Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-13
KEEP BUYING BONDS,
URGES MEADE OFFICER
Germany Must Be Beaten,
Says Man Who Has
Seen Fighting
TEUToN NATION UNITED
Interesting Tales of War Related by
Major Roberts, Formerly in
Canadian Forces
Bv n stog Correspondent


~ no hope OF starving her or winning
through the aid OF a revolt against the
Kaiser. The people OF that deluded
nation are willing TO make any sacrifice,
and obsessed with the spirit Of world
domination, will go the limit,
Unity is the watchword in Germany,
and 10 smash such a nation will take
years. No man will venture a guess
concerning the time required to beat
the German. but military men express
the belief that ii probably will take two
or three years, and II the job is to he
accomplished in that time America must
throw every pound Of man-power and
resources into the scales. The folks
back home must buy Liberty Bonds and
continue to buy them for resolutions con-
signing the Kaiser to place in Hades
will not win the war Men and money
will"
This terse comment on the war, char
acteristic OF a soldier, was made today
by Major f. c. Roberts, Jr., OF the 31Oth
Field Artillery.
The major was not indulsng in idle
conversation or making any pretenso Of
being one Of the fellows on the inside
For nineteen months he fought tho
boche on the western front and has a
wholesome respect for his lighting
ability. At tho outbreak Of the war he
felt that It was Americas fight. but in
stead OF joining the American war party
and making speeches he went 10 Canada
and became a lieutenant in the Twelfth
Battery, First Contingent. Canadian
Field Artillery. In May 1915. he landed
In France and remained there FOR, nine
teen months participating in the second
Ypres campaign, tho Somme and score
OF other battles. while enjoying short
leave OF absence America entered tho
war, and anxious to fight under his own
nag. he obtained a discharge from the
Canadian army. flc entered tho Niagara
training camp and won a majors stripes
That is a thumb nail sketch Of Ma ior
Roberts, who is called Fighting Bob"
by the boys in tho snappy 3l0th Field
Artillery His war record would M
pages, for Roberts has been there and
appreciates the meaning Of war.
Gees sherman One Better
TITS heal and then some" is his
striking description OF the fighting in
France. In the Somme campaign his
battery lost fifty per cent OF its men and
in the fighting that followed that cam
paign was virtually wiped out.
But back he is going, for he feels that
II is his personal hghc. we must view
the war against the German monster as
our personal affair" he says, Every
man cannot play role on the battle
field, but he can do something and the
most important Of all is the purchase OF
Liberty Bonds. Any man who fails to
buy a bond is a Stacker and the ricll
man who shirks the opportunity TO back
up the fighting men is worse than a
Stacker. He is really a criminal
How the Germans have deluded them
selves into the belief that they have the
world at their feet is illustrated ny Ma
jor Roberts in his comment on Tcuton
prisoners. when we took them pris-
oners,n he said, they wanted to know
IL we were going to Shoot them. ! re-
member one batch in particular, and
they were well fed and clothed, too, Not
a man appeared as though Germany was
on the verge of collapse. We told them
that we would send them to an intern
ment camp in England.
"'But you can't do that said one OF
.hen. Germany controls the seas, she
sunk the British feet in the Jutlsnd
battle. You can't get us across the chan
nell When we assured the German
that the English hec2 was still afoat
and that the interument camp was near
london, he smiled and reminded us that
London had been destroyed by IeppeiinS
"when We consider how the German
soldiers have been fed up on this KIND
of victory talk. it is easy to understand
why they are so determined 10 continue
the struggle
For seven months Major Roberts has
heen a member OF Uncle Sans National
Army, and without any reservation he
STYLES that organization as the best
fighting force in the world In dis
rinljne and intelligence it is second to
none" he said, "and will give the boche
ali that he is looking for And best
of all, the army has real spirit-the
spirit that puts over victories. Do the
men fear death? No man wants TO
die. but a soldier and particularly after
he Rets into the war zone becomes a
fataiist. This is natural, because he Is
continually in the presence OF death
soldiers Become FstaIists
Touching on this phase in soldiers
iife Major Roberts said, ~ shell whizzes
through the air and blows up the ground
900 yards behind you. You stop and
iook at it, Well, what do you think
Of that. passes through your mind? You
press forward and another shell hurst'
on the very spot where YOU stood a shorI
moment before. Then YOU get tho idea
that IL yol are going 20 be killed, yol
will be killed and that IL you are not
why no German shell will strike you
That's how you become a fatalist"
Major Roberts detailed many incidents
or the war and several were humorous
one in particular dealt with the British
Tommies and their inability 10 stay tht
German rush because OF the big guI
shortage 1.-The Tommies," said the OF
acer, Threatened by blackboard signi
at one point to turn loose their one anC
only gun on the Germans who we're shell
ing them very nastily The Germans
bcgRed pardon and quit firing. on tn,
british side was a unit OF Canadian
,nounted infantry that had lost it
horses. The Canadians were natural!
rrouchy over their loss and the Ger
mans learned Of It, SO the boche mad
toy horses and traced them very tan
4aiizinEly along the top OF the trenches
which was exceedingly annoying 10 IN
ranadians When toy horse wa
knocked down by q shot, the Germs n
would Tie a dirty rag on the part hi
aud hoist II back on the trench, Tn
>f,anadians were compelled to appreciat
Ne joke and enjoyed good laugh"
1T IS impossible TO continue this re
hal Of the war, but one thing whic
hhds out prominently in the major
IN with the EvENlNG PuBLIc LEDGE
,orrespondent at Little Penn is this
rsermany Is not going TO be starved ou
she must be beaten. and that will no