New-York tribune., 1918-07-05


that heroic land:
"My husband and five brothers joined
the colors shortly after the outbreak of
war. One boy, aged twenty-one, has lost
an arm. Another has been in thirty-sx
battles. The others are quite safe Also,
my three sisters husbands joined One
was killed in October after twelve months
of hard fighting. One is in Salonica; the
other is in France. The last named left
wife and three babies. He will find only
two children when he returns. One has
died
81 have not seen my husband for year
and seven months. He is in Egypt.
81 forgot to tell you that my brother in
France gassed in the last big offensive.
My mother died suddenly from shock caused
BY an air raid two years ago.
This woman was hotel matron at an
inland hotel She told this story after our
first night in England, a night that she had
spent on duty during raid in which some
henous Henie sailed over the town in
Zeppelin, dropping bombs on a helpless
population.
What do you see through a periscope?
It's interesting to speculate about-morc
interesting to learn. We were shown
through one Of Britain's largest subma-
rines. Of course. every one wanted to
peep through the periscope You see every
thing. That is the only answer. And you
see everything in clear, sharp outline and
in full size. 1t is amazing. The observer
stands with his eye to the glass, moving it
around and getting a view of the whole
surface of the sea.
The ship that carried our mission across
also carried the 3o2d Engineers, about
whom much is now appearing in print as
part OF the pioneer draft army division.
Ihey were a fine lot, those engineer lads
as were the Signal Corps men who sailed
on the same good vessel
And what was more gooG fortune, there
was contingent of translator telephone
operators, splendid group of American
girls, wearing the Signal Corps insignia on
their collars. They are enlisted for the
duration of the war Few of them had
ever been telephone operators One had
held fine position in the National City
Bank. Many others lad been similarly ia
vored by good fortune. There is splendid
ablllty and character in that group of girls
Of course, all of the girls spoke French
fluently, and they kindly volunteered to
give French lessons to the officers of the
SOD. Never were classes attended with
more faithfuiness.
News stories say the soldier lads on that
ship wore lifebelts for seventy-two hours.
They did And, take it from one who knows
the feel of lifebelt, wearing those rag
dolls around your neck, is no comfort. even
on cold day. Fritz came along and tried
to get the ship, mission, engineers, 'pbone
girls and all, with one of his torpedoes. IN
dications were that we had his company all
Of one night, and possibly longer. 1t was
about G;3O a. m. that he let go his greeting.
1t tipped merrily along, passing the bow of
our transport by fewer feet than it ia
pleasant to contemplate and lodging in the
stern OF cruiser in the convoy. Thus
were the draft pioneers greeted. But did
they get fused up and lose their poise .
Not for moment! Worry was far from
their young heads More than anvthino
else, they were like a crowd watching ia
see whether the third toss would he a str;ke
or ball.
1t was the same with the girls They
were regular soldiers, those girls were.
torpedo or two meant nothing disturbing in
their young lives.
thus did the 3o2d Engineers so to France,
bhthely singing "If You Want to See Your
rather in Your Fatherland, Keep Your
Head Down, Fritzie Boy" and other songs
OF the new army of the United States of
America.