Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-06-06
SYNOPSIS.

sinking of the Lusitania by a German
submarine, Arthur Guy Empey, an Amerf-
IN, leaves his office in Jersey City and ana
British army. #.
CHAPTER II-After period of train
Rg. Empey volunteers for immediate serv-
pc and soon finds himself in rest billets
sSomewhere in France" where he first
mt ''cooties."
CHAPTER III-Empey attends his first
Shurch services at the front while Ger
man Fokker circles over the congregation.
CHAPTER Iy-Empey's command goes
pto the front-line trenches and Is under
IRE for the first time.
CHAPTER v-Empey learns to adopt
eke motto of the British Tommy, IF you
tre going to get It, you'll get 1t, 80 never
CHAPTER vI-Back in rest billets. EN-
ssS.rfiss.t ' his first experience as mess
CHAPTER vII-Empey learns how the
British soldiers are fed.
CHAPTER vIII-Back in the front-lne
french, Empey sees his first friend OF the
trenches 'go West"
CHAPTER Ix-Rmpey makes his first
visit to dugout in Suicide Ditch"
CHAPTER X-Empey learns what con
wtitutes a days work" In the front-nne
trench.
CHAPTER XI-Empey goes lover the
top for the first time in charge on tne
bayonet thrust.
One day one of our majors went into
the servants billet and commenced
'blinding" at them, saying that his
horse had no straw and that he per-
sonally knew that straw had been is
sued for this purpose. He called the
lanee-corporal to account. The cor
poral answered, "Blime me, sir, the
straw was issued, but there wasn't
enough left over from the servants
beds; in fact, we had to use some Of
the 'ay to 'elp out, SIR"
1t Is needless to say that the serv-
ants dispensed with their soft beds
that particular night. ~s ..
Nevertheless it is not the fault of
the individual officer, 1t is just the sur
vival of a quaint old English custom.
You know an Englishman cannot be
changed in a day.
But the average English officer 10 O
good sport. He will sit on a fire step
and listen respectfully 10 Private
Jones' theory of the way the war
should be G0ncuettea. - wAR %
gradually crumbling the once fnsae-
nlountable wall Of caste. X =
You would be convinced of this II
you could see King George go among
his men on an inspecting tour under
fire, or pause before a little wooden
cross in some shell-tossed field with
tears in his eyes as he reads the in
scriptiOn. And little later perhaps
bend over a wounded man on a stretch
% n %hn
More than once In hospital I have
seen titled Red Cross nurse fetching
and carrying for wounded soldier
perhaps the one who In civil life de.
nvered the coal at her back door. To.
day she does not shrink from lighting
his flag or even washing his grimy
body
Tommy admires Albert of Belgium be.
,cause he is not pusher of men; he
iaeads them. With him it's not a case
>rof take that trench" 1t is "come on
land we will take it"
1t is amusing to notice the different
characteristics of the Irish, Scotch and
English soldiers. The Irish and Scotch
ARE very impetuous, especially when 1t
-comes to bayonet fighting, while the
i Englishman, though a trife slower,
thoroughly does his bit; he Is more
.methodical and has the grip of bull
dog on a captured position. He Is
slower to think that is the reason why
Inc never knows when he Is licked.
Twenty minutes before going over
the top the English Tommy will sit on
the fire step and thoroughly examine
the mechanism of his rifle to see that it
is in working order and will fire prop
terly. After this examination he Is sat-
isfied and ready to meet the Boches.
But the Irishman or Scotchman sits
ON the fire step, his rifle with bayonet
fixed between his knees, the butt of
which perhaps is sinking into the niue
the bolt couldn't be opened with 1
team Of horses it Is so rusty-but h
spits on his sleeve and slowly polishe
his bayonet; when this Is done he ais
is ready to argue with Fritz.
1t Is not necessary to mention tn
colonials (the Canadians, Australian
and New Zealanders), the whole worl,
knows what they have done for Eng
land.
The Australian and New Zealande
Is termed the "Anzac," taking tn
name from the first letters Of their OF
If1cial designation, Australian and Ney
Zealand army corps.
Tommy divides the German arm
sjnto three classes according to thei
fighting abilities. They rank as 70
lows: Prussians, Bavarians and Sa1
'onS.
!, When up against a Prussian reg
fment it Is a case of keep your nappe
below the parapet and duck. A bani
bang all the time and war Is on. Th
Bavarians are little better, but tn
Saxons are fairly good sports and ar
willing occasionally to behave as gel
tlemen and take 1t easy, but you Cal
not trust any Of them Overlong.