The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-02-16
(By q Californian With the American
Forces In France.)

~
My Dear -:
You will note by the above that my
address Is changed. / am now a can
didate. / am a candidate for "a com
mission. 1t was very unexpected
particularly on my part. As near as
l can figure out, 1t was decided TO or
ganize a training camp over here on
the lines of those In the states and
give the fellows who enlisted early or
who were In the original army a
chance. All the regiments over here
We're invited to send a certain quota
and | was one of five from my regi-
ment. We train three months, accord
ing to program. under more or less
actual war conditions, and, If we pass
mt the end of that time, get shoulder
straps. | only got here yesterday. ]
am "a private entirely surrounded by
military talent. A sort of an island.
There is only one other private I'm the
school.
There are men here who were in
the training camps In the states and
quit to get over here quick, men who
chased Pancho villa In Mexico, men
who have been In the trenches and
explored No Mans Land. and ser.
geants, top s%ergeants and sergeant
majors who have been In the regular
army for years. But there Is no one
thirty-two. / am closer to the
front than I was before, by a good
many miles-so close that IL is begin
ming to look blamed ~businesslike.
was talking to one of the fellows
who was In the trenches this morn
Ing. They don't go into details, but
say that II isn't so uncomfortable.
They In firm In the belief that when
the Americans start they win keep
going. In the quiet sector they were
In, they say, the principal aim Of both
sides seemed to be to keep the peace.
A French sentry told one of them !:
IF you Q a German, don't shoot I;
you'll only start trouble" HELL" said
the American. that's what we're here
for" The men live fairly comfortably
In the dugouts, he said. In one that
he was In there were three or four
rooms. an electric light plant and even
q piano.
6est-ciothed Army.
This camp Is located at which / think
a an old French armory. We are
Quartered In a sturdy stone building
three stories high. No electric lights !;
hmm unntf1otfAn II 10 xynnxr nnlA Or4uy
on the ground and In the morning Ice,
which doesn't always melt during the
day. But It Is inv~igorating. Which
causes m to remark that the American
army must be the best clothed In the
neld. This was impressed upon me
particularly when l packed up. In the
line Of clothes here Is what ! was sup
posed to put into a dinny bag. a suit
case and on my back. Two suits olive
drab, one overall suit, including denim
hat, two campaign hats. three pairs
ieggings, o%vercoat, eight suits Of IN.
derwear. ten pairs Of socks. three
blankets. half shelter and poncho, three
pairs shoes, four wooden shirts, one
pair knit gloves, a pair leather
gloves. i've towels. n sweater. This
doesn't include ordnance incidentals
and toilet articles. / turned In, before
! left my company. q pair of hip rub
Der boots and a suit of f1sherman's
oilskins for rain and mud. Some Of
the fellows boiler about the issue of
colthes, but ! never had as many In
civil life.
The same applies to the eats. Al
though army fare lacks the delicacy
and choice Of a civilian feed, 1t is
plenteous and substantial. The Amer
lean soldier will fare better this win
ter than the average French person,
military or otherwise. There are no
less" days In the American army. We
actually eat meat on Mondays and
Tuesdays and have all the bread we
can 60 all the time. while the French
are always confronted with meatless.
potatoless, chocolateless, candyless
days. The usual army breakfast con-
sists Of bacon. potatoes, gravy, bread
and coffee. The feature Of the other
An~0AS ASAuNal - - uiNH 10
good when you're hungry-beans. etc.
and there Is usually a dessert. And
take coal and wood, for instance.
There always Is a fre in American bar.
racks and huts. At my last station
they were laying In the winter supply
for q base hospital. There was a pile
as big as a European mountain and
the peasants used to come from neigh
boring villages just to look at II. To
the French, coal is issued, like bread,
by card, and they tell me 1t takes
trouble, time and pull to set a ton a
month for q family. But the French
man is the true philosopher. He new
er worries. He blows on his hands,
swings his arms, remarks "We shall
be cold this winter" and dismisses the
subject "a an Inevitable proposition
and therefore no At subject for
thought or commiseration.