The citizen., 1918-07-04

our men. who said he was there when
II began. He said one OF the Aus
tralians had carelessly remarked that
the British generals had decided II
was time to get through with the side
show In Belgium, and this was the
reason why they had sent regular
troops like the Australians In to re-
lieve the Canadians.
Then some sensitive Canadian wished
the Australians luck and hoped they'd
finish II up as well as they had the
affair In the Dardanelles. After that
our two days rest was made up prin-
cipally OF beating Il out OF estamifias
when strategic requirements suggest
ed a new base or beating II into esta-
minas when II looked as II we could
act as efficient re-epforcements. That
fight never stopped for forty-eight
hours, and the only places II didn't
include we're the church and the hos
pitals. I'll bet to this day that the
Belgians who run the estaminas In
Poperinghe will duck behind the bars
II you Just mention Canada and Aus
tralia In the same breath.
But I'm bound to say that II was
good. clean fighting. Nobody fired a
shot, nobody pulled bayonet, and no
body got the wrong idea about any
thing. The Australian heavyweight
champion who landed on me went
right out In the street and saluted one
Of our lieutenants. We had just one
satisfying reflection after the fight
WAS over-the Australian battalion
that relieved us fell heir TO the coun-
terattack which the Germans sent
across To even up on our bombing raid
Down to the somme.
We began our march to the SOmme
by "A hike to ST. Omer. the first British
headquarters in Europe. Then we
stopped for a week about twenty miles
from Calais. where we underwent IA
course of intensified training for open
fighting. The infantry tactics. In which
we were drilled. were very similar 10
those of the United States army, those
which. In fact. were originated by the
United States troops In the days Of
Indian fighting. We covered most of
the ground around Calais on our stom-
achs I'm open order. While II may
seem lmpertinent for me. mere non
com. To express an opinion about the
larger affairs OF the campaign, | think
| may be excused for saying that the
war didn't at all take the course which
was expected and hoped for after the
fight on the Somme. Undoubtedly the
allies expected to break through the
German line. That ls well known now.
While we were being trained near
| Calais for open warfare, very large
| force Of cavalry was being assembled
and prepared for the same purpose. II
was never used.
That was last August. and the allies
haven't broken through yet. Eventually
/ I believe they will break through. but
| In my opinion men who are drawn for
service In the first half million Of our
new American army will be veterans
/ In Europe before the big break comes
which will wreck the Prusslan hope Of
success In this war. And II we Of the
| u. :. A. don't throw in the weight to
beat the Prusslans now they will not
/ be beaten, and In that case the day
will not be very far distant when we
will have to beat them TO save our
homes and our nation. War is dread
! ful and lnglorious and III smelling and
cruel thing. But II we hold back now
we will he In the logical position OF a
man hesltating TO go 10 grips with a
drunken, savage. shrieking, spewing
maniac who has al but whipped his
proper keepers and is going after the
onlooker. However. | wish we had
had two months more of weather on
the Somme. There might have been II
/ different story to tell.
simplihed Medicine.
We got drafts OF recruits before we
went To the Somme, and some OF our
wounded men were sent back TO Eng
land, where we had left our safety
first battalion" That was really the
Fifty-first battalion of the Fourth divi-
sion of the Canadian forces, composed
OF the physically rejected. men recov-
ering from wounds and men injured
In training. The Tommles, however,
called II the safety first" or "Major