Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-20
CANADIAN TELLS OF WAR.
Discharged Private of Black Devil
Reoiment Tells Experiences.

Declaring that the United States and
it's allies will make n terrible mistake
if they lessen in any particular their
plans for a long continuation OF the
war. Private Charles Victor Combe,
discharged member of the Canadian
Black Devils, told of the war before
large audience at the Congregational
church Thursday night, when he gave
his lecture on "Bluffing the Boche.'
Private Combe, who is SO. was dis
charged in April of this year, following
his return from four years in service
and in German prison camps. He
wears a stripe indicating five years OF
service, which began in 1914, and end
ed this year. He also wears bar in
dicating that he has been wounded. but
the bar does not tell all of the story.
Officially Combe has been wounded
once-"G S. w. Head" (gun shot
| wound in the head)-but he was bay
oneted thru the leg and gassed.
When Combe enlisted early in the
war he was city editor Of the Winni-
peg Free Press, a position still open
! TO him, but one to which he does not
intend to return for two years. In the
| meantime he will attempt to build him.
self up physically by farm work. In
haiation of German gas has not proved
stimulating tonic to an already sens1-
tive stomach, and before getting back
| into the nervous grind of daily news
paper work he will spend the time get
ting close to nature and producing
wheat for his former comrades.
| While Mr. Combe does not presume
| TO know any more than any one else
as to what the future has in store, and
does not rate himself as a prophet, he
is of the opinion that there are two
more wears of war at least ahead OF the
world. unless the German front at home
breaks down. Incidentally he does not
: believe this will happen. That is the
reason why he declares that it will be
/ suicidal if America and her allies dc
not 60 ahead in their preparations fol
a long struggle.
Combining himself to his own expert
ences, and not giving reported expert
ences Of others as facts. Mr.. Combe has
a very interesting tale of the life of {
soldier in the ranks. He knows of thu
atrocities Of the Germans and the in
humane way in which they treat thei
prisoners Of war. He knows this be
cause he spent sixteen months in fiv'
different German prison camps. in
4 GLIDING one Of the SHOW camps" wher
the Germans take visitors to show then
how we'll the prisoners are provided for
4 The day before Ambassador Gerard
representative visited this camp new
overcoats were issued to the prisoners
and they needed them. After the rep
resentative visited the prison the over
coats were taken away from the mer
AS to some OF the more terrible afro
cities, attributed to the Huns, Comb
knew not of personally. But he kne'
Of enough to satisfy his audience tina
half has never yet been told. Comb
recited personal instances of hoy
wounded Canadian soldiers had ha
crutches knocked from beneath ther
while on parade before the citizens, an
how little German children were en-
Icouraged to spit on the 'Englander
schwein.'
TO his dying day Private Combe wi
carry a bad scar over his right fore
head, where machine gun bullet wen
thru the scalp, fracturing the skull. .