Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-08
.YANKSDOR'TKNOW
HOW TO RETREAT
Most Wonderful Boys in the
World, Say Woman Can
teen Workers.
WOUNDED ALWAYS Cheerful
Come Back From Battle Laughing and
Joking-Y. M. c. A. Women Re-
main Under Shell Fire to
Serve With Troops.

Parls.-"They can't retreat. They
are the most wonderful boys In the
wOrld!"
This was the summary of the 4. Il.
+. that two American women, Mrs. Vim
cent Astor and Mrs. Henry Russell,
have just brought back from the
front, where they were the last women
to see the troops of the - division
as they went over the top and the
first to- greet them as they marched
back again.
With gas masks over their arms
and helmets at hand Mrs. Aston and
Mrs. Russell laid Il plank over two
boxes for Il Y. NJ. c. A. canteen in
wood just back Of the trenches. Here
they watched the men march by into
battle and dropped cigarettes and
candy into their tin bOnnets as they
marched back again, triumphant from
the big drive.
"There was never such a return
from battle before, surelyw Mrs. As
tor and Mrs. Russell said, on their
return to Paris. THE boys came back
Joking; they came back laughing.
Those who had been wounded seemed
to be just us happy and just as sure
of victory as the Others.
Wounded Are Cheerful.
"Here's where | get u dimple out
Of this one boy who had been wound
ed In the face and who had lost all his
teeth said to us. And that is the way
they all were. When you went up to
a boy who lay so still that you feared
he was dead you would find cigar.
cite waving between his teeth and q
grin on his face"
AS the men marched back past the
impromptu Y. NJ. c. A. canteen they
gave Mrs. Aston and Mrs. Russell
souvenirs of the battlefield.
The two have now in their posses
sion such mementos as a German belt
II cap, an indellble pencil formerly
used by a Hun and any amount OF
German money.
"One boy who had an Iron Cross
said that he had bargalhed with Q
wounded German for it, Mrs. Aston
! related. "lIe told US that he had of
fered the German drink of water
and to lift him up where the Rec
Cross stretcher bearers could see hin
more easily in exchange for the Irol
Cross. He got it,
Mrs. Russell said that she haC
talked with one man who said that h,
had seen Il German woman behind {
machine gun, but that most of tn,
information on the subject had beer
secondhand and vague enough t
make one doubt the report.
Fury of Battle Upon Them.
81 asked him how he would trea
such a woman If he captured her ant
he replied that he would shoot he
without hesitatlon,' she said. "Tht
fury of the battle was still upon tn,
men when they came back. We fount
very little disposition among them t,
sympathize with the 'kamerad' criers
They had a ferocity about them Whel
they came back that they hadn't hat
when they went over the top, and
new courage and self-assurance."
In one Of the villages near the from
Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Astor met thrc
Y. NJ. G. A. women who had remaine
under shell fire to serve the troops I'm
til they were moved back by the gen
erals orders. The three were Mrs
Clara Simmons, Miss Elizabeth Drot
and Mrs. Oril f. IIenthorne.
Mrs. AStor and Mrs. Russell eXpec
to be stationed ut a Y. NJ. {. A. can
teen at the front within few weeks
Some one suggested that such an nd
vanced position was extremely dan
gerous In case our troops should re
treat and the Germans should follow
"Our boys don't retreat said Mr.,
Astor. "They can't retreat. The,
don't know how"