The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-03-22
SOMEWHAT RAW.

Reading the reports sent in TO the
press Of the part the American troops
are taking in the actual fighting on the
French front, il would be reliey-
ing break in the daily monotony II one
could occasionally read OF an infantry
man or an artilleryman who missed
his mark, and thus became somewhat
human.Or an instance where an Amer
lean patrol had some slight difficulty
in performing the stunt when kicking
q German patrol off the debatable
ground between trenches. Or an occa-
sion where the Germans did not take to
Immediate flight the moment an Amer
lean raiding party went over the top.
Or when single shell from the Amer
lean batteries failed to go directly
home. This color scheme. colored all
one way by the deft pencil of the word
painter, seems trifle too favorably
colored. 1t will lead the people at home
TO believe their soldier boys to be in
yincible, and some day will come along
as it is sure to come along-when
the Germans are ging to kick back. as
is their well established habit, our
boys experience somewhat of a maui
ing, and the result will be a very dis
concerning surprise.
These accounts OF the accomplish
ment OF the American contingent
would lead one to believe that the
American artillery was about to bring
the war to sudden close, with a little
assistance here and there from the in
fantry. and other branches OF the SER
vice. Knowing the weakness of his
compatriots, however. the older inhab-
itants Will rather be led to the humili-
ating impression that American re-
porters and the American press cannot
get away from the national weakness
OF boasting. When such dispatches are
printed as The Huns Run Away as
the Americans Advance" one would
be inclined to smile, were 1t not for the
unfavorable impression that such
statements il liable to make upon the
people OF other nations II the Huns
get up and dust from the Americans
On sight. In the name OF common
sense why sacrifice the lives OF any
more allies. Start the boys going and
chase the Germans back to Berlin.
What is to be gained by this gascon-
aiding? What other country has indulg-
ed in this brand of rodomontade?
France, and England, and Belgium and
Canada have stood up to the rack, TAX
en- their punishment, and fearful pun
ishment 1t has been, without a whim-
per, have performed prodigies of var
or and little vain glory has been
wasted upon their performances. Fo,
the small part the American soldier
has so far taken in this conflict of the
giants the country has every reason to
feel proud, and to expect the same val
or and devotion that has brought glory
TO the arms OF the allies when the more
serious tests come. Our boys are not
supermen. although Of as good mater
ial as any fighting men on earth, and
they cannot be expected to accomplish
the impossible, but when it is said that
the veterans of the German army, men
whose valor cannot be questioned.
even though in every respect below the
moral standard of brutes. are struck
with panic every time khaki uniform
appears on no mans land, then the
writer Is straining his Imagination,
providing sardonic laugh for the Hun
and not creating very favorable opin-
ion OF American modesty among those
allies who are sharing the dangers and
perils of the fighting front.