Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-16
GIVES CHEER
TO MEN IN TRENCHES
Dainties and Useful Articles
Dispensed to Wet and
Weary Sammees
EVERY ONE IS WELCOME
Hun Dog Changes Sides and Be-
comes Informally a Natu-
rallied Citizen
By HENRI BAZIN
STAG CORRESPONDENT Evening Public Ledger
nth the American Army 81 France
AMERICAN FIELD HEADOITARTERS &

nth the American Army ~ France
AMERICAN FIELD HEADQUARTERS
IN FRANCE, Dec. 8.
I'm for the Y. NJ. G. A. | stood re-
Gently In the front-line trenches with
Sammees. ankle deep In mud and wlter.
and I knew the boys around me had
missed the luxury of dry feet for n full
day, Along came youth In khaki. but
with the inverted red triangle OF the
Y. NJ. C. A. on his arm. His errand was
not to direct a song service or to caution
Sammee against strong language or to
discuss moral and personal habits.
His greeting was. Hello, fellows" ana
as he uttered the words he reached
canvas sack strapped around ts
shoulder. II contained chocolate. ciga-
rettes, chewing gum and little bags OF
dates, salted peanuts and candy.
"Any guy here who wants any Of this
stuff" said he. don't have to reach In
his jeans for the price. Just sign this
tab and pay me when you get arounc
TO it,"
His stock melted like snow under q
hot sun.
HUNS SHELLS DEFECTIVE
The next day ! met this same Y. NJ
c A. chap in n hotel dining room in
certain large city behind the lines. He
needed a shave and he was slowing
away a mans dinner
Recognizing me with a smile, he SAID:
Haven't had much sleep these last
few nights. The only billet l could hno
was a room out there In the village os
-, where all the windows had been
broken by Boche shellflre some time age
and never repaired. The only furnitur"
in II was the floor. I lay there tryins
to sleep until dawn this morning an.
then caught a truck TO this place. IL
anybody gives you the bull about hard
ships, tell 'em the soft side Of a stor
floor is a fair bed. j wish i had tw'c
as much stuff with me out there, because
those Sammees always need TOBACCO ana
vou can't buy il in n front-line trench.
am going right back for more-a
whole trucliloadful. Any boy out there
can sign a tab that wants TO. In eS-
change he can have all the sun can
give him. They will pay for II later Al
camp. And with this next lot | eNpect
TO take up forty sleeveless sweaters tha'
nv mother sent over. being knitted b!
tbe ladies' in the old home town. Ther'
won. be no signing tabs for then' Inv
f,rst forty men I run into get them, WIN
mothers compliments
In the American trenches great
many lives have been saved by the non
explosion OF German shells. taiheu
with three khaki-clad lads who recentis
had an exciting experience ana VINO tolu
me quite a number OF their eo"''aueS
had had similar experiences.
I'VE were standing in bunch said
one of them, when Boche seventy-fve
came vhizzing and struck the ground
near us. Before II landed we were all
face down in the mud. After little l
raised my head, and there but few rect
from us lay the shell. unexploded. II II
had gore off. good night for w..
ONE CANINE DESERTEE
Roger is a Boche. He is also dog.
He looks like pedigree type of the
German sheep dog and is about nine
months old. The other night he blew
int, an American occupied trench, COM
ing all by his own self across NO Man
Land. He was friendly and hungry FOR
what he did to American grub was
caution. After he had satisfied his appe-
tlte he wagged his tail some more and
lay down as IL among friends. He is
the type of animal that recognizes but
one master. ard so he follows around
after the corporal who received and fed
him. This Sammee speaks little Boche
and Roger. so named by his finder, pricks
his ears when spoken TO in his native
tongue. The corporal is going to teach
him English and has started in. Since
Roger is young he will readily learn TO
become a good American dog. Although
he doesn't know II. he has been adopted
by the infantry company to which his
personally selected master Is attached.
and later he will have a handsome en-
graved' collar reading thus:
Roger. who knew n good thing when
he saw II ana came after It,"
SAAiMEE AS A POET
One OF the Sammees whom me,
standing in muddy trench was singing
low a song TO the tune OF "Tipperary.''
7 asked him who was responsible for the
words and he said. Me"
Let me copy them, will YOU, boy?" ]
asked.
'Sure. and send me a copy OF the
paper, won't you? I never had any OF
my dope in print before and I'd like to
see how II feels"
Here is his dope:
Now Sammee was a rookie in a great bis
training camp:
He wore a khaki uniform, q military stamp
He shouldered arms and with his pack he
But every night, when sounded taps his com.
rades heard him say;
It's long way to Kansas City,
IT'S a long way TO go.
ms a, ions iona road have to travel
And the COINS awful slow.
So farewell home and mother.
Farewell on the square.
Its long. long hike, and awful heavy.
But by Ecsh, I'm there