Evening journal., 1918-02-15
nvc 4 IVnN
BY c. C.LYON.
Evening Journal Reporter with Per-
shing's Army IN France.

shing's Army in France.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY III
FRANCE; Cntrole American; Feb. 10
I've been privileged 10 read some letters
that have been passing between two
soldier cousins, one a second lieuten-
ant on duty i'm a training camp IN
America and the other a FIRST lieulen-
ant with the troops over here in France
Gee, Fred, but we've been having a
tough time Of it the last few days" the
second lieutenant in America wrote.
THE thermometer has been trying 20
see how cold it could set
Hot water for shaving IS a luxury
that we enjoy about one day ont Of
seven and a fellow can consider him
self mighty lucky If he gets into town
once In two weeks 20 jump into o nice
bath tub with hot wafer
The supply Of cigars and cigarettes
ran short the other day and for more
than a week now I've been forced 20
hit the old corn-coh pipe War is GER
tainly what General sherman said 10
was. isn't lt Fred ?"
Now Cousin Fred came over TO France
with the flrst contingent last June and
he has seen an sides Of American sol
dier life on this side Of The water. so
he wrote jim his second Lieutenant
cousin, the following.
"Tm telling you the truth Jim, when
J say that ] HAVEN'T SEEN a BATH
TUB SINCE ! LEFT AMERICA LAST
JUNE. They don't have such things IN
the part az France where we are Yes.
IN take that back The say there's
hotel in a big city about 30 miles from
where were stationed. Tn sres a tuD
in this hotel but YOU HAVE To WRITE
A DAY AHEAD or TIME AND MAKE
An APPOINTMENT TO USE IT,
fThls life over here is c0ing 90 be
The making Of me and about q million
other young fellows, Jim. You know
] used % work ln a bank before 7 got
my commission Physically ] was one
o. those soft guys. didn't have tho
least sign of a punch and everything
10 the way % manual labor tired noe
out. I suppose ! would have gone
along on my sedeniary life until
was about so and then passed out from
stomach trouble 0r hardening % the
arteries
But you ought 20 see me now. Jim
I'm In the pink ~ condition eat IKE
a horse and The more work they give
me the better ! Ike IT.. I hii the hay
every night az o'clock and I'm dea0
70 the world until the bug'es biow
the next morning
We're In a part ~ France where. the
oldest inhabitants tell me, The snow
gets 70 be seven and eight feet deep
before the spring thaws set in Sew
ersl mornings lately SC has been five
degrees below zero when we rolled out
Of our bunks.
Were an billstted around with the
peasant folks and their bedrooms
haven't a sign OF heat in them Usual
ly there's only two or three wells n
village and they're always frozen
solid, so we generally wash 'n the
snow.
You'll hardly believe me- when
tell YOU I've actually seen some oi our
boys bathing 10 the snow without
stitch on EN- You can't understand
such things until you get over here
and get hardened.
no wonder you fellows back ir
America always have had colds in ihe
winter time. steam heat and bath
tubs are enough 70 Kill anybody
They're mans inventions, not nature 6
-Over here We're tickled hair 10
death when we get q chance 70 take
plunge in some river or creek, regard
less 0f the temperature.
i have TO smile now when. I recall
how used 70 growl II our milkman
back home happened 10 be late and
there was no cream Tor my coffee that
morning. And I would have changed
boarding houses II they had put coffee
before nne without any sugar for u.
This war has hown me that such
hings are in the category OF 'unneces-
saries OF life They're lots Of cows in
France but we NEVER set any milk.
guess they use all the milk Tor babies
and making cheese. I've quit eating but
ter for the same reason and nay con-
sumption OF sugar IS about one-0fih or
what ! used to be back IN America
Soldier life IA France Is going TO