The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-09-12
Young officer Recently Re-
turned from French Front
Tells Interesting Stories
of World Struggle.
PRAISES AMERICAN SPIRIT
''It's Dirty Job That Has to be
Finished"-WilI Take Charge Of
New Division in American
Camp Before Returning.

~ Juob ~ uiAOJ JVO SAo~Os gu w
be finished. " Lieut.. Mcdowell lifted
serious face, marked with his scar
Of war, and spoke earnestly, as if
he were making a special effort to con-
vince. "It's against our principles to
she'll town, to bomb building. We
engineers were taught to build and not
to destroy, but it's dirty job and
we we got to finish it; the sooner
the BETTER
But that was only one mood in which
the young lieutenant, just a week away
from practically a year IS experience on
the battle front, expressed himself on
the great world struggle. Out at the
Country Club on Saturday night, he was
perhaps the most popular man around.
Returning to his home town, as he still
declares Kenosha to be, tired and worn
from real hard grind, Scared, just q
bit, and tanned a lot, he proved to be
an unusually pleasant and interesting
young person to whom the sweet young
things directed their remarks and
asked enough questions to ELL several
volumes.
Lieut.. Mcdowell has had some re-
markable experiences on the French
front. He has led men into battle af-
ter five months of tedious and exhaust
ing service; has heard their cheers when
they were ordered cover the top, :
cheers because they were moving, In
spite Of the physical and mental ex-
haustion He has nothing but praises,
most enthusiastic praises for our Aneri
can men. FfTheir spirit is wonderful, "
he declared, 80 they seems to know no
fear and will put UP with things that
they have never had to contend with
before. They are enthusiastic about
finishing the job in hurry and there
is NO doubt but what they'll do 1t. =
He spoke highly of the American en-
gineers. Although he is not in the en-
cheering division, having spent his
years studying to be an engineer, nat
urally the movements of that division
have greatly interested him. "There
is no doubt that the engineers are the
most wonderful sections in the Ameri-
can army. Why, when the Americans
took over the Toul sector road it was
two feet under water, an impossible
narrow road. And you ought to see it
now. @They' We laid American tracks
have filled it all in and at present it 4
running twenty-four hours day with
two shifts going all the time. The
ears are never idle, and the results are
remarkable. The French officers have
openly declared the engineers to be the
best branch of our army.
Lieut.. Mcdowell is very proud Of his
battery and it IS distinguished members
Perhaps as proud of them as they are
of their most unusual record. Most of
the men are sons or grandsons of mer
who have fought in the same battery,
under the same name, in almost every
war in which America has participated
beginning back with the struggle be
tween the north and south. 1t was ar
old Civil War volunteer battery or
iginally, but after that war it became
militia and the sons of the Connection
heroes Joined it when their fathers re
sumed their civilian life. They fought
in the Spanish war and now some 0.
them, or their sons, are still keeping W
the traditions of their families in the
allied war for democracy.
Lieut.. Mcdowell dwelt long on tn,
conduct of the French people. He told
with a light of admiration in his eyes
of how they have suffered and sacriic
ed, yet how wonderfully they are hid
ing their griefs and sorrow, without
letting the Americans feel that they art
doing SO. They are heroic peopl,
and with all their sufferings, they arr
straining themselves to be hospitable t,
our American boys. There is no ques
tion about the effects of the four year
of war in France, and they they car
cover it all. 1t is remarkable. y
He laughed lightly when he spoke Q.
the Americans in France. You ough
2 to see our boys playing with the Frenci
children; they just seem to NATURAL,
understand each other. 1t is the sam,
way with the French people. Ameri
cans are born mixers and it doesn )
matter whether they can talk tn,
language or not, they just get alon.
together fiRe.'
Just a week or so before leaving TO
America, at the time Of course he hat
no idea he would return to the State
before he had finished up over there
be met quite accidentally, Walker Per
kins of Kenosha, son of Mr.. and Mrs
Fred Perkins of Durkee avenue. The,