Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-02

all. and as one Augusta gentleman
expressed it, He is doing as much
good among the folks at home as he
could over there" Private Peat. who
is in reality now, Lieutenant Harold
Peat. smoke before a crowded house
Friday evening at City hall, Augusta.
Mayo Swift with a few Well chosen
words introduced the speaker and ne
was given a grand ovation AS the
slight figure in olive dfab, with his
right arm hanging useless and won
derful smile, bowed. the audience
clapped and clapped and stood up, feel
ing here was a man who deserved ev-
cry indication of respect and homage
that such a body of people could give.
augusta audiences and those of the To-
cality are usually reserved In praise,
but even without speaking a word,
Private Peat called forth this remark
able demonstration, for practically ev-
ery one in the hall had read about
him or heard someone who had read
about him and they Logged him from
the start.
He took his audience In the form of
you" through the first stages of drill
MS oIlu .lcut NY iilS, tiilOh5i thC aus As'
and smiles that make for the essen
tial jolly side of the soldiers life,
through the sad parts and the glad
parts, giving you" a wonderful in
sight upon the general scheme of
things as they are over there. He saio
that he was only an ordinary Tommy
and no orator and that such an ova-
ton as had just been given him made
him feel all chilly it was so wonder
full. He related an amusing incident
of the time, when after speaking in
New York. he happened to be walking
behind lady and she said, He has
been advertised and talked about so
much that / really expected 70 sec
something" He said any newspape
can tell that war is hell and he knew
that right at the present time the la
dies were n little bit screwed up and
he didn't want them to feel tina, way.
War isn't all horror Peat remarked
that he had laughed more in the
trenches than ever at home at any
church and he corrected himself mucn
to the amusement of his audience at
any theatre. Every fellow who enlists
does so with the idea that he is going
to 20 over there and clean up the
whole bunch but instead they get
cleaned up. If there is any specia;
praise send it in wave thoughts TO
the boys who won't come back, said
Private Peat. He has crossed our con-
tinent three times since his return
from over there.
II will tell you In about a minute why
Canada entered the war. 1t would take
sin weeks to tell German and then you
would have to turn the machine gun on
him. Canada is a free country, with free
laws, and they entered the war because
they wanted to. If the Germans did lick
France and England what chance would
10000 Canadians have on the plains Of
Montrcaln So that's why Canada entered
the war. six weeks after war was declar-
ed the first Canadians arrived in London.
The English are fussy and they fused
over this Canadian regiment. Ono Cana
lau said They treat us like little tin
gods and then they started to kick, and
they arc still kicking. The Canadian reg
inent had everything but discipline and
a discipline amounts to everything they
had nothing. As an example, Casey, one
Of the members Of the Canadian regiment
was on guard. He heard someone COM
ine Halt. Who goes there? he cried.
'Hc. Scotch officer Casey: Halt, Scotch :;
pass, officer 1t is a terrible thing to
get drunk in the army and if soldier
gets drunk, according to the rules of the
British army he is courtmartialed and
shot. Upon arrival of the Canadian reg
inent in France the rum ratlons were
given out. Each one of would gulp
ours down quickly, but Casey saved his
rim. He saved it until he had quite a
lot and then he got drunk loriously
drunk. lie had one glorious spree. And
they were in the first line trenches. Then
there were no trenches behind in the
early part of the war. They were in the
front limo trenches and the word was
passed along that the general was COM
ing. There was Casey picked, stewed,
and the boys didn want to see Casey
get caught; but the question was, how
t"-set him out of sight OF the general.
Firally. as the general was drawing near
er and nearer one soldier had a bright
IDEA. They took Casey and wrapped hun
round and roundfwi a sheet and placed
him on the stretcher and made casualty
OF Casey. marked him dead gave instruc-
items to two of the soldiers to take him
back of the firing line where he could be
out OF the way OF the general in territory
that had already been inspected and give
him chance to sober off Here was the
height OF camoufage. AS the bearers adj
vahced with the stretcher down the
trench toward the general the general
stood still and commanded: All soldiers
VIII stand at attention and salute the
dead From the white form on the
stretcher: Oi, to hell l will The general
wa1 good sport and could see the Joke
anc Casey got away with his life This is
marked as the only incident in which a
solder intoxicated escaped penalty.
The reason why the Canadians made
such success in the first Canadians was
hecause they fought as individuals. they
hat initiative. Peat said he had trav-
cleo over the United States and had
spoken before our soldier bows in the
environments They're great. folks.
they're great. You ought to cheer them