New-York tribune., 1918-07-07
Ex-Automobile Editor
Says He Likes Horse M.

Says He Likes Horse Me-,
Walter Woods, general manager :,
The Van Cortlandt Vehicle Coruo,..
ton, distributors of Peerless e,,,
here, received a characteristic let.s.
last week from Captain Charles G. pss.
cival, former automobile editor !,
"The Globe" and ex-advertisine n,r.
ager of the Van Cortland Vebis.
Corporation. Percival went to Frarr.
after long period of training at n.
Nash plant in Kenosha, where i.
specialized in truck operation aM
maintenance His letter follows.
"If anybody had told me mont.
ago that one man could do as mut.
and crowd as much into a month 81
l have, l would have laughed at bin
Since April 26 I have taken charpe a
an organized infantry detachment n
$50 men, have trained them in n
American camp, have taken tiss
across the ocean to France, have
marched and entrained them halEsv
across France, have been billeted With
the French people and have delivers3
my men to the first line Of battle ssi
returned to my own department heal
quarters, where am now awaitin.
orders for a permanent assignment d
either artillery or the tank section.
II have slept and have eaten will
my men, have marched all dav in tts
pouring rain for three days ca,
secutively, have been soaking wet N
that time, and have never felt bette
in all my life. I have travelled on u.
French railroads and their dinky III.
tie boXcars, have eaten both Aver.
can army food and the best Frensr
food, have partaken of horse mss
whenever | could get it, and like Il
Il have been in some of the biggss
French cities and am now writin.'
this within hundred miles of Paris
seated in a good hotel with runnip,
hot and cold water, electric lights sal
a bath. can see from my Windows
all nationalities of troops sauntsrng
by. Americans, Russians. Ciagsles,
Algerians, Japanese, Chinese, Eoor,
Arabs, Sikhs, Hindus and thelma
only knows what, including well I'll
and contented looking prisoners.
"This war is great adventure ia
the man who wants to look at if viii
romantic eye. but to the stolid j
is merely a big business. The kiln
of men is no more than the raisr
OF wheat or cotton, or the butcherir
OF hogs. The question is, How mud
production can you get away with d
a day, and also cut down the over
head?
Big business with a capital, Amer
can automobiles, motor cycles, mott.
trucks and aeroplanes and America!
IN charge of them scurry here 90.
there. We get our mail in three weer
from home and that isn't bad. ".
write when we get a chance and v.
yearn for Broadway or Oshkosh. W
chat with the French girls and We
both laugh at each others mstsks'
ana manage to get along. Everybciy
is nice.
I'VE order vim blanc and vim ross
and wonder how they drink it ass
steady diet and then we try to drink
the water and in desperation 60 back
to the wine. The beer is as bad 50
we drink tea and chocolate. We give
up our little bread coupon with it
weight and date marked on it sii
munich it dry and without butter. Es
become eaters of jam in lieu Of but
ter. Gee, we wish we were back i;
the United States, for war is not 81
poetry. Just a plain business and )
damned big business.
What is Pershing doing? Doesnf
he know I am here? Why doni
Joffre and Foch consult me? ! cOuli
show him how to do this. Why doesni
the French barber sharpen his raEst
heat his water and raise his chair
Who ever told him he could shave
he can scrape and every one who gosi
through the experience is worthy d
a stripe of gold on his left arm, f''
he has been truly wounded in Franc
How We envy the guy with q gold '
on his arm. but pity him because b
had to be over here six months to g.
IT. 1t is summer now; what could j
have been here last winter? If ya'
don't mind | will take a May to "
tober stripe.
Take it all in all, it's a great VS.
It's a great adventure, and after ts'
novelty has worn off we'll settle dow
and work.
"As regards automobiles, l hss'
seen every make ever knew, and !,
let | never heard of. Little Oh
Henry Ford still has them all bea'sp
His little car is everywhere. Ihe'
are lot OF English trucks and "a
Renault people are really produelo'
regular caterpillar, while we OF OF
waiting for America TO get ia'
production.'