Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-06
AMERICANS EAGER
TO WIN AND return
Men, Resting After Trench
Duty, Glad They're Hurry
ing End Of War.
DAYS SCENE IN THE REAR
BY HERBERT COREY.

BY HERBERT COREY.
IN THE FIELD WITH AMERICAN
TROOPS. April 2.-There Is q left
handed street in this little village. On
one side OF 1t are half a dozen ruined
houses and half a dozen others that
have been nicked and spattered by the
German shells. Here and there are
spots piled up with crumbling mortar.
where houses once stood. On the side
nearest the boche gunners IL . screen
Of camounage. perhaps ten or fifteen
feet high. 1t has been made by sus-
pending reeds and withes Of hay on
wire. An American sentry PAGES the
length OF the screen:
'Get out Of the middle Of the street."
he shouts at private soldiers. DO you
| want the boche to blow your silly
heads or"
When an officer passes his formula
| varies:
keep on this side Of the street sir"
he says. Orders. sir You are plainly
visible to the Germans when you are
| in the middle"
Right ahead of us the Germans hold
the hills. One walks through the town
| with circumspection. Now and then
cross streets are barred by the screens
and signs are posted. remaining from
passerby IL forbidden to circulate in
| the rue. At an occasional corner one Is
| warned to hurry, and there are other
! places where the soldiers are told not
! to hang about in the open. Always the
unseen enemy is watching.
Loiters in Danger.
He has a sort of a code by which he
governs his actions. If the soldier oc-
| cupants show a decent recognition OF
| the fact that he has the drop on them
| he does not Are. But If they discour-
teously loiter in the open he drops a
shell near to make them quicken their
| steps. 1t is one Of the odd conventions
Of the war.
HE does not shoot at wagons that
hurry through" q French officer said.
But IL wagons stop in the street-al-
ways he tries to hit them"
The Americans got here only last
night. Two days before they had been
dry billets. after thirty days in line in
Lorraine under French tuition. They
had borne themselves well. 1t had
been a quiet sector when they reached
the process of shooting at the Dutch
men," The Dutchmen shot back. In
the week just before they left the
training trenches the work had been
warm enough to satisfy the man greed
lest for war. Big shells and little shells
fell in their sector night and day. They
were gassed and "minniwerfered" and
sniped.
Then they marched out for rest on a
night that the German bombardment
made look like Coney Island from
Rockaway boat. We did not know 1t
then. but 1t was part OF the prepare
tien for the great thrust against the
allied line. The Germans were busy all
along the western front to cover their
real intentions from the allies. Next
morning saw the men of the relieved
units sitting by the roadside during an
interval Of rest. They We're -grinning
and joking in true American fashion.
II any one of them had a crouch he
failed to air it.
mighty glad to get out" they re-
ported. But wen be ready to go back
as soon as we get rest and get rid of
the Coolies"
1t was not boasting with them, but a
mere statement of fact. They are can
did. clean-minded. straightforward boys
OF Amesica.
interested In France.
They talk in the most engaging fash
ion of their affairs. One boy this MORN
ing showed me pair Of pocket scis-
sors. II watched the man make EN-,
to ma to make buttonholes with" An
other had the cap badge Of conductor
Of little interurban railroad in cen
trail Ohio. He had sort Of brought 1t
along" he said. but before he goes
back he is going to have France" en-
gfaved on it In gold letters. Another
was prowling about the little seven
teenth century church.
"I'm interested in history-and-and
art" he said. "Over the door of the
house where I'm living. it says Cab
about that"'
Ny friend Jacobs is dissatisfied with
the town. He says frankly that he
thinks the general or somebody made
a qualified mistake in selecting it. He
and see the stable he is keeping his
mules in. The roof leaks when it rains.
he says. and it rains most of the time,
and lit is mighty hard to keep hard
workin' stock in good condition when
they get rained on-especially when
they don't get enough feed only when
I'm lucky at stealfn.
But no one Is complaining.
1--WE want to get back to the trench
es soon's we cam" they say. 80 we can
finish this UP and go home
The only kicking I have heard was
training trenches heard that the staff
had planned hike" to be followed :
by some rinaneuvers in which the red
army was to battle against the blue
over the hills Of France.
whats the matter with fghtin' the
Dutchmen?' the men asked.
Now they are getting their wish
Gen. Pershing placed the America
Army at the disposition of the French
army authorities, and a certain part of
the line was turned over to this unit.
Were on our own now. the officers
told the men. We've got to make
good"
The Dad-I'm glad to see You're |