Jackson County sentinel. (Gainesboro, Tenn.) 1914-current, 1918-07-04
THE ed Triangle IS
AEEY Jig It's PROMISES
" M. C. a. Secretaries Follow The
Soldiers Our Into No
Mans Land
No Job Too Small For The Biggest
OF Men

o. men
TIE American y NJ G. A. is keep
ir IS promises American secretaries
ale now, and have been for many
weeks, al work in the forward areas
along the battle front in France. TO
am ndeterminate number of Red Tri-
angle men over there" gas and she'll
ere and mud and actual battle are q
grim reality part CT the days
work.
A personal letter of absorbing inter
est was lately received from Mr.. Ralph
HARRISON, president of the Pittsburgh
Y. NJ. G. A. and well known business
man Of that city, who has been in
France on a special Y NJ G, A. Mis-
sion
The Letter
Casualties had occurred among our
soldiers just before we arrived at our
village the letter reads, "and we were
ordered TO get under cover Of our de
suite. After a supper of chocolate, war
bread, and canned beef, the six OF US sec
retares we're ordered to the cellar Of
the y, together with fifty soldiers who
happened to be in the old shell.torn
building, as the boche were beginning
again TO shell the town. We took can
dies, a big basketful of canteen sup
plies, TO last US in case we should have
to be dug out later, overcoats and blan-
kets We fitted our gas masks on to
be sure they we're working we'll, and
then settled down-or tried TON the
dungeon. We expected to have to stay
all night, but in an hour a sentry call
Cd. All out and Up we gladly went.
Tho rcst Of the aTening we spent up-
stairs in one Of the reasonably whole
rooms, with plano and songs and sto-
ries and the ever-present and wonder
full canteen, at which | took my turn.
Needless to say, slept none that
night with all the bang and noise out
side, but nobody does, I'm told, the
first night. The night before | got
about two hours OF doing with sun
neck, sitting up In a crowded night
train. but, strange TO say, never relt
the lack Of II for a minute.
I'VE were up the next morning nj
une bonnie heure, and after breakfast
at the officers mess Clarke and |
started of for the trenches, each OF
us ladened with about Atty pounds OF
canteen supplies besides our helmet,
gas masks, carried at all times at
'alerte,' etc.
For two hours we pursued tor
tuous way among the various lines OF
trenches and connecting trenches,
stopping frequently to dispense our
popular wares among the boys, some
repairing the trenches, some building
new ones, some on sentry duty, some
sleeping in the dugouts, some man
ning guns and watching for German
heads.
CAS- we entered the. frontline
trenches, we suddenly ran into Score
tary Baker and accompanying officers.
. l stepped aside as well as | could, sa-
luted and said, Good morning, Mr.
Secretary AS they passed | heard
one OF the officers say to the Secre'
tary, You see, Mr. Secretary, the ~"
men are right up in the front-line
trenches with the boys
Time was flying, and we knew
there were still more soldiers further
on who would be glad to see US. Soon
we entered No Mans Land by means
OF a trench, a land which We had
seon from the rear lines in the dis
lance an -FOUR earlier Il uprooted AMI
torn and desolate, and after some min
utes we crawled, hot and winded. Into
q shell hole-the furthermost listening
post In our lines and found six SOL
diers on guard, all very much alert
They gave US a warm welcome, and
we conducted our communications IN
low vhispers, for there were ,hree
German Shippers In three different d.
rections only seyenty-nve feet away.
Needless to say, our gunnysacks
were empty when we came out we
hurried back to the sign OF the Red
Triangle In the village, drank cup
Of hot chocolate, and started In again
In another direction.
I'VE watched the explosions getting
closer and closer, each one preceded
bv the weirdest kind Of a wall and
whine through the air, and then dur
ing q let.up we rushed across the open
and into the dugouts in an embank
ment. where our second pack OF sup
phes disappeared.
two OF the secretaries had been
xnssed the day before we arrived at
this place. and one slightly wounded
bv shrapnel, while others we're break
ing under the physical strain and need
ed relief. I'm sure we will hear OF
fatalities soon. but since my expert
erce I'm the trenches | don't ask the
question any more is II worth
vhile.' Never was such an Opportun-
nv given 10 man to serve his fellow
men A. this.
aPass the word on, ans pass u
quickly, that FIVE hundred Of the most
espable, earnest. and big-soulsd Chris
tan men are needed here today in sd-
dision to the weekly stream that ls
comInu We are cabling New York
frequently, but they don't come. II 10
critical and we must not fail, but we
will uniess more and better men come
Immediately. As see il. there 10 10
a. All