Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-20

CIV WheFe tIlu ne VIII netp you III many
things.
Also-read the newspapers. but do
not believe all the things you read.
Judge what you read by this: Think
about it and think whether, if it was
printed in a German newspaper in a
German city, the German people would
be pleased. If they would-do not
believe it; nine times out of ten it is
German stuff. When you read that
strikes are causing great internal tr0u-
bles or that the German women are
crying for peace, don't believe it.
That is German stuff Think Of
those things the other way round.
picked up a German newspaper and
read with my own eyes that war pre-
parattons were being greatly delayed
i'll America by strikes and by the wo-
men who wanted peace. We are go
ing ahead just the same. There is
only one way for peace and that is by
shells-and more shells-and more
shells.
Now the Y M. C. A. is good for
many other things also. And when
you are near building, learn French,
and yet your non commissioned Off
GERS to learn French. Let them vol
unteer for their classes but once they
have signed up, make the attendance
y
will have hundred for the first class
and fifty for the second and five for
the third. There are two reasons why
you should learn French. First, you
will find many documents and books
and papers of military and technical
value which are written In French and
which you should read. And second,
you will spend about sixty per cent Of
your time in the trenches and about
forty per cent in the rear. Most of
that time in the rear win be spent in
sleeping and eating, and you will eat
just as well as you know the Ian
guage and you will sleep just about
as well as you know the language.
Your unit will come to a village for
billet and sometimes q non comiis-
stoned officer, but more often the sec
ond lieutenant, will have to get out
and arrange for the billets. Imagine
for yourself if an officer is making
arrangements for a billet and doing his
falling in French and another is try
ing to make his arrangements in Eng
lsh, which one is going to get the best
accommodations? If you try to ask in
English in French village, the war
will be over before you get it.
Now some of the well-meaning but
or err Jealous would be protectors Of
the soldiers are crying out. warning
against the dangers to which they are
exposed in their camps in France. 1t
would appear that vice reigned in
these camps and that all soldier did
in his spare time was to sit around and
get drunk. The truth Is that the men
are not so much exposed to vice, IL
quor etc, in France as they are here
In America There is too much fight
Ing to think of. to waste time In these
things. Moreover, prostitution Is now
forbidden by law in France and there
will be no trouble from this source to
mention. If the commanding officers
enforce the law. 1t is up to them and
to the military police, and all officers,
including the second neutenants must
help in the enforcement. But there
is another problem to be met in the
villages where the troops are billeted.
You cannot billet them in barracks or
tent camps as you do here, for it would
take the Germans about one hour to
find that kind CT a camp and another
hour to blow it up. You cannot
change the aspect of the ground. AS
an example of the necessity r.
screening your activities, I recall a
certain German ammunition depot,
which was so well camouflaged that
it could not be discerned by the avia-
tors who were on the lookout for it.
But as they observed the territory in
that vicinity that day, they noticed a
narrow yellow thread which grew
wider each day. Soon they could see
that it was much travelled road and
reasoning that there must be some
thing of Importance at the end of it,
they shelled the place where the yell
low ribbon ended. 1t blew up 1t
was the German ammunition dump.
The Germans had camouflaged their
depot very carefully but they had for
gotten to conceal their steps
So you must be in a town for your
billet. There will not be many
Frenchmen there for they are in the
trenches. Remember that one out of
every six men in France is in the
trenches If America were to raise an
army in like proportion she would
have a force of ten MILLION men. There
will be girls in that town and of
course they will be interested in the
soldiers. And there may be some
foolish one who will be tempted and
fall. Then in three or four days the
soldier goes back to the trenches and