The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-23

yOAAty VI the populdLlon ana, IN .rnelr |
ignorance, are very conservative.
'-~~0S"~~~~~~-~~~~~~~~ |
to France, and If we did know the |
censor probably would not let it get |
by il ] should mention 1t in this |
letter However, everyone is anxious
to get over there, although they
realize that it means hard work and |
the risking of everything once they
get started. But the feeling that they
want to get action and get things
started and do their bit and end this
war, is predominant over all others.
have developed strange friend
ship with a likeabIe sort of a chap
quartermaster sergeant of the Brit
ish army, Sid Stanton, at one time
holder of some Of the best running
records ever established in England.
He is home on "blighty'' recover
ing from wounds received.
Bonny Fine Crowd.
your boys are a bonny fine
crowd of brave lads" said this
wounded Englishman to me.
What do you think they will do
when it comes to fghting?" I ask
ed.
''wen the bIoomin' bloody blight
ers" he exclaimed, won't stand in
action. They are full of nervous
energy and ready to get into action,
and it is the waiting which viii get
on their nerves.
How do 1 know? Don't / know
what happened in France? Don't |
know that they have chafed under
the training? Do you know that
time after time men of the Ameri-
can forces first to reach France
would disappear, completely disap-
10 ~IrnI ahu
without leave and many Of them
were posted up for desertion. Then
they would come struggling back
into camp within few days, all mud
and tired out but happy, faces Just
bloomin' we'll busting with happi- |
ness. They had left their quarters
and stolen ammunition and taken
their guns.
Where have you been" their Of
ficers asked.
up to the front line trenches
sir" they would answer.
Just crazy mad to get into the |
fight, and crazy mad bloody fighters !
when they got there. I've had me
pail tell me how those 'deserters' |
from training camps fought. Jolly |
we'll like bloomin' mad men. No |
fear to them, but when it came to |
sticking it out in the trenches day |
|
charge, they quit and went back, il |
wasn't enough action to suit them. |
All! Yes! Your men are going to do |
big things when they get into the |
scrapping over there. And when I'm |
passed fit to go back and my
Blighty' Is ended want to be where |
/ can watch the boys from the |
states"
There you have a good example
Of what the English think about the
American soldiers.
BY the way when you address let
tiers be sure and write 1T Ameri- |
can Expeditionary Forces. or Ameri-
can r. F., not "A. Il. F." There are,
you know, African u. F., and Aus
tralian e. F., and 1t is better to be |
sure the American" is prominently /
written.
One of the most interesting things
about this camp is the small colony |
Of English soldiers home on
"Blighty." This term is the one /
adopted by the British army as ex-
pressing the fact that a man has !
been wounded and sent home to re-
cover from injuries and become fit i
TO again enter the service.
The men here are now well on |
the way to recovery and while not i
quite At to be returned to the front /
are used for police" work in the /
camp quartermaster's Office and de-
partment.
Wen have a bloody bloomin'
sing-song tonight, il you chaps viii |
'appen in" they say.
Last night was a fair example, |
Four of the members OF the band /
with four comets played a number l
OF the old selections, then the l
cockney began asking for special
songs. 1t was astonishing and de- /
,cidedly interesting to hear them sing /
them Are You From Dixie, Per-
feet Day" ION the Beach at Walk
Xxi and many other popular hits.
What If they did get 1t Anywhere
Below the Mason and Dixon line" tt i
was the song not the words which /
they had learned.
The comparison between the sing /
ing of the boys from the states and l
the men of England is a fair cri-
terion Of the difference between the
two nations and peoples. For the
Britishers like a ballad or anthem
American boys would race through L
to a slow tempo and II sounds de-
cidedly different.
Pep and rag and lots of action
in the singing Of the Americans is
eontrasted to the slow, deliberate
and phlegmatic way in which the Il
stolid Britishers go after American
ragtime. The comparison is applica-
BILE in many other ways in the daily
lives Of the people.
! 1 think all the above Is about all Il
there is to tell about now, although Il
expect I shall be able to describe II
some OF the English sights around II
here as soon as / can find out wheth-
er the names of towns may be men
toned. For instance ! talked yes n
terday with a rector Of an old church
some 700 years old. The rector HIM
self was about 80. expect a letter
from him concerning the putting up
OF the first roadside shrine for dead