Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1918-10-04
PEP OF YANKEE SOLDIERS
TOO MUCH FOR THE HUNS

Corporals Belknap and Peterson of |
Battery c of the 146th field artillery. |
ardived In Standpoint last week on
short furloughs home. awaiting detail !
as instructors in field artillery work
at Camp Jackson. S. C. The l46th ar
tillery includes four companies, for
merly units of the old Second Idaho
infantry. The battery il one OF the
crack artillery organizations of the
American army, and took part in the
Chauteau Thiery engagement. where
IT received high praise from the
French and American commanders.
You can't beat the American sol
der, said Corporal Belknap In an in
terview at Spokane. He has the pep
that the Huns can not understand and
that is completely lacking in the sol
der Of the kaiser
The prisoners I've seen were a
sorry looking lot. except in some reg
iments of the crown princes army. In
those regiments the flower OF GeTma-
ny had been placed, for great head
quarters had no doubt but what their
victorious legions would follow the
Chateau Thierry road straight to Par
is. But the ordinary German soldier
taken prisoner is an abiect, misera-
BILE object, terror-stricken for fear the
barbarian Americans are going TO
scalp him or burn him at the stake.
When the Yanks and the Huns
come to hand-to-hand fighting Fritz
always yells 'Kamerad' at the top of
his voice. He's disguised with the
war, hungry, flea ridden. poorly cloth
ed. and glad for chance to quit.
1t is the German in the mass that
We have respect for. Respect only
for their fighting ability and training.
not for their moral courage. The in
ventors of the poison gas never shoot
square.
THE gas is the greatest evil that
the soldier over there has to fear.
Hardly ever now does the gas come in
the old cloud form, released from con-
tanners in the enemy trenches when
the wind is right. It's usually shells
that they use now.
IF man takes care. though. obeys
the gas warnings and does not re-
! move his mask until the danger is
past he runs little chance of injury or
death. Preventive measures are al
most up with Hun ingenuity.
"A suit ID WOEH III
ward off the mustard gas. This in
cludes u rubber helmet and rubber
gloves and extends just below the
knees, where 1t is tied The spiral or
wrap Logging, worn by all overseas
forces, Is protected to a certain ex-
tent and the rough shoe also.
The coolies are at one and the
same time a pest and a source OF
amusement for every soldier. None
escape their attentions. Some OF the
animals (animals they are, for in
sects were never so dreaded or fear
ed are as vicious as can be and only
hot bath and an entire change OF
clothing are a means of getting rid OF
them.
i Leisure tonne is spent in 'cootie
hunting, otherwise known as reading
your shirt-and / might add, otheI
garments as we'll. There are contests
to see who finds the most coolies anC
, contests to see who finds the least.
"Once l saw two afflicted yOunI
men, each with his pet cootie on I
match In a pail OF water, betting thei
last franc on which would kick tn
other into the water first.
But for all the coolies and gas ant
the chance of going west there ism
!. a man in the A e. F. who would
trade places with a man at home. 1t
a great game and there is g great sat
isfaction in playing It.
Among the greatest of all tn
= players are the Red Cross and tn
ri Salvation Army.
Next to Old Glory, the boys 4
France will fight to the finish for tn
Red Cross flag. II serves us In IN
Vulnerable ways. Canteens dot tn
country, are in every camp. Its worl
ers go up to the front lines unde
she'll fire, through the gas, and mini
ter to the material wants of the so
diers, tobacco and candy. Sometime
the only candy a man gets In weeks {
months is brought to him by the Re
Cross in the front line trenches.
- The Salvation Army woman, vii
: her pies, her cakes, her doughnu
and her coffee is a godsend to veal
hungry and, I'll admit. sometime
homesick. soldier.
"One woman, dressed In . uniforr
went trough a trench under enen
fire for hundreds of yards. distrlb
ting sandwiches to grateful men. an
was removed to q more safe place o.
ly under protest.
h Its such things that make Il
= game worth while, such things n
the support from the folks at hon
that the boys in France expect al
demand.
Right now 10 the time that eyel
one should speed up. The end is
sight, IL every energy be devoted
sending men overseas and supplyir
them. This time next year should D
n the Germans suing for q just Al
" democratic peace-for they cam
af stand the cold steel"