The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-07-08
BRATTIEBoRo DAILY REFoRMER, MONDAY JULY s. 1918

rather warm along our front since. OF
course / attribute it all to our curiosity
and eagerness to meet the Hun, for the
boys do not like to stand to- in cold
wet trenches day. after day without do
ing something worth while Shipping is
a pleasant pastime, of course, but we have
got SO many of them that it's sort of
dead sport now inasmuch as they are
wary and do not allow their men to get
as careless as they did some time ago.
And then, besides, it's two-man pastime
and IN places our trenches are low as well
as theirs and SO once in while we pay
Tor our reclsiessness as welltas they.
But In this matter of sniping we are
way ahead of them and it is a favorite
saying among the men along this bit of
sector that there is no more mo man S
land for it belongs to the Yanks, and
one would almost think it to be so, the
way the men saunter about in the place
after darkness has fallen. They are sure
masters of this mysterious piece of terri
tory, il not the complete owners, and
with their wonderful sniping and harass
ing tactics all the time they are destined
to maintain this supremacy, / believe.
boys and only recently we were men
toned in orders, so | feel very proud of
them, of course They are hard workers
when there is much to do, but are the
most successful trouble makers when they
are in rest that | have ever seen. | have
four heutenants to help me, but we are
all pretty busy at such times
! wish that some of our young men who
are remaining at home, men who are able
bodied, unmarried and well able to take
up the fight, could only be here for a
while and see things as they exist Papers
and pictures fail to my mind to make the
ones back home understand it all, and it
only needs such first-hand information as
can be obtained here to make every man
feel that it is not simply his duty but
his privilege to get into this thing head
over heels. Ones hate for everything that
is German grows by leaps and bounds
and as he sees the devastation, the pri
walton. the misery and suffering they have
caused, his eagerness to strafe them hard
grows until he feels himself to be a giant
even though he be barely five feet four
1t seems to me that every fellow who car
fulfill the requirements, and is single ought
them, every one, and the sooner we ge
them the sooner this terrible thing will
end
There can be no backward step takeI
now, for even here in our own little divi
sion we have lost real men, men of
thousand times greater value than tia
whole boche army, and they will not res
comfortably in their graves here in Franc
until the last Hun has reiterated o
been killed After an army loses men
has double purpose in fighting hard
first for the cause, OF course, and second
~ for the ones who are dead and VIII
cry out to be avenged. Yes We need on
young able-bodied men, and if they eoul
only know, only see, am sure that TIA
term Stacker would never again
written in the American press. 1t is a
most a disgrace that the papers are a
lowed to use the term as it is, for theT
must be few at most who have not opene
their eyes to the truth, and who are nc
ready and willing to sacrifice all if need /
for the cause.
And now / know that | have tired yo
with this long letter | did not inten
to ngits. 50 Jfn y ,Jyihen / began, but Ii
, sort Of nuts On this business over heI
and once started ] never know when t
+, stop You will pardon me if | hay
e thrown by better judgment to the wind
e won't you?
5 am in the best Of health. enjoying Il
r whole business as well as it is given
{ civilized people to enjoy real war, an
( would not be elsewhere for anything
. the world. You will kindly rememb
Q me TO my friends in Brattleboro, and
II Your son. whose acquaintance | had in
i made when | was called upon to lea
e tho Old Town.
Thanking YOU again for your gifts, al
o assuring YOU of my full appreciation
r them, ! beg to remain. sincerely yours.
/ HERBERT w. TAYLO