The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-06-16

WIFI the American ARMY III france,
June i5.-Pity the poor military police |
They have fewer friends than any 9TH
er American outfit" in France. Partly.
this is due to the average soldiers dis
like for anything resembling a police
man, on general principles; partly 1t Is
due to our military police themselves.
For in days not long past each military
policeman seemed possessed with the
idea that upon his shoulders alone fell
the great task of ordering around or
binary" doughboys and even officers.
There were some whose first re-
Spouse to nearly every question asked
was, ''I'Il run you in IL you get fresh"
Many of that class have been relieved
now, but some still remain and the
army as a body is hoping that addi-
tional relief will come quickly.
The average American oveSseas be
HAYES himself and knows it. He Is
inclined to resent it every time he sees
couple of husky M. P.s" swinging
biilies, and looking him over sort of
squinty-like", as one young artillery
man explained it. No soldier ever
passes up chance to shoot barb in
the direction of an M. p"
The other night column after column
of Americans were walking toward the
trenches through town about two
miles back Of the first line. At a.
cross-road stood a military policeman
watching the columns pass in silence.
The marchers were not feeling espec-
tally cheerful that night because it was
raining But suddenly from the mid
die of passing company a husky
voice was heard to shout:
Hey there. military police! Why
don't you join the army and fight for
your country?"
That military policeman was mad all
over.
Next morning. about an hour before
daylight, shells started to arrive In
town The Germans were Smelling the
same cross-road. Finally, after com
ing in" with an especially lour scream
a six-inch shrapnel shell burst direct
ly over the road junction and the NJ.
P. standing in it. A piece of steel
about the size of an egg sailed down
right In front OF the nose Of the NJ. P.
while other pieces hit the roof Of a
building on the corner, in which the
Associated Press correspondent hap
pened to be, breaking off the tiles and
spattering them in every direction. The
correspondent heard the M. p. mutter ::
country-huh. The poor boob is now
out there in the first line and as safe
as IL he was babe in his mothers
arms. while I, doggone it, have to
stand up here like pin in bowling
alley and let Fritz see whether he can
knock me down."
Correspondents have had their trou-
bles with the NJ. p. too. One OF them
was entering the gate to certain gen.
erals house and the NJ. p. there sa-
luted him. When the correspondent
emerged the NJ. p. happened TO notice
the green armband and the red c on
his arm.
Say. said the NJ. p. ARE you an
officer ?"
NO." replied the correspondent.
Then why did you return my sa-
lute?"
why did you salute me?" asked the
correspondent, In turn.
Because I thought you were an Of
ficer," said the NJ. p.
II returned 1t because I thought you
were a soldier" remarked the CORES
pondent.
The military police organizations that
have arrived recently appear to be
made up of an entirely different class
Of men. They are courteous, carry
out their orders to the letter, do not
NEEDLE In things that do not consern
them and for the most part display ex-
cellent military Qualities ftsis said
and undoubtedly with considerable
truth, that the discipline and morale
of a military organization can be de-
termined by the way its men salute.