The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1918-03-07
BAYONET PRACTICE
SERIOUS NATTER
UNCLE SANS BOYS ARE TAUGHT
TO THRUST STEEL TO
HEART.
NECESSARY TO PROTECT LIFE
MEN IN SERVICE ARE HARD
WORKED BUT WELL
CARED FOR.

one cannot see much, nevertheless one
has MANY ways of discerning what is
going on in a cantonment, via his Of
ficers. newspapers and lastly runlors
Everyone knows how authoritative
camp rumor is; you generally gel
them by the score, 80 per cent untrue
and the remainder greatly DISTORTED
Then there are events actually gong
on. that would make interesting
reading, but are strictly and rightly
prohibited from reaching the outside
world. A good share of my time
spend in reading about the war in
magazines which are authoritative and
believe me, every time soldier comes
up to me with wistful, holns-sicE
look in his face, telling of the fallacy
of America being in this great strug-
gle, dwelling on the weakness the
United States government and army
and covering generally his pitiful lot,
turn loose barrage on him en-
phasized with army adjectives) which
I generally find stops bringing up re-
Inducements. And the more I read
of the Germans actions toward other
nations, the worse | hate their mill
taristic government and system OF
treachery.
Every day I give bayonet lessons
to numbers of men, and it is my duty
to teach them to KILL. The other
day a funny thing happened. l had
about 100 men lined up in files behind
dummies, representing human targets.
The front row of men snaps to
"Guard" at a command. Then cat
the Germans heart-POINTw With
all the visciousfiess l have, give the
command and with all the visciousness
they possess, they drive the bayonet
home. They Withdrew clean, shoot out
back to guard and pass through, ready
for more. How can man give COM
mands and work for hours and still
have a keen edge of interest in this
most strenuous work in the army
1t is dreaded by the men; it calls for
every ounce of energy that exists in
their body and when they think they
are about through, you have. just got
started on lesson. When it is over,
they wonder how they survived, but
took it for over a month steady from
officers and ] know it is possible to
live Throughout much more, how
ever.
But am meandering off my sub
ject. You can keep up your spirit and
interest in this work if you keep
thoroughly posted on "Why the United
States is in this war;" and its mighty
handy information to impart to the
men during brief rest period. I was
putting class through the other day,
when l noticed sentinel stop on his
post and gaze at me in queer
fashion. Money on it, that he couldn't
give single one of his general
ORDERS" Judging from the utterly per-
picked look on his countenance- is
supposed to know those Command
ments" exactly and what business
did he have to cease pacing his post
He came up to me, and my wonder
grew. Please do not say at the
Germans heart, or throat, and the
like say at the eneny's healc, OF
throat, etc. He took Inc oft my
guard for moment; he was a big
husky German lad and looked al
him. His motive was evidently good
/ told him that I believed that the
German government was at the bot.
tom of the whole diabolical war; en-
meshing every nation and its people
with whom it came in contact in its
sharing schemes, by hook or crook
and military brute force. That being
true how else could we hope to get Il
this Kaiseristic regime if not through
its people enslaved and loyal as the.
were to such a government?
Can you say that Germany treated
Belgium in manner that even ha,
a tinge of fairness? Broken treaties
traversing land without warning an
permission, inhuman treatment an,
the numbering of Edith Cavell an
,swer here. Perhaps if we should Civ
some of their low-down hirelings i
this country dose of lead, it woul
be better Germany has way to ri
herself of dangerous people to he
bloody work, why not US? And VIII
hesitate?
Servia was caught in the Kaiser
net. Surrounded as she was, an
Roumania, though still bravely strue
Cling, looks to the Unied States
come to the rescue and once more Civ
them democratic freedom. Thanks
the American Red Cross, much mo-
able work has already been done
those devasted countries, especial
the latter. At one time few month
back, Italy had in her possession q
the passes and communication linz
that lead into her land from the Ali
to the north. She felt perfectly SAT
But she underestimate the Germs
strength of treachery; she fell
victim of hirelings of that Cover
1nent. For some years Germany hi