The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-09-06
A STORY FROM TIE FRONT
Returned salvationist Describes EH-
.peficnces Of American Salvation
ISIS in the Huns and Trenches

In our work in the war zone we
have received the greatest cncour-
asament from military officers from
GeLeral Pershing down. The officers
manifest the fact that they believe
+ in us and are glad that we are doing
what we can to make the lot Of the
/ soldier easier. General Pershing has
called at some Of our huts in his in
spcctions and in each case has eX'
pressed his pleasure at the cleanli-
ness, The general arrangement OF
/ things and the facilities we have
provided for the boys
Before the American troops began
to move to the support Of the Brit
/ ish and French lines we had four
teen huts in full operation along this
4 ,ront grouped as follows -Four huts
well back of the firing lines in the
training camp, conducted by two or
three persons oach four huts well
up toward the front. also conducted
by Two or three persons; five huts
closer stil to the firing line each in
charge Of one Salvation Army Off
Ger. and tho headquarters hut Of
Lieutenant Colonel Baker, at Ligny
en- Barrios Attached to the head
quarters are a number of men who
are driving automobiles and distrib
uting supplies among the huts, and
other workers are scattered through
out tho field or assigned to yarioua
huts
We have not as much to report on
the religious side Of our work as !
would like The reason for this is
that our time has been so complete
ly occupied with other absolutely
necessary work In addition to this
it is most difficult under existing
conditions to follow to an end the
impressions made at our meetings
You see, the meetings are held in
the big rooms where the boys have
been playing games. and hearing the
piano and victroa music, and eating
and smoking and writing letters and
talking and singing, etc Al.;iough
we hold meetings twice week. and
sometimes more frequently. as soon
as we pronounce the benediction and
the meeting is over the hall becomes
play room again.
The Influence Of the Workers
But let me say that if seem to
be Understanding the religious
phase l am not really doing So be-
cause Tie personal influence Of our
officers is purely and distinctiyely
religious. For this reason they have
n marked effect on the soldiers.
Our people are certainly not hav-
ing an easy life over there, but then
they do not expect that nor would
they want to be at case in the midst
of so much suffering. Some of the
men, those up in the front line huts
carry coffee to the men in the tren-
ches, and Of course in these cases
they areNn as much danger as the
soldiers We are in dan. or er4n gas
attacks, but we have all been proyld
ed with gas masks and have become
most proficient in adjusting them
We have also developed an ear for
Gas bombs These burst with
heavy mud, quite different from the
explosion Of the shrapnel which is
sharp and energetic The gas masks
are always hanging in front Of our
workers, and AIS soon as the thud or
explosion is heard they must have
their masks perfectly adjusted before
they breathe again These respira-
tors draw the air through a certain
combination Of chemicals by which
the gas is neutralized
have spent a great deal Of timo
in and near the front trenches and
have had some very narrow escapes.
one night the warning bell. the bell
which alwSys sounds on the approach
of the "a wave. around us from
our slumbers, five times between two
and six o'clock in the morning. 1t
is the duty Of the men on watch.
at the approach of a gas wave, to
awaken the boys in the dugouts who
might be sleeping. If the warning
bell does not awaken them he must
at once use other means besides
dropping the sas curtain over the
mouth OF the dugout. Our boys have
heen in the trenches many times. es-
Gaping without a scratch. There is
really no very great danger if they
are moderately cautions and properly
use the appliances provided by the
military authorities.
The Pies and Doushnuts
You probably have seen frequent
doughnut and pie stories which have
circulated through the American
press stories Of the popularity of
these articles of-foad which are
made by the women of TIE SaF~,n
Army and distributed to the soldiers.
No ono could overstate the popular
ity of these American pastries. I
have seen lines Of from two hundred
TO four hundred men waiting in the
pouring rain While the douehnuts
we're being cooked.
The line officers also have found
these things not bad eating. and
have seen a captain waiting on the
steps Of a hut begging in piteous
tones for a few doughnuts. This is
not because the men are underred.