Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-02-26

home II any OF the ofnclals OF the
Greenville organization chance TO
see this story they will learn for the
first time how il was that they came
to do n good turn FOR a soldier out
Of luck.
Many of the more ambitious and
energetic among the soldiers in this
division have begun the study OF
French. Glasses have already or Will
begin in each regiment within L week
or two. and the men who have sign
cd up to take the course in their
spare time, are determined 10 learn
the language which will prove OF
such benefit and convenience II they
do learn it, While Of course II VIII
be impossible TO teach French 10
every American soldier who goes
across, due to the fact that every
minute is needed to teach them how
10 conquer the enemies OF France,
the hundreds who will learn II will
serve as interpreters and aids to the
thousands who will not have the op-
portunity. Every officer and non
commissioned officer Of this division
at least, will have a smattering OF the
language before they join their
French allies. over there many SOL
dicrs expect to learn the language IN
the manner that Private Tom Wilson
says he is going to learn: when
get on the other side Of the pond
he said day or two ago. Il am 60
ing to lay for q duchess or duke or
whatever you call them French girls
An / reckon she will have To learn
me her lingo before she will savry
when l tell her what Il good husband
would make" Yes. there are many
fellows in this army here who declare
they are going to stay in France for
keeps when they do go over. and they
always add that they are going TO
stay on top of the ground instead OF
under il. l have never yet heard Il
soldier suggest a presentment that
Fritz Is going to get him.
Being a draft man myself l am
naturally more interested in them
than l am in the other two classes
who compose the great American
army of today, viz, the National
Guardsmen or volunteers as they pre-
fer to be called, and the men of the
inf ms
have been able to obtain from SOL
diers Of more or less experience ana
of high and low station, and from my
personal observation am Of the opin-
ion that the drafted men, especially
the first contingents-those who came
into the army in September. are as
good soldiers today and have as COM
prehensive a knowledge of the game
Of war as have the National GUARDS
men, most of whom saw service on
the Mexican border in 1916 and VINO
have been members Of the National
Guard from one to three years. l
am speaking Of the private soldiers
among the two classes. Here at Camp
fsgvter where rhere is dfvisf0tr trcoill-
posed of the National Guard regi-
mcnts OF North and South Carolina
and Tennessee recruited to full war
strength by drafted men, naturally
most of the non-commissioned officers
have been filled by National Guards
men. They were here first and In ac-
cordance with the military rule oi
seniority were given the places OF
mon CONS" After four months OF
training, however, hundreds Of draft
ed men here are competent for the
same places and the National Guards
men are never sure of their jobs. They
have awakened to a realization of the
fact that these farmer lads who left
the plow Il short while ago to take up
the rifle have learned how 10 handle
that rifle in remarkably quick time.
4 month or two ago | heard more
than one commissioned officer
say that "he didn't care much about
his job because nobody else could
hold it." / haven't heard that remark
lately. There Is no unseemly Jeal-
ousy, between the two classes, as
classes, or anything Of that kind. All
entertain about the same sentiment
as to the task in hand-that Is that
it is up to them to stay the progress
Of the Hun. There are very few who
think they are in the game for the
sake of the game, or who care any
thing about it from that standpoint.
All of them would rather be out of it
than In it, or most of them would. but
there are very few at Camp SEWER
who would be willing to back out ut
present. They know what they are
here for, and they have no idea Of
quitting until they have fulfilled their
Jobs. Jas. D. Grist.