The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1918-10-18
SPORTING WRITER
GIVES TWO TRAGIC
BOND ARGUMENTS
LIEUT.. oRANTLAND RICE, POET,
RELATES INCIDENTS fRoM
THE FIRING LINE.
APPEALS TO HOME FORCES
Lay Down q Barragc That VIII Keep
Hun on Road TO Berlin,
4. 10 Plea.


American Expeditionary Forces in
France, sporting writer OF national
reputation, poet of the James Whit
comb Riley stamp and American fight
ing man, sends to the Liberty Loan
Organization two humanity vital rea-
sons why the Home Forces" should
lay down barrage of Liberty Bonds
that will keep the Hun going Berlin
ward. Mr.. Rice, who has been from
the Somme to Alsace along various
parts Of the front since he went across
several months ago. writes:
1.-THE sergeant sat at the edge ofNa
thicket just this side of the River
Vesle.
His detection was so complete that
he failed to pay any attention to Q
scattering drift of German shells. still
dropping here and there through the
woods.
II they had only cussed or raised
hell he said. II wouldn't have been 80
bad ! wouldn't have minded 1t SO
much
Wouldn't have minded what 90
much?' we asked.
1t was this way. he continued.
Our bunch had been wiping out ma,
chine gun nests and chasing Germans
for six days. They we're mailing VI
here and there. bat the bunch still
went forward. In fact. they went for.
ward so fast that the field kitchens
couldn't keep up.
Six Days Without Food.
For six days they had practically
nothing to eat and less than little to
drink. But they kept going. killing
and chasing Germans with the bayo
net. We tried to catch up. but We
never could.
when We finally did we expected
to hear 'em raising hell because they
hadn't been fed. But there wasn't =
kick. not word Of complaint. Never
mind. Bill" they said; "it's all part
~ the game. You couldn't help It,"
Think Of II! Six days with rifle
and bayonet into machine guns and
shell fire without food or water--and
yet not kick! If they had only sussed
or raised some hell I wouldn't have
cared so much
"This is just one sample of how the
A. E. F. tackled the job In France-of
what 1t has been up against.
THE folk back home had no doubt
that The men at the front would make
good for them. The men at the front
haven't any doubt that the folk back
home will make good for them also.
II one delegation can storm ma
chine gun nests for six days without
food and water In the midst Of death,
desolation and destruction without
complaint. the others are pretty sure
to raise $6,000,000.00 or twice 5000
01OO0, so quickly therell be no fur
Their debate as to how strong the coun-
try stands back Of the fighting ma
chine It has sent $500 miles from
home to suffer and die for the great.
est ideal the world has ever known"
The Second Reason.
Here Is the second reason:
I saw him lying by the roadside, In
the wake Of the American advance,
Just beyond Fers-en-T ardenois.
He was lying face downward. the
rim OF his steel helmet buried In the
mud. A heavy rain was still falling,
but 1t has not yet completely erased
the wiring on a,letter he had carried.
The letter YVES from his mother. 1t
expressed the wish and the hope that
ne was we'll Iand dry and safe; that
ne was happy and would soon be back,
as they were thinking Of nothing else
but his return. Your daddy she
wrote. 'sitss by the fire at night and
refuses to ktalk Of anything but you
and of theSday you'll be back with US
again
"Well-and 'dry---and safe--with the
rain beating on him, face downward
IN the midland q bullet hole through
the TOP OF his steel helmet. But he
had fallen toward Germany.
he was, only ONE Of the many who
had made the great sacrifice. His ia.
ther and mother were only a small
part OF the many who had made the
greater sacrifice.
The question left is,a simple one:
How many Of theseshave, died and are
going to die In vain because the peo
pie back home couldn't raise the
money to crush, the military power
that madei such things possiblel"