The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-08-07
MEETS U. S. TROOPS COMING
FROM THEIR Baptism OF FIRE"
They Were Tired Dirty With Mud and Stains Of Battle but Full Of
"Pep"-No Illusions Either as to Glory or Pageanty
of War, or the End They Were Pursuing
or the Price to Be Paid.

persons on other sectors of the front.
What matter? Heaven bless the an
ecdotal exchange which indicates a
common point of view between all the
allies on the western front. Even
by now, / stake my life, there are
plenty of exclusive American war
stories for men to tell in later days
ut the gathering together of Ameri-
can branches of the veteran societies
of the great world war.
OF a sudden we drew up in the out
skirts of village. In front of us,
about a hundred yards away, we saw
double line of troops far as the
eye could see, drawn up as If for in
spection by little group of officers
clustered round clearing on the
right. Our cars came to a stand-still
by group Of women dressed I'm
nurses uniforms, who looked up with
a smile as we alighted. / thought
at first that they were French, but
second glance detected some rather
extra trimness of costume, and I'm a
minute we were In conversation with
some bright American girls, taking
minutes rest after several long
hours in the local casualty station.
They amplified what our host, the
colonel, had predicted, and we
learned that we were face to face
with United States troops straight
from the firing line. 1t appeared that
they had passed stormy night in
the trenches, been attacked, had beat
en- off attacks, suffered casualties, and
been relieved when all was once more
quiet.
Straight From the Firing Line.
1t was moving instant when we
passed into the presence of the troops
and saw them straight from their bap-
tism of fire. The commanding officer
received us warmly, but begged us to
go down among the men and make
their acquaintance face to face. The
men were very tired, dirty with the
mud and stains of battle, but full of
"pep" and only anxious to get a come
back at the enemy. They said they
got their mail regularly, and that the
food was good.
Secretary Baker seemed to have won
laurels on his tour i'm France. More
than one man mentioned his visit as
real visit from way back home, and
an incident that made home nearer.
One man sent message of thanks to
the New York Sun for cigarettes. Sew
eral sent their messages to relatives
and friends. Very brave and uncom-
planning were these men who had that
morning stared death out of cOunte-
nance. Like other seasoned troops of
other armies, they had no illusions as
to the glory or the pageantry of war;
but they were men, too, with no flu
sions as to the end they were pursuing
or the price they were prepared to pay
for it. That, think, was the spirit
that animated them within. Outward
ly one only noticed their friendliness,
their patience and their soldierly ap-
pearance.
The "Mediatory Sacrifice"
I walked back to our waiting motor
with Roman Catholic chaplain. The
experience which l had just passed
made talk seem incongruOus,
on my side at any rate, and we walked
in silence. We passed the village
church, a typical building of no inter-
est at all, with large notice annOunc-
ing special masses, with an English
sermon for the Catholic United States
soldiers.
mot very easy to put your feelings
into words, is it?" said my companion,
my thoughts. st is only
in very old language and in very old
that we can find an equa-
ton able to express at all what the
world is going through, and what we
see around us at the front"
"You mean?" answered, puzzled.
"The world is learning a new lesson
as to the meaning Of a mediatory sac
rificew
Catholic or non-CathOlic, Christian
Or Freethinker. who is there that will
say him nay2