Middletown transcript., 1918-11-30
fine WAR ADDRESS
Corporal Chase Gave His Expert
ences In France
A GOOD MUSICAL PROGRAM

An interesting program was given in
the Town Hall Tuesday evening. Mo-
vember 10Th. by the ladies and gentle
men in the United War Work Cam
paign. 1t was good audience for
rainy night.
Prof. H. Hayward of Delaware Col
lege, led in the singing by the audience
standing of The Star Spangled Banner;
then followed the Suwanee River, Bat
tie Hymn of the Republic; next a very
fine baritone solo by Mr.. Carr which
was tumultuously encored, Miss Hut
chin played the piano accompaniment,
but Mrs. Carr accompanied Mr..
Carr's solo.
Corporal V E. Chase, khaki clad
giant from Minneapolis. Minn., gave
highly enjoyable account of his expert
ences with the Engineer Corps IN
France. right at the front. He was
wounded, and sent to "blighty" in
America, but goes back soon, only re-
GREETING he will not have a chance to
get the Hun who got him.
He described the exacting routine
work of the soldier behind the lines,
from reveille at 5.45 A. NJ. to taps late
or later at night Also the life in the
trenches feet deep; "No Mans Land"
from l-S of mile to IS yards or less
wide, defended with huge barb-wires
that only a regular cutter can sever,
and spurs or barbs 9! to 5 inches long !
Their dugouts for sleeping were 25 feet
below the ground, of various sizes hold
ing sometimes 25 or more men, bomb,
but not bug proof ! Told how he went
to bed alone, but got up early with
big family, each member of which
''stuck closer than a brother" Tried
gasoline bath 'hell-fire If you
don't believe me, try it on once "
Said it only killed the first crop of
''cooties," to be followed by fresh
set hungrier still.
lie gave graphic account of driving
an ambulance in the dark over track
less sea of deep mud filled with shell
holes big enough and deep enough to
swallow up good sized house.
He told how two Yanks disputed
about the relative stinks of Bosch
and a goat, whi ;h the Colonel was call
ed in to settle. Hiring in the goat'' he
said. They did 80, and the Colonel
tainted. Then they brought in a SAM
pie Bosche, and the goat tainted!
He declared the army cannot trust
the treacherous Huns; and that an
army must be left in Russia, Austria
and Germany.
Corporal Chase warmly eulogized the
splendid work of the Red Cross for the
soldiers. "We could never have gotten
along without their blessed ministra-
tions, their "Euts" and canteens, etc.
They were right up to the front, and
gave to all, Gentle, Jew or Mormon. "
Pointing to the well known ''drive'
poster of big grinning khaki soldier
with his wash basin tin hat. holding a
huge doughnut in his fist into which his
capacious mouth had just dived, he
said "the only thing that's wrong with
that picture is the bites too small-the
boys gave those delicious things regular
watermelon bites as big as their mugs
and that's some -
Corporal Chase said the U. s. boys
would have landed in Berlin, but that
the Huns yelled ''Kamerad. They
said we were lot of buffers. Maybe
so. but We made our bluffs good -
He paid glowing compliment to the
heroic French, the men on the firing
line and the women doing all the work
behind the lines even gray-haired old
ladies Of 70 doing hard farm drudgery.