Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-01-09
SCRANTON PREACHER
WRITES FROM FRONT
Visits Raided French City,
Hears Big Guns. Sees Six
Hundred and Fifty Pound Ger
man Air Bomb.

Rev. George Wood Anderson, a former
Scranton minister, who has been on the
battle front for some time, wrote an in
teresting letter to friend about his ex-
periences which was published in the
scranton Republican He writes:
my views are as varied as the views
in a Kaleidoscope One week / am by
the sea watching transports arrive; then
am in the midst of a training camp;
then at the front listening to the sound
of guns and bursting bombs
Have heard the sound of twelve-inch
shells fired by our boys as they were
shooting at q mark twelve miles away.
These shells do make a wonderful music
as they journey on toward the mark, and
our boys in practice arc surprising both
English and French officials by the way
they hit the mark
II hear nothing but words OF praise for
our gunners. Today / am in the midst
of great aviation camp the sights of
which thrill me with delight, Uncle Sam
is doing things in magnificent manner,
and my coming here has only strengthen
ed my love for my home country. When
arrived yesterday afternoon there were
many of our boys sailing about in those
graceful French machines, and after my
lecture last night the boys gathered about
and promised me greater doings' this
morning, as they We're going to try for
heights, but | awoke this morning with
the wind hurting a great snow and wind
storm. The boys, several Of them, have
called to apologize for the weather, which
quite amuSes me.
Praises Y. M. c. A. Workers.
NO man on earth is as happy as | am
anon gour boys, for I love them dearly,
and they are great bunch. The Y nj.
C. A. workers here are big -hearted to
the core. Am Just beginning the big
gest work of my life.
The health of the boys is excellent, and
there Is a very small percentage of sick
ness. The spirit of the soldiers is re-
marltable for they are all cheerful.
have found but two disgruntled fellows,
and with them it was matter of con-
stitution. They could not help it, for
they had been cut out on the bias.
THE other night l spoke to the boys
while the Germans were using their big
guns. and their air-crafts on neighbor-
ing center. We could see the flash of the
bursting bombs. and at times the noise
half drowned my voice. We began the
service in a hut with only a few lighted
candles and a lantern dinly burning,
but this evidently was TOO much light. for
In the midst of the lecture an officer
came in and had us eXtinguish all the
lights. SO that | spoke in the dark, TO
the music of the war, and with, lie earth
beneath me shaking at each explosion, |
was astonished at the rapidity with which
a bombardlnent is carried on from the
air.
had been raided two nights before by the
Germans / was amazed how the bombs
can wreck not only the one great building
on which it falls, but also the surround
to explode and was found to weigh six
hundred and sixty pounds. Al first one
lodges at every report, then it becomes
common place and one does not notice
the reports.
'"The first night that I went to sleep
with the boom of cannon in my ears Will
never be forgotten. ! was many miles
away and knew that there was no pos
sibility of danger. The guns [ heard were
French guns, not German, and yet the
awful fact that every. report meant death
l., --I,+ r,As
red my soul to its profoundest depths. |
had spoken often of war, but have never
known what it was until now, and it is
hideous. Hdeous and yet sublime! So
sublime that it challenges everything
worth while within man. | have lived
an age within the last few days and ana
craving more than ever for life to see this
battle through.
No Place for Peace Talk.
'There is no place now for talk about
peace. There is only one thing for the
true lover of humanity to do. and that is
to fight, to let loose every noble power i'll
body mind and soul. and concentrate
them upon this great effort of destroying
the German propaganda. This must be
the worlds last war Our children and
this horror, 1t is for us who are strong,
in this generation, to bring universal
peace by destroying the power that relies
doing great things but she must do stia
greater tasks. We must have three mil
lion men and many billions Of dollars. AM
erica has come to the kingdom for such
time as this. and like the ancient queen
must risk all to bring justice to the OPP
pressed.
MY health is good Am coming back
to tell the story Of the war wherever /
can. shall hasten back now on the
first possible ship. One boy pressed my
hand the other night and as / looked into
his manly face he said Tell mother
when you get back to America. that am
living the life she wants me to, and that |
am faithful until death.
THAT is the type of an American sol
der. "Loyally. -
GEORGE WOOD ANDERSON