The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1918-04-18

mOmentarily-were generally gOners,
and Invariably they would be found
with clean cut hole is the middle of
the forehead. He described picking
up such one. The bullet apparently
spreads or carries bone with it so that
upon emerging at the back of the
head a large hole is left through which
the brains protrude or are partially
carried away. He alluded to this as
an especially trying and nauseating
sight to the inexperienced. The man
so shot, however, is killed practically
instantly.
Care as to sanitation is followed as
scrupulously as possible in the
trenches. Men must be inoculated
with care.
Heavy shell fire skaters the nerves
and often makes men imbeciles, or
causes them to weep like children. He
cited an instance where a man under
shell fire merely thought he was
wounded and under this thought suf-
fered all the agonies of an actual
wound. On another occasion a man
was carried back to the dressing
station just in time to die, and a big
burly Scotchman cursed the man who
shot the bullet, reviled the man who
made the shell and heaped impreca-
tions upon the man who made the
rifles and all who had anything to do
with the final result.
The Sergeant said that one of the
few bright spots in the life of the
soldier is the receipt of letters and
parcels from home. They bring a
home cheer that brightens the heart
of every soldier. They are of tre-
mendous Importance in keeping up the
, morale and spirit of the soldier. If
ever Christianity and real brotherhood
were eXemplified it is shown in the
trenches. Parcels are no sooner re-
ceived than they become common
property and their contents are di-
vided up as far as they will so among
the soldiers.
He graphically illustrated bomb
! throwing. In making raid the bomb
ers go first, followed by the soldiers
carrying their rifles with bayonets
fixed. The Sergeant told of the ex-
ploits of the Mad Major in his aero
plane, of an air raid over London and
the war.
| He eXtolled the work of the Red
Cross in bringing it's Good Samaritan
| oi1 fo 1,n ;,, F,,r ;cl,
balances, nurses, dressing stations,
surgical and surgical dressing sup
plies, in erecting hospitals and in
sending gift packets, and various sup
plies to the men.
Referring to the comment often
made that wounded men carry smiles
upon their lips, the Sergeant said that
they welcome the trip to 'Blighty" or
England. 1t means quiet, clean beds
and good grub and the CHEEKY smile
of the nurse.
The Sergeant brought out one point
probably not generally known
namely that the Flemish people in
Belgium have been found frequently
to be treacherous and friendly to the
Germans. A Flemish boy was found
to have 1S English identification disks
in his possession. indicating that he
had probably killed that many and
taken their disks to be turned over to
the Germans for so much bounty per
disk. A Flemish farmer was caught
trying to signal to the Germans with
a lantern in order to reveal the posi-
tion of certain big guns of the allies
The Germans employed a peculiar
artifice in forcasting their attacks
probably with a view to disturbing
the allied morale. They on one oc-
casion hallooed across the trenches
telling the allies to watch out for a
certain day. On the evening of the
day foretold great mine was ex-
ploded, blowing up nearly the whole
25th Battalion and followed by ter
rife fire in which Germans employed
every conceivable device-bombs, gas,
shrapnel, big shells, machine gun and
rifle fire making a perfect inferno.
He said that no soldier ever lived
or died for a more just cause than
that of the allies. The allied soldier
goes forth with all the zeal and de.
votion as the crusader of old Labor
questions and internal troubles should
be subordinated to the great purpose
of winning the war When the safety
of world wide democracy has been as
sured it will be time to settle minor
questions. We must all devote our
energies to the end of winning the
war. We must give and sacrifice until
it hurts, and we must purge ou1
national life of impurities, greed, self
ishness and corrupt politics and graft
GAIL for democracy and democracy
for all'' should be our motto.