The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-02

motor truck, horse transport and pack
mule.
From routine the system had to be
extraordinarily elastic, adaptable to
hourly changes.
About this time Americans began
arriving in large numbers in this
zone. They were without transport,
engineering supplies; and mostly
minus equipment. %" had to take
care of this situation while not
neglecting the other, and to their
credit be it said they did it. Not a
regiment went hungry, it is said, and
III the midst of all this when U. S.
soldiers, who are coffee drinkers. call
ed for coffee grinders from a tea
drinking lot, the coffee grinders were
produced as if by magic. Not an
American unit was left without it's
grinder though only 20" and probably
heaven, knows where they came
from.
The refugees had to be looked after
by somebody, and this job fell to the
lot of Supplies"
Some of the civilians acted wisely
and left early. After that more left
each day, adding to the already ire
mendous difficulties of military trans
port by blocking the roads with their
vehicles and cattle. Some loaded
blankets, food and spare garments
upon donkeys, cows, dogs and goats,
taking all they could Others left
home without even a spare loaf of
bread or change of clothing. Many,
after leaving, decided they would go
back-having heard in some mysteri-
ell hn1 cd
only to arrive in time to receive
another deluge and flee again.
The %" officers did all they could
to help these people, to feed the hun
cry, clothe the insufficiently clad,
house the roofess, meantime trying
to keep the roads at least passable
for their own transport vehicles. One
corps impressed it's specialist officers
pay1nasters, chemical
advisers, and SO on-into this work,
clearing up tangles and saving num-
bers of bad situations.
For instance, "Q' wished to pre-
vent as much material as possible
from falling into the hands of the
Germans.
Food supplied which could not be
transported were distributed among
SOiOISTS stllu ClFIldlS. INC 6ACdl
army canteen in forward area when
threatened with capture, was emptied
of all it's sweets, biscuits, cigarettes.
cigars and tobacco which were car
ried by canteen clerks to main road
where they stood and distributed
these things gratis to soldiers and
refugees as they went by. One entire
platoon of Tommies was seen march
ing down the highway each putting
away at Corona Corona.
A French matron once remarked
that Tommy Atkins is lion in the
trenches and lamb in the village.
She apparently was right He had
unheard of opportunities to attach
himself to something which did not
belong to him, yet he seldom aValled
himself of what used to be considered
a soldiers privilege. A claims officer
recently visited Amiens to adjust any
trouble which might have arisen
there after the evacuation of the
place. He could find but two cases.
One Tommy was up for breaking into
"a dwelling house to secure COM
Portable billet. The other had made
hash of rabbit, the owner OF which
had joined the column OF refugees.
A fine record for SO many troops In
a city of over 100000 which suddenly
had been deserted by its regular pop
ulation.
The average man thinks Of war az
two armies, face to face, shooting at
each other bravely, but he forgets, or
never considers the colossal task OF
keeping these men fed, equipped and
IN transport. He ignores the 200, 1000
900 pounds of stuff they use daily.
each ounce of which must be trans
ported along miles of crowded roads,
fhrorgh the enemy's curtains OF fire
put along routes TO prevent trucks
coming up, and despite German gas
and Prussian bombs
The Lilies do some real spinning
after all. And the Lilies" of GO are
not the only ones. Others entirely
outside the actual fighting branches
have their troubles, and meet them.
WAS CLEVER