The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1918-06-05
OFFICERS SPIRIT
ELATES BRITISH.
Eagerness Of the Americans to
Get to the Front Is
Always Noted.
Make THEMSELVES At HOME
Get con the Job" at Once and Dis
play a Desire to Learn and TO-
BE Where the Shells Are
Whizzinq.

London.-Many interesting stories
come from France about the keenness
of mind and the eager spirit Of the
American officers arriving at the front.
These officers get son the job" at once
and display a desire to learn and to be
where the shells are whizzing and the
Huns r to be seen.
The first tendency Of the Britishers
is to be somewhat envious of the elab-
crate paraphernalia and equipment of
the Americans, but the disposition of
the latter to share everything he has
with his colleagues, be they French or
British. at once puts him on a most
friendly basis.
A British officer, writing in the
Daily News. tells of the arrival of
two of these American officers at
the front. After describing an old
French chateau, "full Of gusts Of wind,
of ghosts and labyrinthine passages"
he says that these two Americans
lugged into the place with trunks and
bags and quickly made themselves at
home.
Make Themselves at Home at Once.
He describes their entrance thus:
"And just then the door creaked
open, and two pleasant faced young
men in khaki, and wearing wide
awake hats with gold and black cord
twined around them, put their heads
in, looked round, babe me a pleasant
good evening, looked at the pile of
boxes, said they supposed this was
where they were coming in, and ex-
pected, and were quite prepared to put
up with hardships, and rapidly took
possession.
'This, then, was the American army
come to stay. These young gentlemen
had Travelled from the other side Of
the Atlantic to help out the allies, and
with them had com their belongings
packed in trunks. Thinking, of course,
of the limited number of beds, I said:
How many are there Of your 4 guess
there are only two coming in here
one replied. That seemed good enough,
and I said to myself: This army has
got some transportation. If a couple
Of l%ieutenants carry this lot, what
must an army carryY
II don't regret their coming. They
were nice Americans. They asked q
lot Of questions, and in doing so
skinned me of my knowledge OF the
western front. And from those trunks
they produced pieces Of equipment
which made me envious-automatic
revolvers, marked with a large o. S.
A., and ammunition; glasses, boots
leggings, coats, bats, mess tins, water
bottles, spare tunics, flash lamps
everything, in fact, which makes oul
own officers when on the move look
like Christmas trees. These young Of
hcers we're even more the complete
officer than we profess to be; but all
their decorative effects were slowed
and locked away in trunks. And, look
ing at the proposition fairly and
squarely, I began to like those trunks
Democratic Discipline.
I'VE settled down to work together
These American officers are of the
stamp Of the Canadian and Australian
Officer-keen, alert, good shots, and en-
dowed with what they themselves cal
democratic discipline One saw thi.
discipline at work. You fellows
haven't got much Of a place to shake
down in one of their servants tolt
me the morning after he had dumped
his masters kit in my room, and
don't think l felt any resentment 81
being called a fellow.
'These officers had that inevitabl,
eagerness to hear the guns and e tn,
inside Of warfare which one finds IL
newly arrived British officers. Ant
there is the same kind Of s%peculatin,
and guessing as to what is going t,
happen, when it will happen, and tn
chances Of an early 'blighty.' Blu
there is something more. These Amer
lean officers have definite views on tn
wal. One Of them told me that h
expected to find the British AM
French armies somewhat ragged an,
worn after their long struggle. VIVA
he had found was just the reverse
The British army made him blink; I
was so highly polished and extraol
dinarily smart, slick, alert and full o
'swank.' He expecte1 to find 10,
morale, instead Of which he finds
high. Personally I think these officer
had come to criticize, but they RENAL
to admire in amaze.
"And all this discovery leads to
certain shyness-something which /
new to Yankee temperament. My tw
friends Of the heavy baggage SCENE
to regard me as an expert in this wa
game. and an expert who had to b
treated with respect. Consciously q
unconsciously, they gave me an as
tendance yer them. I was the wal
rior, they the tyros coming on to tn
field of experience. One day, in
chatting remark, I compared their lore
ly trunks and my little bundle of BIZ
longings, and thereafter the trunk
seemed to call for constant apologies
I couldn't help watching their progress!
as n watches a schoolboy CROWN
up, and treating them as Junior!
whose only misfortune was they ha
haon Lotto IN coming {ntn tho enoId u