Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-08-24

How are you?" he inquired.
made out q red triangle beneath
the dust gathered thick on his right
sleeve.
What on earth have you in that
pack, man? Why, you look like a
cameI,' I held his hand fast
oh, that's some coffee I'm trying
to take along for the boys"
A Word OF Welcome.
He swung back into ms place in
the column and disappeared with
them in a cloud Of dust, leaving me
to my task Of helping with the ""
canteen that was being put in work
ing order beside that crossrOad
close behind the front. We were
staying with the army that the sol
dlers OF France, and England and
America might have cup OF hot
coffee or chocolate, a biscuit or
sandwich, and q word of welcome
and encouragement as they passed.
This incident, it seemed to me,
typifed the quality and spirit of
the leadership in the United States
army. the steadfastness Of the men
and the spirit OF the service of the
Y. NJ. c. A
The men who had been at this
post for several days told me also
Of the American machine gun COM
pany which had arrived before the
German rush had been partially
checked These Yankees had been
on the train for two days, with
limited food and with little chance
to rest. Without pausing to rest,
they had pushed straight for the
Marine and got their guns into posi-
ton Before many minutes the
German waves swept down on
them. and there they lay and pump
ed lead into them. Rank after rank
Of TeutOn infantry was swept away
before the deadly hail Of this Amer
lean machine gun battery supported
by French infantry. After two
hours of vain effort the Germans
gave up the attack and drew back.
The men l found laboring be
meath the sign of the red triangle
at this crossroads were veterans of
this struggle, having been in it
from the beginning. Some of them
were Americans. others French.
All were attached to the Foyer du
SOldat, as the branch Of American
Y. NJ. c. A operating with the
French army is termed. Literally,
Foyer du Soldat" means home for
the soldier, and, literally. their
work is to make homes for the SOL
diers close behind the front.
All Along Front.
These red triangle workers had
! hGnr al oil
from scissors to Reims, and had
been caught in the full fury of the
German drive. They had come
back with the troops under severe
shell fire, and during the retire
ment had lost one American work
er and had another slightly wound
ed and several partly gassed. But
there was no pause in their work
Most Of them had lost all their
personal possessions, in addition 10
their supplies and equipment. Yet
they somehow managed to carry
on. Whenever their troops passed
near a town they would set lIU a
stand. gathering supplies from
house 10 house Where the viIIag-
ers yet remained they purchased
chocolate, coffee, bread and cheese
Where they had fed, abandoning all
to the oncoming Germans, the sup
plies were foraged for the use OF
the troops. In normal times food
and hot drinks are sold to the SOL
diers at cost. but in hours Of stress
all available supplies are given
freely.
The men we found al work az
this little crossroads village close
behind the front had been laboring
under terrific stress all day and far
into the night for a week. Three
Americans and three Frenchmen,
they had worked on together In the
interests Of the common cause,
serving the troops OF all the allied