Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-08-26
YANK SOLDIERS
COOL, WILLING
undetermined
Our DoughbOys Mean Business
When They Take the First.
Line Trenches.
THEIR EFFICIENCY EVIDENT
Veterans Before They Enter the
Trenches, by First-Rate Military
Training IL Not by Experience
Every Man in Line Has
Personal Grudoe TO
Settle With Huns.

Every Man in Line Has
Personal Grudge 70
Settle With Huns.
With the American Troops in Alsace-
Lorruine.--By the dim light of the
moon you could barely see the stream
of doughboys pouring out of the shell
tering woods and scraping over the
dusty French road toward the trenches.
They said very little and trudged along
with that measured swinging tread
which enables Europe's veterans to
carry their heavy packs almost UNI
heard-of distances.
The stream seemed intending as the
United Press staff ear picked Its way
from squad To squad without using
lights. without falling in bitches and
without touching single douehhCy.
Finally one section Of the human
stream halted In ruined village. The
press car stopped, too, for beyond this
point everything except ammunition
and food goes on foot.
The officers gave the order to rest
and Il lot Of packs dropped TO the
ground followed by doughhoys. Their
rifles they never dropped. In the moon
light you could see the ground covered
with resting soldiers. mostly string.
There wa> a clicking Of rifles and
sounds of tightening packs. and bits OF
gossip which could come only from a
group heading for its first night In the
Trenches.
Indifferent to Danger.
These were Uncle Sans citizen SOL
diers. new men just over from "the
states" as they have habit Of calling
home when over here. A few Ques-
lions revealed the fact that year ngo
these boys We're clerks, carpenters
students and whatnot. In civilian
clothes Six months ago they were IN
n training camp. Now they were sol
d'ers In France. and tonight they were
making their genuine debut into the
w,r for civilization.
There was no Wild enthusiasm MOI
any evidence Of fear or even apprp
hcnS'on among those citizcn-so,d'er'
as they rested before making the las
Ian into the trenches. There WIS {
Hfuter-cf-fact sort OF confidence prev
alent. and every man was making tn
mo- If the breathing spell 20 see th'.
he WIS 100 per cent ready for battle
Interest and talk centered around tn
clicking rifles and other equipment.
This old guns sure going to d.
some work from now on" said on
doughhoy 10 his pal. as he played wit
the rifle fondly. TITS the best gun II
this army"
"Sny. You never shot this gun" re
Piled the other. "Nobody ever did, an
nobody will but me. It's some Boche
getter 1t was made for me specially
Bo."
Officers went through the crowd gi'
ing a final warning about use of "a
masks, and attention centered aroun
masks for a moment A lot % chap
tried them on again Then packs ngai
were adjusted. and the group Of dough
boys streamed slowly on.
Ready for Business.
As they got nearer the front trenche
the word was passed to walk nor
quietly. Conversation excep, in VI
dertones stopped. and they descende
into trenches. All you heard WAS I'll
steady knock Of hobnailed shoes q
the trench duckboards, as these ne
arrivals were quietly initiated to IT
trenches In France. Quietly and will
out commotion the officers stationt
their men. with lookouts watchlr
across moonlit No Mans Land, tt
former occupants Of the trenches LET
!, and the relief was completed.
There is something about the fea
less quiet way these new dougbho.
. take the trenches that makes "
A., feel they know lot about warfar
. They are veterans before they ent
/, the trenches. by first-rate militia
;. training If not experience. Their al
!, ciplne Is fine, and their efficiency tel
= you they are ready for business
!. meaning whipping Germans
/. 'Well, you can tell Kaiser Bill We
here to fight" said one doughboy,
II he took his station. Hear the CT
:. mans say we're just crowd Of u
10 trained boys. Well soon show the
n we're soldiers"
b. 1t happens this doughboy's plato
10 did it very soon. The next night !
IA Germans came over, and fifty of the
70 UNFRAMED boys" withstood the alta
q, and stuck to thei: -,...>. 81 uermn
. n<SS~ ~sA%'
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