New-York tribune., 1918-06-24

with some $50 French labor men. Seven of
US American men were there. 1 looked
from face to face, all around that big room
Something wasn't natural, but couldn't
figure out just what it was Curiosity
drove me on. I kept looking, and thinking.
Then l saw it. There were only seven
smoothly shaven faces in the whole room,
Those were the American faces. On every
other face thcre was q growth of beard
somewhere. Every variety of hirsute adorn-
ment was there, ranging froa the tiny and
carefully tended mustache to the bloom
ing. majestic full beard Some of these
boards were of wonderful and amazing pro-
portions Something on the face of every
one of our kindly French hosts! Nature
is marvellous.
1t was at a crossroads Somewhere in
France" that we came upon detachment
of American soldiers, drawn up on parade
to greet us. We stopped for a time and
talked with them when they had been or-
dered to break ranks.
These men had been through their first
taste of real war-and hot taste it had
been. And how they did want to talk! Here
were Amercans-folks from home! 1t is
a question whether they wanted most to
tell their own story or to get the latest
news from the States. But their talk
desires won, because we wanted to hear
them. M
One Massachusetts lad told story there
to a member of our party-told it with
blazing eye and voice shaking with rage
and emotion. Perhaps by this time some Hun
1~- L. Il. Al f1~-
and his brother had been in the same COM
pany. They were fighting in the open with
the Hun storm troops. The brother was
CAPTURED. II saw it," said the boy from
the Bay State. ~ saw them take him. And
then I saw them turn him loose, and saw
hir1 start to run for our lines. And then,
as he ran, saw them throw hand grenades
at him and blow him to pieces! I saw them
kill my brother that way!"
The marines didn't like the job Of being
military police. They wanted to get where
they could mix it with. the Boches And
they did. But somebody has got to do the
policing job. What is this job that the
marines didn't want? Why must there be
police?
One reason why there must be police is
that traffic requires them. The army has to
have its traffic cops, just as much as Broad
way and Fifth Avenue have to have them
Perhaps more, 80.
Back of the lines there is dense traffic.
1t has to be kept moving smoothly. If there
is traffic jam it doesn't merely mean so
many persons late for dinner. or late for
appointments. 1t means. soldiers halted,
guns halted, munitions halted. Traffic can't
be permitted to jam up.
Vehicles must move in an endless process
sion up and down these roads. The motor
traffic is amazing. So are the motor vehicles
in their variety. And in the midst, of this
variegated stream Of wars ingredients
stand the military police-the army's traffic
cops. Some are on foot, some are mounted.
It's not what could be called soldiers
job. Who would enlist to be a traffic COP?
But it has to be done. They are all over
the region back Of the lines-these lads
with I'M. p" on their brassards. The marines
--"soldiers OF the sea"-saw tho ROMANCE
going gimmering out Of their young lives.
and SO they set up a roar against standing
in the middle Of dusty crossings, sema-
phore-like, waving to the brown river or
traffic to halt or move on. But the army
traffic cop ia cog in the wheels of tho
war machine, and SO somebody has to do
the job.