Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-19
AMERICANS SMART,
RELIABLE SOLDIERS
The Germans Will Find Them
selves Up Against Hard Fight
ers. Says London Times.

Writing from Paris to Tho London
Times, a stall correspondent OF that paper
says:
'Srhe same spirit, the right spirit,
prevails in the new army of the United
States as we have in our own forces.
4 Young American whom j have just
chanced to meet after he had spent ak
months in the army shows by his spirit
which may be taken as typical OF that
which prevails throughout the whole army
what the Germans have TO face from
the new enemy whom their lawless con-
duct Of the war has called into the field.
My friend had just returned from three
months service with battery which is
guarding part of the Western front,
That he had done his duty we'll was shown
hv the fact that he had gnined his cor
poral's stripes and, as final recognition
of his good work, had just been sent down
to JOIN n training corps for teaching
soldiers the theoretical side of an officer
training.
If all the soldiers of the United States
have as much enthusiasm rs this man, If
"doughhOys' rival the gunners and other
branches of the service which | cannot
doubt the Germans have tough lot up
against them. His conversation was filled
with remarks which proved that expert
ence IS making the young American
civilian 3 smart, sure headed, and re-
liable soldier
What is the fighting line really hike
now asked
It's fine" he replied. describing his
own appreciation Of Il Then, really
answering what | had wished hun to. he
continued
We had hand-to-hand skurmlshcs
pretty frequently The Boches thought We
should not stand up 10 them. being new
TROOPS They, therefore, came over prrtty
often. hoping to down our good spirits,
but they got poor change for their trouble
Our division IS a regular rainbow
crowd There are boys from Illinois in
tho gunners lots Of those in the ranks
being sons Of millIonaires from Chicago
and elsewhere infantry hattalions from
LOUISIANA, Washington. and other dis
trlcts We're all mixed up, although each
unit ls recruited from q different area.
but tho spirit u just the same and We
love our job
There Is IN the American Army keen
desIrr ~ get INTO the artillery. which IS
not looked on as a soft Job but rather as
the more intellectual wing Of the forces
Nc sll meaning tho batteries have
wireless, and - pick up daily the German
and French messages !, myself. was
manly used on observation work. al
though from time IL time took nv turn
az manning 3 gun
He next went on to tell me the origin ~
"doughbov the name used by the other
branches of the service Tor those whom We
call among other names. the foot slog
ger
new Frsnco-Amcrican orRaniza-
ton called French Homes. has come INTO
beng for the benefit OF the American
soldiers group Of French and American
men and women have cauv asscd the
length and breadth of France to find French
families, varying in social degree from the
peasant To the aristocrat, who will he
Hing to invite American soldiers and
officers 10 spend their leave with them
The idea Is to let the American soldier
know France intimately and we'll and to
carry away with HIM a comfortable feeling
q hospuslity and friendship At recent
reception gwen BY the oommittor. Mar
sdai Joffre strongly supported the idea
Professor Bergson also gave il his approval