Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-09-16
PRIVATE CoMbE
GIVES LECTURE
Methodist Church Crowded
With Large Audience
to Hear Canadian
IN Soldier.
NEW STARS ON FLAG

Twenty New Stars Affixed
to Church Service
FIJI Flag.
The Methodist church was crowded
to the doors last evening with people
out to hear Private Combe, the return
ed Canadian machine gunner, tell his
personal story Of the great world wide
war, his experiences as a prisoner in
the heart of Germany, his escape, his
recapture and finally his exchange
through Switzerland as a permanently
disabled man. The church was full to
overfiowing and people stood up, while
others were turned~away.
Private COmbe's address was pre-
coded by service of, afiixing twenty
new stars to the church service flag,
making total of fifty-five stars on
that flag. The men for whom stars
were affixed last evening were:
Lloyd Wedding.
Myron Paine.
Earl Baxter.
Marion Craig.
Murray Simpson.
Peter Hanson.
John Essig.
Roy f. Patterson. \
Olaf Walden.
Harry Parker.
Vern Baxter.
Edmund Seiser.
Harold SmOck.
Carl Hanson.
Wallace Long.
Roy r. Rees.
Elmer Burnett.
Maxwell Mccullough.
Frank II. Howard.
Floyd s. Pierce.
Private Combe Speaks.
Private Combe prefaced his story
with tribute to the fellowship and
common ideals existing between the
Canadian people and the people Of the
United States, as exemplified by the
fact that the 1900 mile frontier be-
tween the two countries is, and always
has been, unfOrtified. He also spoke
briefly of the women Of France, Bel
GUM, the British Empire and other
warning countries. They are not bow
ed in grief. despite the fact that they
are giving their sons. husbands and
sweethearts to the cause of freedom.
They have come to feel a pride in the
sacrifice they are making and the great
cause in which it is made.
The Trenches.
Private Combe reached France in
January, 1915. He described the train
ing given the men there and life in the
trenches. tits popularity OF soldier
life that every soldier wants to see
everything, ut the front, even to eX-
ploring no mans land. He said that
within ten days after the average sol
liers arrival on an active front he
feels no fear.
AS to the belief of many people that
the war isc nearing its end, Private
Connie takes issue. He says that the
absolute maximum energy of all the
allies must be used to beat Germany.
we must send our boys to France and
we must get behind" them. Those
who fail of their duty in this respect
are slackers.
At Ypres.
Following his short training in
France, Private COmbe in April. 1913,
was sent with his division to Ypres.
There he was in the defense line
against which the Germans used poi
son gas for the first time. 5000 men
were killed in his division by this first
gas attack and of his unit of 800 men.
but twenty-seven unwOunded answer
ed the roll call following the attack.
At this point, the speaker paused to
pay his respects to pacifists. IF you
want to hear people talk of Il cOmprO-
mise peace with the Hum" said he,
don't go to France" There, both
men and women know,there can be no
compromise They have seen too
much destruction, too much devasta-
tfon. too many atrocities, to ever con-
sent to anything but Il victorious
peace.
A Charge.
Following the gas attack told of by
Private Coanbe, the Germans that same
night charged the English trenches.
when the 500 men left In his unit took
big toll for the 5000 they had lost
in the afternoon. The Germans charg-
ed in mass formation and the machine
punS fairly moved them down, finally