The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-01
AUTO MAN WRITES
AGAIN FROM FRONT
Capt. Percival Tells Of Inter
esting Things in Big
Battle Area.

Walter Woods of me Van Cortlandt
Vehicle Corporation. .he Peerless car
distributor. has received another inter-
esting letter from Capt. Charles q. Per-
cival former New York automobile edi-
tor and advertising manager. An inter-
esting part OF IL follows:
II have stopped learning TO speak
French because at my age It will be n
waste of good time, because when
except to order a table d'hote, and the
people here are 90 anxious to get our
money that they are learning English,
and they have more reason to do co."
I'VE have the best OF food, all that
America can provide in the bread and
canned line. good meats. and On top Of
that the freshest Of vegetables that
grow, fresh eggs and plenty OF salads.
The boys couldn't live any better, and
never did at home. I for one eat too
much and have had to cut out breakfast
on advice OF the troop medico. who said
I was getting stout.
The Y. M. c. A. provides tri-weelly
entertainments In the form of movies.
concerts and good theatrical talent.
Elsie Janis was here on the 18th.
I'VE get our mail at intervals, and we
work from to 5. 1t does not get dark
until after 9. and 90 there you are. We
have an ordnance ball team, one from
the cavalry and one from tho artillery.
Our team is the best 30 far. We havo
shower baths and a small town with no
attractions a mile and half from camp.
We sleep and eat and think of New
York. New Jersey and Massa chus etts
We long for Broadway. We wonder
what the home folk are doing. We Won
der where the wife and the mother are
and how they are. We write letters and
we look for letters and we wish the darn
war was over. We want to be put on
the front line and see some action. We
take our daily gas mask drill and wish
we were in It, and then we are glad we
are not in it. until some fellow comes in
with new story.
I'VE get n Paris paper on the noon Of
the day following its printing. and we
scan the front page, not for war news
but for news from home and from the
ball games.
"1t's hell to be s,ooo-4, 900 miles from
home and letters a month coming over
Every day the Americans are getting
more and more into the night and tina,
means every day nearer and nearer tc
home. II has been hot as blazes here
for three days and We have suffered
| from the heat. but we still stick to Out
heavy woollen underwear and clothes
| because that means next a heavy, cold
rain, and then colds and rheumatism
We are too high up here to take any
| chances and TO near the line to look fol
| good weather, because the constant can.
nonading does have an effect on the
| FEATHER.
II am homesick at times and lonesome
at other times, but take It all in all 1t IL
Interesting, and one knows and feels he
| Is doing something One gets a bigger
and broader view OF life and It helps
This war is nothing but a big business
however. and Is conducted on that scale
all the time. 1t seems funny TO be try
ing to increase efficiency. lower over
head and increase production all the
| time. when that production Is nothing
but the Staying Of human beings and
the taking Of human life. 1t looks like
blowing up grand stand at the ball
game or shooting a big cannon into n
| crowd at Forty-second street and Fiftl