The Seward gateway daily edition, and the Alaska weekly post., 1918-03-06
First Lieutenant in an Engineering Corps Writes Dr. hcatiog in&' llen Are Equipped m a Fine
 Manner, Reacy Co Fight FORCES BETTER THAN A-i@"D Men Are Ready lo Oie aUG All Ihe! Ask k Tha, Those at Home keep Sending ihe NecesSaTieS to
 Them Across the Seas
,RCES BETTER THAN ArLiED


 in excellent condition, well cared 10. rnd are bound to win. This IS or' ,eduction fot a letter under date O. January 25th, from "so@ewhc @ n france with the American ENnn".- ,ionary forces" and received in ,.e last mail by Dr. O. J. Heating. A~'wo about January 25th. Secretary Baker and President Wilson were haU.g a time" with certain senators ar t,- rresentatives who declared that the forces in France were in a wrrJchee condition. The letter received O. b Kclting. from man with inc fight ing forces, gives the he to the state mcnts of the CongreSsmen.
 The letter received by Dr. Ncatng is lor, First Lieutenant R. l.. Hugh es. Company D., l17th Engineers, tre latter being a chum of the Seward doctor, both having tor years been a. ,ociated in various ways in California.
 Lieutenant Hughes writes: We are goipr into this thing to do or die. We'll do if you birds at home vii. keep the shoulder behind the wh",, 1nd send the nccessaGes oyer aT,! we'll only be too willing to die for our native land at anytime. We've had 10 get a mighty big army tog, tH- CT out of a very small nucleus but, they look well compared to the Allied foIcas and we will surely come through. The men couldnt be in bet ter shape or spirits, don't believe.
 Lieut.. Hughes was on the border jn 1916 and then returned with his com panv to California. Lasc July Lr'i. Hughes again joined the forces for as he writes: "We had to get busy to punish the Roche and l enlisted m ,he California Engineers. | was commiS- stoned a Second Lieutenant in AuguSf on the 18th, to be exact, and l3 days after received my commission as First Lieutenant. Was in New York from September Sth to Oct l5., trcn saiIe' for France and landed about the first of November. I surely enjoyed the trip across the continent to New York, The trip across the Atlantic was dur ing tropical days and moonhr7' niphts."
 This latter reference to tropical days and moonlight nights" indicates that Lieut.. Hughes was on one of the many transports that landed m the southern part of France, reachinT there by the Mediterranean and oniv- ing at Marseilles.
 Continuing the letter, Lieut.. Hugh es says: "France Is a unique place and of great historical interest, but the modes of living and general methods are away below what we know. The landscapes are beautiful and the Spring will bring out more so.
 T am travelling over part ot France more or less and it is surprising the bunch of fellows l have come across whom I knew in college, Frisco, etc"
 Frequently, in writing his letter. Lieut.. Hughes puts in the expression "busier than blazes for the time be- ing" showing that he was called to special duty suddenly and then re- sumed his letter writing.
 In concluding the letter the writer says: Censorship prevents my men tioning much of anything so my sup ply of information I can give you, Doc, is low. can say this, though, everyone of the fellows from Ameri- ca are fine physically and ready to crack the Boche. Everyone is ready to plunge his sword or bayonet into them, right up to the hit and then give the proper twist for extra me'- sure"