Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-19
OVER THE TOP
BY
ARTHUR GUY EslPEY.
An American Boy Who Went.
Copyright 1917. by Arthur Guy Empey.,

mixed in with his hardships, and. con
,rary to popular belief, the rank ant
| lie Of tho British army in tho trcnchc:
is one big happy family. Now in Nir
Einin. at school. WAS fed Oh old Me
GuTy's primary reader, which gave m,
An opinion of an Ems lishman abou
equal to &c Minute Mans backed III
by Il Sim Fcincr's. But found
/ Tommy TO be the best of mates and ;
gentleman through and through. II,
never thinks Ct Knocking his officers
I If ono makes u costly mistake and
Tommy pays with his blood. there is
no genera. condemnation of the officer
lie is las: rrticG. II is exactly tho
Same as 1; was with the Light brigade
ct iSaiaclara, 10 say nothing of CALI
poll. Ncuve C'hapcIlc ana Loos. Per
sonaily. remember little incident
"hers twenty of us were sent on a
trench raid "rl. two OF us returning,
hut | Will tell this story later on.
said ii WAS Il big happy family.
and so il is. but as III all happy fam
HES, there arc servants. SO in the
British :rmy there are also servants.
officers servants or 20. s" as they are
termed. In the American army the
common name for them is dog rob-
bcrs. From a controversy in the Eng
lish papers. Winston Churchill made
tho sta c,rcnt, far as | can rcmcm-
i,.r. th,' the officers servants in the
british forces 'o;al,i nearly 100000
lie claimed tina. this removed 100000
cNccption3l good and Scil-trajno
fighters rom ;h.i actual firing line.
Claiming that tiS officers. when select
ing q n'an fer servants Gvty. generally
picked tia man who had been cut tn.
longest aid knew the ropes
Eu; c:"iH rny observation, find that
u large percentage cf tho servants d,
they very seldom "neage in digging
parties. fatiGues, narades or drills.
This wo,ii is as Ecccs sary as actually
engaging in an attack, therefore | thiuE
that 1t w'u.l 10 >i',. - .ay that q
all-round work o! ,'ia 1G5 90 is ab'.-
equal TO 10 go men WHO p" on stra. IA:
military duties. In numerous in
stances officers servants hold the rank
Of lance corporals. and they assume
the same duties and authority of :,
butler. The one stripe giving him pre-
ccdcncc ever the other servants.
There are lots OF amusing stories
told Of 80 $"
one day one OF our majors went into
ihc servants billet and commenced
binding" at them, saying that his
horse had no straw. and that he per
aonally knew that straw had been is
sued FOR this purpose. He called the
lance corporal TO account. The cor
poral answered. "Blimc me, sir. the
straw was issued. but there wasn't
enough lcf; over from the servants
beds: IN fact. we had TO use some Of
inc ~ 1" clip out. SIR
II - needless TO say tina, the SER
vaatS dispensed with their soft beds
that particular night.
Nevertheless. IL is not the fault OF
the Individual officer. II is just the sur
vival Of uuan, old English custom
You know, an EnGlishman cannot be
changed in n day.
i:ut tho average English officer is a
good sport he will sit on a fire step
and listen respectfully TO Private
loncS's theory OF the way the war
should bc conducted. This war is grad
aally crumblng the once unsurmount-
able wall OF caste.
You would he convinced OF this If
you could see King George go among
his men OF an inspecting tour under
IRE. or pause before a little wooden
cross in some shcll-tosscd field with
tears in his eyes as he reads the in
scription And little later perhaps
bend over wounded man on "a
s,rctcher, pattins him on the head
More than once i'll a hospital nave
seen a titled Red Cross nurse fetching
and carrying for a wounded soldier.
perhaps tho one who in civil life de-
l!vcrcd the coal at her back door To-
day she does not shrink from lightin.
his flag or even washing his Sr!my
body
! Tommy admires Alher, OF Belgium
because lie is not a pushcr Of men. he
leads them. With him it's not a case
of TAX" that trench: il is come on
and VIC will take it,"
II is amusing TO notice the diffcren,
characteristics Of the Irish. Scotch and
English soldiers. The Irish and Scotch
are very impctuous, especially when j;
comes 10 baycnct nghtinG, while the
EnSlishman, though "A tri1c slower.
thoroughly docs his bit, he is more
mcthodical and has the grip OF a bull
dog on captured position. He is
slower 10 think. that Is the reason why
ic never knows when he is licked.
Twenty minutes before going over
the top tho English Tommy viii sit on
Tie fire 81 y ana thoroughly examine
the mechanism Of his rifle TO see ina,
: - IN working order and will fire
properly. After ;his examination hc is
satisfied. and ready to NEE; tho Eochcy.
hnt the lrishman or Scotchman sits
on tho tire step. his rife with bayonct
hA"d between his knees. the butt of
when perhaps is sinking into the mud
the bolt couldn't be opened with a
team Of horses X is 50 rusty-but he
spits on his sleeve and slowly polishos
his ha%onet: when this is done, he also
.a ready 20 argue with Fritz
], is not necessary to mention the
colonials rhc Canadians. Australians
aud Now I"alandcrs,. the whole world
knows What they have done for Eng
land
Tho Australian ana Ncw Zealandcr
leg termed tho ".Anaac." takiu. tho name
from the hrst letters OF their Official