Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-10

49, rorrcspoudcnt Evening Pubic Ledger
s''" ,cith the American ArmD ~ fru"co
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Dec. 3.
training continues in American air
.,rs as II constantly does in the air
oar,ps of all armies upon the western
,.ort An aviator is always training.
,,,n,rg living or talking about flights
.s,on" is his strong suit par excellence.
visited an American air camp today
and not only talked with a number OF
.viators. but flew with one, n short
e,vbt of a few miles at low elevation
rhsre was a furry Of snow and bit
ing wind but the fiisht was full Of In
dsscribable pleasure nevertheless. The
ran flew with is not new at the game.
ia told me that he would be glad when
,o couId see enemy bullets mingled with
srow in the air. and do his share of dis
,ributing few. "all by my own SELF at
an enemy plane or trench.
This nier's work, as that of his fel-
,ovs lust at this time. is of n more
neaceful nature. He Is taking up officer
observers -to-be. giving them the expert
ences that must be theirs before they are
AZ for the lob before them. These OBJ
servers are learning fast. anh among
other things. how to start the motor,
tickIlsh Job that requires knack, a sure
eye and a sure foot.
At this airdrome, as all the others |
have seen, there are number or Frencn
Adrian barracks, or demountabln build
,ngs opposite others of a different nature.
long brown wooden buildings containing
repar shops. supplies for man and ma
chine. Passing the gulrd before them, /
Sramped through oozing yellow clayey
mud without trying to pick my steps
since one spot was as bad as onother.
II was mud to the ankle wherever you
looked. Reaching the commanding Of
acer's quarters, | entered a double door
into another barracks. The interior was
dull and as brown as the outside. save
that through the gloom l could see the
forms of men and three bright objects,
three stoves redhot and giving welcome
warmth after the outside cold. Close to
small windows uniformed men were bent
over typewriters that were busily click
ing away. With the officer commanding
I presently left his quarters and went
again to the open.
There we saw "a machine on the
ground wheeling off for rise In the
air. Suddenly 1t stopped while the motor
purred furiously. stuck in the mud.
said the officer. With the words. several
mechanics started off toward the plane
but before reaching 1t, 1t had started
off and taken the air. rushing grace
fully toward darkened heavens.
How high are the clouds. major?'
asked.
about 5000 feet" he answered. e"The
boys are staying below them today.
can remember without effort when we
wouldn't consider rolling machine out
Of the hangar a day like this. But now
It's war and things are different We
will go out after the Boche In weather
worse than this. believe me! And we are
ready and willing when necessary. be-
lieve that. too"
II Is easy to distinguish the officer
observers from pilots. The former. a'
well as the ntech7 mics. wear the con-
ventional Sammee uniform, including the
to-be-aba rdoned campaign hat. But
pilots snort "a peakless cap, exactly as
do the pilots of the British flying Corps
a cone-shaped affair comparable to ar
unribboned Highland bonnet 1t is made
of whpcord khaki with side flaps held
neatly in place by snap buttons, which
being released. permit resnapping under
the chin. This headgear Is not at al
like the trench cap worn by Sammee'
in the trenches, being much more srh''
In form and cut. 1t is worn rakishly
on the side Of the head. one side almos
touching the ear
As noted this in walking with th'
major toward his mess, where he hat
invited me to lunch, a stride OF kilo
meter to an ancient village. he said t.
me:
''You see. at this game. we always tall
shop; we have planes always with vi
In Conversation. It's something lik
airmen's messes on other fronts. ] sup
pose only up to date. We have lacked
the fllvor of discussing actual combat
That will come. When II does We will
all he Tlad. despite that we will hav
to avoid speaking of comrade who ha
gone aloft and not returned. That's IN
real hard part of the game for thos
that remain. 1t is. l suppose. an air
mans fate sooner or later. l do no
doubt that out of the - pilots In thi
ouft, only few will be left year afte
We get into the fight.
Here We are How's your appetite
old man? Let's eat and drink and b
merry while we can despite the perhap
TO be sometime tomorrow"