The Mena weekly star., 1918-05-30
CHAPTER XXI.
PunIshments and machIne.eun Stun

Punlshments and Machlne-Gun Stunts,
 Soon after my arrival in France; in fact, from my enlistment, 1 had found that in the British army discipline is very strict. One has to be very care ful In order to stay on the narrow path of government virtue.
 There are about seven million ways of breaking the kings regulations; to keep one you have to break another.
 The worst punishment is death by a firing squad, or up against the wall" as Tommy calls 1t.
 This Is for desertion, cowardice, mu- tiny, giving information to the enemy, footing, rape, robbing the dead, forcing q safeguard. striking a superior, etc.
 Then comes the punishment of sixty four days in the front-llne trench with out relief. During this time you have to engage in all raids. working parties In No Mans Land. and every hazardous undertaking that comes along. If you live through the sixty-four days you are indeed lucky.
 This punishment is awarded where there is a doubt as to the willful guilt of man who has committed an of fence punishable by death.
 Then comes tne Tamous neid pun lshment No. 1. Tommy has nlcknamed 1t "crucifixion." It means that man Is spread-eagled on a Timber wheel, two hours a day for twenty-one days. During this time he only gets water. bully beef and biscuits for his chow. You get "crucified" for repeated minor lffenses.
 Next in order is field punishment No. 2.
 This is confinement in the "ciink," without blankets, getting water, bully beef and biscuits for rations and doing all the dirty work that can be found. This may be for twenty-four hours or twenty days. according to the gravity of the offense.
 Then comes pack drill" or default ers' parade. This consists of drilling, mostly at the double, for two hours with full equipment. Tommy hates this, because it is hard work. Some times he fills his pack with straw to tighten it, and sometimes he gets caught. If he gets caught. he grouses at everything in general for twenty one days, from the vantage point of timber wheel.
 Next comes 70. B." meaning "con- hned to barracks" This consists cf staying in billets or barracks for twen- iy-four hours to seven days. You also get an occasional defaulters' parade and dirty jobs around the quarters.
 The sergeant major keeps what Is known as the crime sheet. When a nan commits an offense, he Is acrimed," that Is. his name. number and offense is entered on the crime sheet. Next day at 9 a. m. he goes to the orderly roomf before the captain. who either punishes him with 70. B." or sends him before the o. c. (officer battalion). The captain of the company can only award 70. B."
 Tommy many a time has thanked ..s king king fer making! that provision :;s : his regulations.
 To gain the title of s'smart soldier" Tommy has to keep clear of the crime sheet. and you have to be darned smart to do it.
 I have been on 1t few times. most Iy for Yankee impudence."
 During our stay of two weeks in rest biliets our captain put us through q course of machine-gun drills, trying put new stunts and theories.
 After parades were over. our guns crews got together and also tried out some theories of their own in reference to handling guns. These courses bad nothing to do with the advancement Of he war. consisted mostly of causing tricky jams in the gun, and then the rest of the crew would endeavor to To- .ate as quickly as possible the cause ,f the stoppage. This amused them 'or few days and then things came to l standstill.
 Continued in Next Tssue.)