Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-09-26
From Ralf I. Runge

written by Regimental Sergeant, MAI
or RaIf T. Runge, Headquarters, 6th
Division, American Exp. Forces, A. r.
Q. IT, France. Mr.. Runge is a son
of Attorney and Mrs. E. Aug. Runge,
BarabOo.
On Board The Transport
I have been a bit doubtful as to
what and how much I can write with
out it's being held up by the censor
when mail this on the other side but
there are enough things to tell that
are of no military value.
The officers have the staterooms,
which are all in the center OF the
ship. The higher non-coms-from
Sergeants, first class up-are to-
gether in a kind Of smoking room aft,
almost over the propeller. We have
hammocks to sleep in, which we hang
10 heavy iron hooks in the ceiling
We also have little section OF the
deck to ourselves.
The privates and lower nOn-coms
are on the troop deck, just below
ours. They also have hammocks like
ours, but are pretty closely crowded
together. They have tables seating
from IL to % men each; from each
table 2 or 8 men go to the galley and
get the food for the table and they
use their mess kits to eat from, as we
did in camp. We higher nOn-coms
eat in the officers dining room at the
forward end of the center section,
which contains the officers state
rooms; after we get through and the
tables are reset, the officers have
their mess.
The Major is having a class daily
for his three enlisted mem, --
and myself in which we learn various
matters that may be useful in future.
and | get together every day for
lesson or two in French, and now we
are working together also on the in
ternational telegraph code, and other
army signalling systems. The rest
of the time | spend in studying for
our class, reading. eating and sleep
ing: also we have half an hour of eX-
ercise every day consisting of march
ing part of the time at double time,
around promenade deck; sometimes
calesthemcs Occasional boat drills
are also held. Every officer and
man, by the way, is required to keep
his life preserver constantly within
three feet of him; if caught by an M.
n fn hnl
private is liable to arrest and pun
ishment By being assigned to X. T.
(kitchen police duty. e. waiting on
tables, etc.
| used to wonder why navy blue
was so-called. Now | know. | never
in my life saw such deep beautiful.
pure color before as the sea has had
all the time so far. When the light
is dull it has exactly the color we call
navy blue-sO dark. it seems almost
black, and with a suggestion of pur-
pie in it.
Some of the expressions of the men
are amusing When something dis
agreeable comes up someone is sure
to remark, "Hell Of a war! Worst
war ever was in" We have one or
two men in the bsllch who are regu-
lar clowns and keep us laughing
steadily when we are gathered on
deck in the evening after dinner.
Whilee we mrch around the deck
the men often get to singing, and the
commonest song. perhaps, is "Beauti-
full Katie'-Get Doris to sing it for
YOU. OF course cover There" There
A Long Long Trail" and Goodbye,
Broadway, Hello France" are also
fayOrites.
Sunday afternoon one of the chap.
lains on board, together with the two
". NJ C.. A. men. conducted a re-
ligiOus service and got the men to
sing for while. The chaplain took
dor his text" the three things that,
he said the censors have found that
soldiers cover there" write most often
to their loved ones at home. The
three are, in order; II love YOU"
Don't worry" and pray for me-"
His sermon was good. 1t was an APP
peal to us to keep that love pure, so
that the admOnitiOn not to worry
might be justified and the wives.
mothers and sweethearts at home
might keep the love Of the man who
has left them in all its purity.
j Somewhere in France"
Our dangerous way across the wa
ter" wasn't dangerous at all so far as
we were able to discover; we were
quite apparently very we'll protected,
and didn't worry much-at least all
except few timid souls. There
were two or three fellows l know of
who were almost sick with fear all
the way over; but the only result was
a good deal of joking at their ex-
pense by the others. 1t was reported
too, that some slept in lifeboats on
the upper deck one or two nights;
don't know whether it is true or not;
il so, it is good joke on someone. 1t
as a great advantage, after all, to live
in a country that is not so old that
conditions inherited from the past
low 80,