South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-01

her son overseas after the armistice
was signed Nov. H.
Saturday Mrs Sweeney received a
letter fkom her son. William J.
Sweeney, with the expediuonary
forces of the United States under
date Of Nov. -. the day after the
armistice was signed.
The letter tells OF the great ex-
element the news caused among the
soldiers. both American and French.
The officer who censored the sons
letter. Lieut. j. W. Byrne, is a for
mer Notre Dame student. The let
ter follows.
'Iov. II. 1918.
Dear Mother.
"As I had a little time T thought
] would write YOU "a few lines just
90 let YOU know that 1 am still well
and happy and hope that this letter
viii find everybody at home the
same But all Of MS over here are
happy now and more SO than we
have ever been for some time.
II suppose YOU have all heard that
the war has stopped. Well I can i'm
r.
aroused when it reached the states.
But maybe YOU think it didn't cause
am uproar over here with the Amer
leans and the French. All YOU could
hear was Lguese fnis.' that means
the war is over in French. II was
quite "a sight 20 see all the flags wav-
ing from every house top and win
dow.
The French were running around
like mad men. we'll 1 guess they
could hardly believe IL as they had
five years of Il and we only had
about two. Yesterday as we were
rambling along the trucks. we saw
q large crowd and the military pO-
lice stopped us and said wait here
until the national anthem has been
played. and we did and Gen. Per-
shing and his staff were all there
when they read something off a
paper and the whole crowd gave
three cheers and then everything
was quiet for a while and we got or
ders TO move and we just moved in
time 20 get our trucks and ourselves
into the picture We could not have
gotten i'm it any better if we tried.
LAS I was riding through the
country the other day ran across a
bunch from home and we had quite
a little talk, they are in the 1O5th
trench mortar battery. Well we have
seen great many large cities in
our travels through France. Well il
sounds funny not 70 hear the roar
of the large guns and the hum OF
airoplanes.
When 1 get hack home I suppose
j will have 10 have somebody shoot
along side of the house so 1 can go
To sleep. I nearly forgot to tell you
that 7 got "a letter from Walter and
from Harold and Will drop them
line soon. 7 suppose they both like
.Ne navy by this time. Harold's pic
ure looks fine.
We'll 7 will write more the next
time as it is getting close 70 dinner
now and viii have 20 close. so good
bye for this time
with lots of love 10 ALL
.I remain your loving son.
WILLIAM J. SWEENEY.
"1o4 Ammunition Train.
Censored 10y J W Bryne, 2nd
Lieutenant L. $. A"
There sure is some pretty coun-
try over here in France but not
means nice as some places in old
indiana that I know" Is state
meut in a letter from Pvt Clarence
~. SharpIess TO his father. j. w
Snarpless $50 y. Mill ST.. which
would seem to combat the arsu-
mcnt advanced 10y some that our
bows will become so enamored with
the beauties of the overseas couh-
tries that will not wish TO return TO
the United States.
PVT. Snarpless is in the air ser
vice fsrd balloon company. and he
saws that Inc has been right up
where they DO business lie say 5,
we sure are gIving them hell ana
we are eouE 10 continue TO SlVe II
10 them until we get them clear
down and out and =quealing for mer-
.. Then and not until then. VIII
f. U, safe Tor any other nation IN
the world for they nave made war
business To would make your
heart ~.ck 20 see some OF the VII
I-e.- over here \Othius but the
side wallis staudiur where there
used 10 ue "a ut-le country village
sitting down among the hills. When
see you pad. j Will oe able To
f.u Won some thiuEs that the tel-
lows have 90 buck mp against over
here chat even YOU ln the CIVIL wax
aid not encounter