The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-09-26
ENGLISH PREMIER
CHEERS YANKEES
EVANS WRITES FROM ITALIAN
FRONT WHERE HE COMMANDS
THE Y. M. c.. A. WORK
FOREIGN NATIONS PRAISE PRESIDENT
Confronts The Fighting Allies Bat
thing For Freedom
BY II. c. EVANS
Copyright 1879

Milan, lldly.-lue past LHTee weeks
of my life | have observed many,
tragic and glorious events, some of
which will live in history. The last
week in June | spent on that bloody
front line in France where for four
long years democracy has been at
grips with monarchy. Our American
boys, by the tens of thousands, had
just reached that line and for the first
time in their lives stood in battle ar
ray facing the veterans of the Prus-
sian monarchy. From a vantage point
in the Vosges hill | was able to locate
the trenches of the enemy and note
movements of their troops.
AS | watched them | recalled that
this is the fourth time in as many
generations that the Prussian legions
have swarmed over the Alsatian from
tiers and struck France. But a few
years ago they battered their way in
to France, devastated her fair fields,
burned her homes and cities and ex-
acted indemnities. And here they are
again, They are determined that this
free republic shall be subservient to
their military monarchy. They are
determined to again conquer France,
to compel her to lie helpless at the
feet of monarchy, to the end that
The proud Prussian eagles in triumph
shall wave
Der the land of the serf and the home
of the Slayei"
And fronting them and fighting
them on that line today. stand thous-
ands of u American boys with the
grim determination that the march of
monarchy shall stop and its ruthless
rule be determined. For more than
three months they have been holding
a considerable portion of that line.
Day by day, by constant halumerihs
and brilliant attack they have pushed
the enemy back. At this writing our
men have not lost a foot of the line
they have taken over, nor an inch
that the Prussian eagles in France
shall be supplanted by the Stars 'and
Stripes, They are determined that
The Star Spangled banner in triumph
shall wave
Ger this land of the free and the
home of the brave"
was in Paris July 4 and witnessed
a wonderful demonstration in honor
of our natal day. A number of Y. M.
&. A. men were accorded seats on the
,arinurinu ctanI And c,nh a coffinu
for a Fourth of July celebration
Paris gayly decorated, thousands of
miles of streets brilliant with allied
flags; the reviewing stand in the
shadow of a heroic statue of Washing
ton; the windows and verandas and
tops Of miles of buildings, five stories
high, and the buildings, FIVE stories
high, and the streets damned with
people: the president of the Republic
of France, with his cabinet, on the
stand and Generals Foch and Joffre,
and C~lemenceau, the tiger premier of
France, and-Lloyd George! Think of
it, 0 Americans, the premier of Eng
land helping us celebrate the Fourth
of July.
First came veteran French troops
led by a band playing "The Marseil-
laise," followed by the English, who
marched to the music of God Save
the King" Then the American troops
and THE Star Spangled Banner"
They were led by a regiment of our
veterans from Chateau Thierry. Those
lads had been taken out of the line
only the night before. When they
swung into view | wondered why they
did not keep step better, why their
bedraggled appearance. | did not
her know that men long in the
trenches and on the fighting line for
get how to march. The boys were
so bronzed they looked like Indians.
Notwithstanding their step was not
exactly in unison, every mans head
was high. They looked the heroes
they are. They had met the alleged
super-men of Prussia day after day
and mastered them. Never shall |
forget the tremendous ovation that
greeted our men. Hundreds of thous-
ands of people cheered them in a per-
feet roar of noise. Lloyd George
stepped to the front of the platform,
waved his hat and cheered so long
and loud that his voice left him.
The following day l left Paris for
Italy. ! was selected as one of ten
men to organize the Y. M. C. A. work
in Italy. Some of u troops had just
landed in this country and more were
to follow. We have been here a week
and have made a hasty survey of the
Italian field, ascertaining the location