Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-11-05
THE TERRIBLE cooTIE.
He Preys Alike on Soldiers OF Every
Nationality.

Nationality.
In a communication to the National
geographic Society, Herbert Core!
tells the story of the greatest pest OF
the soldiers in France-the cootle'
4 part of his communication Is issued
ne the following war geography bulle-
tin:
9Th. American soldiers speak OF the
nest as "cootics." The French fighter
talks of totos' and the British tell OF
.coddlcrs.' They know it is not their
fault that they are infested pu'
the effect of years of civilian training
prcsists. They still feel. against all
reason, that there is something shame
full in their state. They try to assume
a ioviality they do not feel. and call
the things pants rabbits and seam
suuirrels' and speaks of reading their
shirts
This is not a pleasant recital, II
one thinks in civilian terms OF the
louise as loathsome and suspects that
the men who suffer from this plague
are in some way to blame. At the
very best it cannot he pleasant. But
lately. since my own people have come
into the war, and because know them
best and talk their language, ] have
begun to realize the moral courage
that is needed to bear this plague
without whining.
Many man has told me that to
be under fire would be trifie If he
could be clean. Mud and thirst and
hunger and cold can be horne with
equanimity. but the louise carries the
| suggestion of degradation. Yet that
too. is sustained brzlvely.
I have only known one man who
cried because of the plague surgeon
once told me. That man went into
No Mans Land on reconnaissance al
night in as commonplace fashion as
though he were taking the tram fol
| the office of morning.
"I didn't mind the nights on guard
in the front TRENCH many say. be-
cause the nights are cold and they
are quiet. But | dread the coming oi
the day, when | must crawl into m!
dugout and try to sleep and know that
shall have to lie awake and fee
these traps should he that which Is
them crawl They become tor
ture'
| practically all the men in the ad'
vance areas are lousy according to
document that is accepted as authori-
tative. 1t is impossible to tell what
proportion of the men in the rear ant
along the lines of communication ant
in depots are infested.
1T is probable that the men in the
French armies suffer to like extent
for the conditions under which they
live are identically with those Of thu
other armies.
| During the formative period of the
American army in France the mer
were able to keep fairly clean-only
fairly-but with the opening of the
years activity they were set upon the
same footing as their Allies.
"Of all the vermin Of the trenches
the chief pest Is the louise. He is un'
escapable and ever present.
THE primary reason Is that the
men have only intermittent opportuni-
ties to clean up. Theoretically. oi
course, the men Of all armies are
washed and dried and newly under
clothed once fortnight. Sometimes
glad eyed optimists clean up the mer
once a week.
Even If it were possible, the
louise would not be disposed of. He
would manage to cling in the over
looked fold of a blanket or under the
collar of an overcoat. And by and by
romance would begin to sing in his
blood. and he would meet a lady louse
and set up housekeeping. Whereupor
whole cityfull Of younglings would
appear and the unfortunate who
played the part of an unwilling host
would go back to his moments Of un-
easiness during the day and his hours
of sleeplessness at night"