The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-02-23
AN INTERESTING
LETTER FROM
CAPT. HENDENHALL,
WHO IS IN France

Mr.. A. j. Holworthy has received
the following interesting letter from
Capt. H. D. Mendenhall, who is at
the head of an engineering company
In France:
Your letter of Dec IL came few
days ago, and l was in hopes that I
could get an answer off on the last
boat to the States, but somehow
couldn't get around to it.
l: was very kind of you to jump in
and write to me before l got around
to writing to you, but that is one way
that you folks at home can do your
hit" by writing to the boys "over
here" was trying to gradually
work around to all Of my friends, and
you in particular, but it is surprising
how completely our time is consumed
with the innumerable activities of the
war. AS you may know, everything
Is working intensively and under
forced draft over here to have every
thing in readiness for eventualities
that may arrive at any minute. The
longer l am associated with the
French the greater admiration l have
for them. And this holds especially
when it comes to what they have done
AMI are doing in this miserable war
The British have been the backbone
and main stay Of the war, as they
naturally should be, and they, too,
are o wonderful nation, but somehow,
the admirable pluck and intelligence
and resourcefulness of this beautiful
little nation excites the admiration OF
everyone who knows what they have
been through. They have held tight
in the yoke for all these weary years,
and even now are as jubilant and
ready to 60 Cup and over" as they
were three years ago.
OF course our men are all that Is
expected of them. The other day in
the Cambria scrap they laid down
their track laying tools and pitched
: into the fray with borrowed arms,
, anu in some instances with picks and
! shovels. How they conducted them
! selves is now matter of history, but
|. they upheld the traditions Of the
Stars and Stripes in a manner thai
would make their valorous forebear'
@ proud of them. At other points il
= the front lines they are living up tt
o expectations, but of course the mali
big push" has not yet arrived Non
Il Of us have any doubts of their con
: duct nor of the outcome. There ma
q be local reverses, but in the main W
a cannot help being successful; on
"a meE know nothing else.
e, You have already no doubt hear
$50 Of the air raid over Paris, and ma,
of be before this reaches you there wi
be others. A letter from Mrs. Mel
denhall describes the entire event
n. She lives right in the district tn;
1t. was bombed, and as you know he
you may know that she saw all tn
was to be seen AS she expressed
ar, at one point, II had gone to bed
es. 10 o'clock and was awakened from
he sound sleep by the alarm, which
at indeed ENOUGH to alarm. Got I,
SIX, and dressed, wondering what ever
vs. one else was doing-whether tn
ere were rushing to the cellar or out
)ut see. OF COURSE | HAD NO DOUB'
nd, AS TO WHAT l SHOULD DO ct
understanding is mine-H. d. M. G
out on the street where crowds
Ut people were standing and found Il
Inc we had a splendid viewpoint a
could see everything. saw I
bombs drop on the Fourth of 81
leu TENDER Ga prominent street, and a
aV saw the aviator make the sud-
lhs drop that killed the two. (This v
zen mistake as both were saved)
ere had been circling the city seve
ter' times and was apparently start
around another time when someth
seemed to go wrong with his mach
or with himself, for he wheeled $
Oil denly and started down, shot of
signal and came down, striking
snip railing in the Place de la Concol
7rce and that was the end" She desert
vi additional details, but it is not |
mitted to describe them just n
ONE You will no doubt read detailed
end oor,+s =, tho wbo,o thing IN
ue- American journals.
NJ am glad that the various C
NOV paigns are keeping the American !
ple alive to the fact that there
war. For there is q real one,
Dnc don't you forget it! 1t is g0int
a.