The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-09-06
MAR|NES'HAvE Nj
DREAD OF HUNS
Wounded Are Only Anxious to Get
Back Where the Battle
Is Raging.
ONLY CONTEMPT FOR ENEMY
Gay When They Get Into Actual Fight
Ina Contact With Foe There
: 10 No Fight Left
. In Him.

London.-A naval attache who saw
about 80 American marines in hospital
suffering from wounds or gass'ng In
the recent German offensive found
every one of them full Of cheer regard
ing the future; every one anxious to
get we'll and be back in the fighting
line. And every one Of them held q
poor opinion Of Fritz as fighting man
They were unanimous, the attache de.
clared, In stating that the Germans
were long distance fighters only. AS one
Of them said: %
"They are not SO bad when they are
SO yards away with machine gun. but
at close quarters the German soldiers
are no good"
Marine after marine asserted that
when he and his comrades got into &C
tual fighting contact with the enemy
there was no fight left in him. Then
the Germans would throw down their
guns, and, waving their hands over
their heads, cry out "Kamerad"
Feel Contempt for Huns.
"Our men, added the attache, "gave
ME the impression Of looking with ut
ter contempt upon the German soldiers,
who can fight only when they feel that
they have the protection Of artillery
and gas. and surrender when 1t comes
to hand to hand fighting.
Ear from feeling the slightest dread
OF the enemy, every man expressed
eagerEess to get out of hospital and
return TO the front. Every one Of them
wdntc6 a chance of getting even with
the Germans for having been gassed
or wounded.
"Tke men were justly proud Of the
record that the marines had made, and
their morale appeared to be Of the
very highest quality. The cheerful
ness of all, including some infantry in
the wards, may be summarized by the
remark Of one recovering from, gas:
Why ne. said, there's nothing In 1t.
When all of us. marines get going, we
will wipe Fritz off the map and we
will eat our next Christmas dinner at
home at. that
A British officer who has seen much
Of the American marines at their head.
quarters in France, and seen them at
work against the Boche, writing on
what he describes as IAN instructive
glimpse at the American war spirit
and American efficiency, in the field"
says: .. -
"On the roads to the front there is
perpetual movement. Hundreds of mo-
tor lorries, each one packed with
French soldiers, pass us in quick suc-
cession on their way to another part
Of the line. Again and again we pass
bodies of American troops on the
march. then a group Of women and
children. Although the road winds
over the face of well titled country
side, few birds are seen, except for an
occasional pair Of ring doves. Such Is
the incongruity Of war!
Aircraft Hum Continuous.
1--WE find the marines headquarters
ut an old farmhouse. shut in on every
side by woods. Here the hum of air.
craft is continuous. and links up the
intermittent crash Of artillery fire. A
Boche observation balloon hangs above
the woods to eastward. and a 'woolly
bear shell lays vivid black smudge
against the limited skyline ahead. In
the farmyard we seem to stand in a
little world apart, but the sounds Of
adjacent fighting are close about us.
"A marine officer who has had no
sleep for three, nights comes in, dusty
but cheerful, from the trenches. The
marines are doing themselves proud
out there. he says. There has been
some stiff fighting in the woods. but
the Boche will have to shift soon: that
Is the opinion Of this old campaigner,
who has fought by sea and land all
over tho globe. We leave the farm
under the guidance Of a young lieu
tenant. n broth Of hoy with the
face Of Greek god.
"A rough" cart track runs behind a
belt OF woods, and in this vicinity the
Amcri cnn artillery Is stationed. We
approach one OF the batteries, we'll hid
den even Mt close quarters. A tele-
phone fixed to tree trunk rings sharp
~. and the captain, capless and with.
out t,InIc. megaphone in one hand,
answers tho call.
"'vcry good, sir!' He swings round
to the guns. .. e.,
"'On bnrrngci Firc!'
"Througl, the megnphone his order
renetratcs to every corner Of the wood.
and the gunners leap to their work in
a moment. Crash! Crash. Crash!
Crash! The guns fling out their deaf
cning message Of dcnth almost stimuli.
tnncously. and In the momentary al.
lcnce between the rounds the whizx Of
the shells can be heard as they fly on
their why to the wood where the Boche
still fingers. 80.
1T IL real team work. this gunnery.
nothing else describes 1.-THE work Of
n team. perfectly trained. In which
keenncss nnd efficiency produce a re-.
suit beyond praise. For a time salvo
follows snlvO. Then comes the order
Ccnsc f,rc! and silence dcsccnds upon
the battery"
A STANDARD cord IL 12S cubic feet AZ
wood