Evening star., 1918-06-16
BY DONALD L. BREED.

"If you want to see a whole nation
in arms, go to France" remarked
hearty, good-looking United States
soldier boy just back from the war
front He was a sturdy picture of
young manhood, except for one thing
his right sleeve being nearly empty.
ITS not just in the cities. It's in the
little country towns. I've seen old
women at work in the fields, women
SO feeble that they had to walk with
a cane when they weren't working.
I've seen an old French mother wheel
ing fertilizer up to the top Of the hill.
She had to do the work because her
men folks were in the trenches.
After. every trip up hill she came
tottering down. and you might have
thought she couldn't wheel another
load. She did. though. I tell you.
the spirit Of those French people is
the wonder Of this war;
We were standing at a window In
ward NJ Of the Walter Reed Hospital.
near Washington. He was one OF the
first United States boys to be In
valided home from the trenches, ana
his observations Of life over there
were Of high tribute to the pluck and
enefgy of Uncle Sans fighting forces.
All the boys had stories to tell.
Transport Attacked by U-Boat.
sergt. P a Georgia boy. went
across with a battery Of heavy artil-
lery. On the way over his transport
was attacked by submarines.
1--WE got the warning from . wire
less station" he told me. land so we
didn't 20 into the zone by night. We
kept outside till morning. with our
convoy of destroyers. Next morning
we steamed ahead. The first thing
/ knew you could see the seaplanes
tion. Then looked out across the
water and I saw the periscopes bob
bine around in the waves. There
were three Of them in all.
"They attacked US. but they didn't
hit us. Then the destroyers took after
seaplanes came up. They dropped
bombs, and knocked the periscope of
one U-boat clean as a whistle.
Bomb Drops squarely on Periscops.
"one bomb landed square on top Of
II. and some of the fellows claimed
that when It exploded the water was
blown aside SO that you could see
the hull of the submarine. can't
youch for that; didn't see It myself.
The other two U-boats got away.
| but the destroyers chased them up.
They thought they got both Of
| submarine battle was about the most
| exciting thing I saw all the time I
| was away"
| After Sergt. P-landed in France
| he travelled for two days across the
| country in dinky. little French rail-
way carriages that bore the now
familiar inscription: 40 hommes-s
cheyaux." Finally his company
reached the camp where they were to
| 90 into training for short time. It
and the men considered themselves
lucky to have been sent there. for
it was q good camp. There were
| concrete roads. and the barracks were
dry and clean; 1t was q lot better
| than being billeted In barns and sheds.
to the front, and they were sent to
| one Of the Lorraine sectors.
Fye-Ton Gun Mired in Mud.
At nrst their good luck followed
them. They were taking a mammoth
| 9un out to the front line, and the
road was a heavily Travelled one.
| That meant that they had to move
| with the greatest caution. and by
| night wherever possible. The most
dangerous position to be passed was
q cross road which had been a favor
| ite target for German gunfire. The
| night before they went through 1t
had been heavily shelled. and the
| night after i: was shel!ed again. But
| the enemy was sluggish on the even
ing when they hauled out the big
cannon. A soaking rain had fallen,
and the road was full OF mud and very
badly cut up by wheel tracks. They
had barely slipped past the four cor
ners when-plunk!-their big gun
toppled over on its side and then sank
up to its ears in mud. It took good
three hours to drag it out. and. as II
weighed nearly Ave tons, 1t was a
bach breaking Job. But the wonder
/ Of IL was that during the entire time
not q single shell fell near them.
Within the next twenty-four hours
they brought the gun to the assigned
place and set II UP.
And them" said Sergt. P I'VE