The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-06-28

More than once in hospital have |
seen titled Red Cross nurse fetching |
and carrying for a wounded soldier,
perhaps the one who in civil life do
livered the coal at her back door. To-
day she does not shrink from lighting
his flag or even washing his grimy
body.
Tommy admires Albert Of Belgium be
cause he Is not a pusher Of men; he
leads them. With him it's not a case
of take that TRENCH" 1t Is "come on
and we will take it,
1t is amusing to notice the different
characteristics Of the Irish, Scotch and
English soldiers. The Irish and Scotch
are very impetuous, especially when 1t
comes to bayonet fighting, while the
Engllshman, though a trifie slower,
thoroughly does his bit; he is more
methodical and has the grip Of a bull
dog on a captured position. He is
slower to think; that is the reason why
he never knows when he is licked.
Twenty minutes before going over
the top the English Tommy will sit on
the fire step and thoroughly examine
the mechanism of his rifle to see that 1t
Is In working order and will fire prop
erly. After this examination he Is sat
lsfed and ready TO meet the Boches.
But the Irishman or Scotchman sits
on the fire step, his rife with bayonet
fixed between his knees, the butt Of
which perhaps is sinking into the mud
the bolt couldn't be opened with a
team Of horses it is so rusty-but he
splits on his sleeve and slowly polishes
his bayonet; when this is done he also
is ready to argue with Fritz.
1t is not necessary to mention the
coloniaIs (the Canadians, Australians
and New Zeaianders), the whole world
knows what they have done for Eng
land.
The Australian and New Zealander
is termed the Amaze" taking the
name from the first letters of their Of
fetal designation. Australian and New
| Zealand army corps.
Tommy divides the German army
into three classes according to their
| fighting abilities. They rank as fol.
lows: Prussians, Bavarians and Sax
! ons.
When up against a PFussian regi.
ment it is a case OF keep your napper
below the parapet and duck A bang
bang all the time and war Is on. Tn,
RaYarians are little better. but tn,
Saxons are fairly good sports and ar,
willing occasionally to behave as gen
tlemen and take it easy, but you can
not trust any of them overlong.
At one point of the line the trenche:
were about thirty-two yards apart
This sounds horrible, but in fact it was
easy, because neither side could shell
the enemy's front-ltne trench for feal
shells would urop into their own. This
eliminated artillery fire.
In these trenches when up against
the Prussians and Bayarians, Tommy
had a hot time of it, but when the Sax
Ons took over" it was a picnic; they
would yell across that they were Sax
ons and would not fire. Both sides
would sit on the parapet and carry OF
a conversation. This generally consist
ed of Tommy telling them how much
he loved the kaiser, while the Saxons
informed Tommy that King George
was a particular friend of theirs anC
hoped that he was doing nicely.
When the Saxons were to be relieved
by Prussians or Bavarians, they would
yell this information across No Man!
Land and Tommy would Immediately
; tumble into his trench and keep hi:
head down.
If an English regiment was TO be re
lieved by the wild Irish. Tommy wouIt
tell the Saxons, and Immediately vol
ley Of Bonner ind Blitzens" coulC
be heard and it was Fritz's turn to ge
a crick in his back from STOPPING, anC
the people in Berlin would close theil
windows.
Usually when an Trishman takes over
a trench, just before stand down il
the morning, he sticks his rife over
the top, aimed in the direction of Der
I lin, and engages in what is known as
the mad minute" This consists OF
firing fifteen shots in q minute. He
is not aiming at anything in particular
/ just sends over each shot with :
prayer, hoping that one of his strays
win get some poor unsuspecting Frit1
in the napper hundreds OF yards be
hind the lines. 1t generally does; that,
the reason the BOehes hate the mar
/ from Erin's isle.
The Saxons, though better than the
PruSSians and BayarfanS have a nasty
trait Of treachery in their makeup.