Connecticut western news., 1918-09-19
Our Doughboys Mean Business
When They Take the First
Line Trenches.
Their efficiency EVIDENT
Veterans Before They Enter the
Trenches, by First-Rate Military
Training II Not by Experience
Every Man In Line Has
Personal Grudge to
Settle With Huns.

With the American Troops In AISace-
the dim light. of the
moon you could barely see the stream
of doughboys pouring out Of the smell
tering woods and scraping over the
dusty French road toward the trenches.
They said very little and trudged along
with that measured swinging tread
which enables Europe's veterans 70
carry their heavy packs almost I'M
heard-of distances.
The stream seemed unending, as the
United Press staff car picked its way
from squad to squad without using
lights, without falling in bitches and
without touching a single doughhoy.
Finally one section of the human |
stream halted In n ruined village. me |
press car stopped, too, for beyond this
point everything except ammunition
and food goes on foot. .-s
The officers gave the order TO rest,
and a lot of packs dropped to the
ground, followed by doughboys. Their
rifles they never dropped. In the moon
light you could see the ground covered
with resting soldiers, mostly sitting.
There was a clicking of rifles and
sounds of Tightening packs, and bits OF
gossip which could come only from a
group heading for It's first night In the
| trenches.
Indifferent to Danger.
These were Uncle Sans citizen SOL
diers, new men just over from the
states" as they have habit Of calling
home when over here. A few ques-
lions revealed the fact that year ago
these boys were clerks, carpenters,
students and whatnot, in civilian
clothes. Six months ago they were In
n training camp. Now they were sol
diers in France, and tonight they were
making their genuine debut into the
war for civilization.
There was no wild enthusiasm nor
any evidence of fear or even appre,
hens'on among those citizen-soldters
as they rested before making the last
lao into the trenches, There was
nqrter-of-fact sort of confidence prev
alent. and every man was making thu
mo- Of the breathing spell 20 see thu:
he was 100 per cent ready for battle
Interest and talk centered around thu
clicking rifles and other equipment.
"1'his old guns sure going to Ill
some work from now on" said on
/ doughboy to his pal, as he played wit
I the rifle fondly. 'It's the best gun II
this army"
! "Say, you never shot this gum" re
piled the other. "Nobody ever did, an
nobody will but me. It's some Boone
getter. It was made for me Special.
b."
Il officers went through the crowd, gi'
ing a final warning about use OF ga
masks, and attention centered aroun
masks for a moment. A lot OF chap
Q tried them on again. Then packs agai
n were adjusted, and the group Of doug
Q boys streamed slowly on.
n Ready for Business.
III AS they got nearer the front trench'
III the word was passed to walk MOI
ii quietly. Conversation except In u
II dertones stopped, and they descendt
Q into trenches. All you heard was II
II steady knock of hobnailed shoes
o the trench duckboards, as these lie
or arrivals were quietly initiated to Il
trenches in France. Quietly and wit
. out commotion the officers station
their men, with lookouts watchil
across moonlit No Mans Land, {
III former occupants of the trenches lie
= and the relief was completed.
@g There is something about the lei
# less quiet way these new dougbho
. take the trenches that makes y
~ feel they know q lot about warfa
q. They are veterans before they EN-
SMa the trenches, by first-rate militia
sM training if not experience. Their Q
a cipline is fine, and their efficiency te
ls you they are ready for bushes:
S meaning whipping Germans.
sSH "Well, you can tell Kaiser Bill we
Ad here to fight" said one doughboy,
gN he took his station. "Hear the Z
Dd mans say we're just a crowd OF
81 trained boys. Well soon show tn
$50 we're soldiers"
sNM 1t happens this doughboys plat
Das did it very soon. The next night
& Germans came over, and fifty of tn
: UNFRAMED boys withstood the att
and stuck to their guns. The Germ
- who were still alive and able to
> g retreated, double-quick time.
All in Days Work.
! Speaking of the way the newly
rived Americans take to the trene
0 and to their duties, one brigadier
eral, who had just finished comp
relief, said: "They're not exactly
to get into the trenches. / guess
Il one is glad of that. But these
all figure it's work to be done,
they're here to lick Germans. The
keen to get the job done. They're
f1dent, all right, but not boastful,
cause they know there's lot to lee
A doughboy gave his version of
he and his pals felt while out