Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-08-01
NATIONAL ARMY men Eager 10 GET
INTO FRONT Linz to- STOP B0CHE
"ey Make the Finest Soldiers in Wofdy Says General Over
Soldiers Determined to Fight to Fnisf-Snipers Take
Daring Chances in "Pot Huntng'iEii Negro Troops
Furnish Much Of Humor in War Zone.

Enough of the American National
army has arrived in France to,.,bear
out the predictions that this army will
be one of the finest bodies of military
men in the world. recently went to
a section of France where new troops
are Quartered for final training, writes
Don Martin in the New York Herald.
There saw the vanguard of the mill
lions who were legally selected to serve
their country. A general who has
been all his life in the army fairly
glowed in, admiration Of them.
''They are splendid lot Of boys
the officer said. .'They are proud to
BE here. They are sorry for the boys
at home who are not to help in the
great battle for democracy. They want
to get right in the line. They realize
the dangers fully, but that doesn't wor-
~ them. They have had their eyes
opened fully to the wonderful sacrifices
France has made. They have seen
how the villages are stripped Of every
tning but the very old and the very
young, and yet they have seen how de-
rermined and cheerful the country is.
So they are proud to be here, and they
are going to make the finest soldiers
the world has ever seem
Superlatiyes ordinarily are not per-
mitted by, the censorship when refer
ence lis made to Americans. A deeply
grounded principle of the American
censorship is that America, while glory
ing in her own idealism and achieve
ments, must not forget that France and
England have been at war for nearly
four years and have set very high
standard for Uncle Sam. But the SUI
perlatives INDUCED in by the general
were sincere. He actually believes the
National army will be as fine lot of
men as ever stood in uniform, and
after seeing them and talking with
them in more than fifty villages ]
must say that Think he has prophetic
ltvision. s
All Show Their Mettie.
To praise the National army does
not imply disparagement of any other
wing of our military force The mill
tia group has already, in various
clashes with the enemy, shown the
stuff of which tits made. The 1O4thi
regiment, which halls from Massachus-.
etts, has been decorated by the French
government for its valOr under heavy
fire. All the men have made good, but
all they shave done will unquestion-,
IR6ly be sequaled by the excellent army
tpf draft men. The latter have the
physique, the initiative and the spirit.
As one of them said, .'We're not here
because we're here; we're here because
It's where we belong and where, we
want to be-" The training they re-
ceived in the United States worked
wonders in them.
| In a little village handsome young
ster in private's uniform saluted
with the grace and snap of a trained
Irregular. He had the look Of the SOL
ttdier in.every line.
where are you from n / asked. X
He named small city in the North
west.
Were you ever soldier before7"
"No, SIR" he said, smiling, 4 never
did anything before but spend fathers
money and get arrested for speeding"
"Are you glad to be here?'
Il wouldn't be anywhere else for
anything in the world"
! Seated in front of small house, a
4 wrinkled woman on one side, an aged
man on the other and two wee chill
dren playing on the ground in front of
him, saw another young man who
would attract attention anywhere. As
the officer who accompanied me APP
preached the young man jumped to his
feet, snapped his heels together and
saluted as If militarism was in his
marrow. He said he came from a
small town in the middle West. !
asked him about his affairs before he
Joined the army.
II was In the lumber business" the
private rejoined. II was getting along
ltpretty well-have wife and two chill
dren about like these here (p0intinz
to the two near his feet), hut even II ]
knew my business was going to ruin
wouldn't 60 back If they'd let me. I'm
j here to stick 1t out to the finish and
you'll find allStfe boys the same way. =
i The spirit Of all is, as this young
lumber dealer said. identical. The men
are here to fight for France and demo
cracy. They understand exactly what
the issues are. They understand pre-;
cisely why the United States came in.
to the war and they will be disappoint-
ed if peace comes before every allied