, then, was the American army
come to stay. These young gentlemen
had travelled from the other side Of
the Atlantic to help out the allies, and
with them had come their belongings
packed in trunks. Thinking, of course,
OF the limited number Of beds, said
How many are there Of your I guess
there are only two coming in here
one replied. That seemed good enough
and I said to myself: This army has
got some transportation. If a couple
of lieutenants carry this lot what
must an army carryY
II don't regret their coming. They /
were nice Americans. They asked a
lot Of questions, and in doing so
skinned me of my knowledge OF the
western front. And from those trunks
they produced pieces of equipment |
which made me envious-automatic /
revolvers, marked with large U. s.
A., and ammunition; glasses, boots,
leggings, coats, bats, mess tins, water
bottles spare tunics, flash lamps
everything, In fact, which makes our
own officers when on the move look
ike Christmas trees. These young Of
1cers were even more the complete
,fhcer than we profess to be; but all
heir decorative effects were slowed
Ind locked away in trunks. And, look
ng at the proposition fairly and
quarely, began to like those trunks. ,
Democratic Discipline.
I'VE settled down to work together.
these American officers are of the
lamp Of the Canadian and Australian !,
alert, good shots, and en-
owed with what they themselves call
democratic discipline One saw this t
iscipline at work. You fellows ; S
aven't got much Of place to shake t
own in, one Of their servants told {
le the morning after he had dumped
Is masters kit in my room, and ! :,
ont think felt any resentment at
cling called fellow. Z
'These officers had that inevitable Q
lgerness to hear the guns and see the a
side Of warfare which one finds in t.
ewly arrived British officers. And s,
lere is the same kind Of specializing q
Id guessing as to what is going to .,
lppen, when 1t will happen, and the =
lances Of an early 'blighty.' But y
ere is something more These Amer
an officers have definite views on the
ar. One Of them told me that he
pected to find the British and of
'ench armies somewhat ragged and -
Urn after their long struggle. What -
had found was just the reverse.
lie British army made him blink; II
Is so highly polished and extra0r
larily smart, slick, alert and full OF
vank.' He expected to find low
)fdlc, luSlCdu VI WIiICu llC Illus H.
III. Personally think these officers
d come to criticize, but they remain
admire in amaze.
And all this discovery leads to
tain shyness-sOmething which In
y to Yankee temperament. Ny two
ends Of the heavy baggage seemed
regard me as an expert in this war
ne, and an expert who had to be
ated with respect. Consciously or
they gave me an as
dance over them. was the war
;, they the tyros coming on to the
] Of experience. One day, in
fling remark, compared their lord
runks and my little bundle Of be-
.ings, and thereafter the trunks
ned to call for constant apologies.
uldn't help watching their progress.
me watches schoolboy growing
and treating them as juniors,