The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-08-19
MEETS u'TSS :, 1TR00PS COMING
r. FROM Their Baptism Of fire.
They Were Tired Dirty With Mud and Stains of Battle but Full Of
h. "PepHv al Illusions Either as to Glory or PageantY
I, 6,"ar, Or the End They Were Pursuing
[l....a- or the Price to Be Paid. > !. 81 .'.'

persons on other, sectors OF tnc 1ronu
What matter? Heaven bless tho IN
ecdotal exchange which indicates &
common point of view between all the
allies on the western front. Even
by now, ! stake my life, there are
plenty Of exclusive American war
stories for men to tell in later days
at the gathering together Of Amcri,
can branches Of the veteran societies;
Of the great, world war.
OF a sudden we drew up In the out
skirts Of ii village. In front Of us,
about a hundred yards away, we saw,
a double line of troops far, rs the
eye could see, drawn up ais il for in
spection by. a little group of officers
clustered round a. clearing on. the
right. Our cars came t. Il stand-still
by. II group Of women dressed in
nurses uniforms who looked up with
Il slaile as we aighted l thought
at first that. they were French, but
second glance detected some rather
extra trin,nesS of costume, and in q
minute we were. in conversation with
some bright American girls, taking
a minutes rest after several long
hours in the local casualty station.
They amplific1 what our host, the
colonel, had predicted, and we
learned that we were face to face
with United States troops straight,
from the firing lipe. 1t appeared that
they had passed stormy night in
the trenches, been attacked, had beat.
en- off attacks, suffered ca sualties, and
been relieved when I'LL was once more
quiet.
Straight From the Firing Line.
1t was a moving instant when we
passed into the presence Of the troops
and saw them straight, from their bap-
tism of, fire. The commanding officer
received US warmly, but begged us to
90 down among the men and make
their acquaintance face to face. The
men were very tired, dirty with the
mud and stains of battlA but full of
"pep' and only anxious to get come
back at the enemy. They said they
got their mail regularly, and that the
food was good.
Secretary Baker seemed to have won
laureE on his tour in France. More
than one man lEcntioned}his visit as a
real visit from way back home, and
an incident that. made home nearer.
One man sent a message Of thanks to
the New York Sun for cigarettes. Sew
erals sent their messages to relatives
and friends. Very brave and uncom-
planning were these men who had that
morning stared death out Of counte'
nance. Like other seasoned troops of
other armies, they had no Illusions as
to the glory or the pageantry Of war;
but they were men, too. with no illu-
sicns as<to the end. they were pursuing
or the price they were prepared to pay
for it. That, I think, was the spirit
that animated then, within. Outward
~ one, only noticed their friendlness,
their patience and their soldierly ap-
pearancc. &C..
The "Mediatory Sacrifice"
walked back to our waiting motor
with a Roman Catholic chaplain. The
experience which I had just passed
through made talk setm ineongruous,
on,,ny side at any rate, and. we walked
in silence. We passed the village
church, a typical building of no inter-
est at all, with a large notice. announc-
ing special masses, with an English
sermon for the Catholic United States
soldiers.
"Not very easy to put your feelings
into words. is it," said my. companion.
interpreting my thoughts, ut is only
in very old language, and in very old
conceptions that we can find an ,equa-
zion able to: express at all what the
world is going through and what we
see around us at the front"
"'You mean?" I answered, puzzled.
1.-THE world Is lcarningya new lesson
as to the meaning of a mediatory sac
rifice"
Catholic. or n-Catholic. Christian
or Freethinker, who is there that will