El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-23
LIKE
i. s. SOLDIERS
British Officer Writes His
Estimate of the Ameri-
can Officer.
~ "a BRTTIsH OFFTCER.1

DL+AA14 II l1ALr france AaFE4 81
Our meeting was IN & French chateau
"a very old chateau. full OF gusts OF
wind and ghosts and labyrinthine
passages
Ny billet in this chateau was a
windy attic, lighted by a gloomy oil
lamp. and furnished with three rough
bedsteads made. OF timber and wire
netting and canvas. myself occupied
one OF these obstacles TO sleep. and
had been warned that the empty ones
might be occupied at any time
Ten hours struck on the chateau
bell; and suddenly my door opened,
and two strange soldiers, wearing a
curious American cut Of khaki,
bumped IN with a couple OF cabin
trunks, which they let fan heavily
on the floor. ] said to myself: These
trunks are good for a brigadier or
equipment for big show" The fig
ures In the Yankee cut OF khaki with
drew, and presently came back bear
ing two more cabin trunks and a cou-
pie Of black leather brief bags.
THESE like the first, fell heavily
beside my bed I said 70 myself: This
Is an Invasion by a corps headquarters
or an army"
But there was more TO come.
The soldier figures went out, and
back they came. staggering along
with two enormous valises, straininE
at the straps and bulging in every
quarter. They were the kind Of valises
one had seen meandering along in
back areas, and claiming close &C
quaintances with area commandants
It made a very decent sized dunn in
my room. sat up IN bed and looked
I told myself that the trunks con-
talned the secret documents OF vast
operations pending and that the black
brief bags were full OF operation or
ders about to be Issued I said: This
thing mas got move on, and H. Q. Is
travelling light This is now q war Of
movement and speed. OF corps chas-
seurs, OF cavalry and 30-knOt tanks,
pedimeuts"
And just then the door creaked open-
and two pleasant faced young men IN
khaki and wearing wide awake hats
with gold and black cord twined
around them put their heads IN. looked
around babe me = pleasant good
evening looked at the pile OF boxes
said they supposed this was where
they were coming In; and expected.
ana we're quite prepared to put ID
with, hardships; and rapidly took pos
This, then was the American army
come 70 stay.
These young men had Travelled from
the other side OF the Atlantic TO helm
out the allies. and with them had
come their belongings packed in
Thinking. OF course. Of the limited
number OF beds. I said: How many
are there OF your"
I guess there are only two coming
In here one replied That seemed
good enough. and ! said to myself:
This army has got some Transports
ton II a couple Of ueutenants carry
this lols what must an army carry2"
Likes Americans.
1 don't regret their coming They
were nice Americans. They asked q
lot OF questions and in doing so
skinned me OF my knowledge OF the
western front And from those trunks
they produced pieces OF equipment
which makes me envious-automatic
reviewers, marked with a large @. S
A., and ammunition: glasses. boots. I
.egglngBs coats hats, mess tins, water I
bottles, spare TUNES. flash lamps
everything, in fact. which makes our
own officers when On the move look 1
ike Christmas trees. These young
Ulcers were even more the complete I
ltticer than we profess to be: but ali /
their decorative effects were slowed I
and locked away in trunks And, /
looking at the proposition fairly and |
7quarely, I began 70 ike those trunks. ]
They reminded one Of ones family 1
going for a holiday.
They contained so much that might |
be useful
We settled down TO work together. /
These American officers are OF the
stamp OF the Canadian and Australian
alert. good shots. and i
endowed with What thew fheu1ealrrne
all democratic discipline" One saw
his discipline AZ work. You fellows I
haven't got much OF g place TO shake
Town IN" one Of their servants told 4
ne the morning after he had dumped /
lis masters kit In my room: and I /
lOn't think felt any resentment at
leing called a fellow.
What ] did feel was that he hadn't
much use Tor officers who couldn't