The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-08-09


= certain French headquarters. Our
object was to rendezvous with Ameri
q staff officers who were going t.
take us to see something OF the Unit
ed States expeditionary force. The
guns on both sides were silent, the
roads were losing their night traffic
Hour after hour sped by. the suns
heat increased, but, though we lost
our first freshness, we could not lose
that feeling Of anticipation that we
were going to see something wonder
ful, to be witnesses of the working
Of q force In history. a sight that tens
Of years hence we should still be re-
latlng to our grandchildren, writes
Godfrey Butler In the New York
World.
The approach of our destination
was not unheralded. More and more
frequent on the road we passed the
green-gray motor trucks with boys
from home In charge, khaki-clad and
helmeted with a tin helmet different
from the French, fiatter, more like a
soup plate than the casque Of a me-
dIeval knight, In armor, such as the
Poilu wears. Old stagers at the front
tell mi that You may know the dis
cipline of an army from the way 1t
keeps Its place ON the road.
Do the vehicles straggle into the
middle Of the roadway. thus blocking
other traffic? Then the discipline is
bad and organization will generally
be awry. Do the men on the box
gmartly respond to the passing of an
ofncer7 Then, sure enough, the re-
1ation between officers and enlisted
men is cordial and satisfactory.
An Orderly Transport Train.
It was fine to see each motor lorry
hug the roads extreme right edge and
every column OF these United States
transport wagons neatly and regularly
spaced, while there never was any
Sinking, never an intentional and
timely glance the other way. "Old
Glory on our car, the United States
uniform within, always elected a
smart salute from the enlisted man In
charge Of every party. from the others
. friendly hand wave and a shouted
message.
We approached q village and on the
village green we saw a car or two Of
Transatlantic make-unwonted sight
amid the motorcars Of France. 1
changed my car and sat with a colo
mel holding a big position on the staff
Of Pershlng. With us his assistant
and Pomeroy Burton of London and
New York, now head OF the British
war mission In Paris, the latter just
back from. and very full of, a won
derful and minute inspection of the
United States lines of communication.
which he prophesies will. when al
lowed to be described IN print, provide
the newspaper sensation of the day In
Europe and America.
We had q longish run In front of us
and there wa time to settle down to
an interchange Of talk. 1t was new
to the Americans to get a man from
home and we were submitted to the
completest cross-questioning that /
have ever had to undergo.
OF every city and community In the
United States / could say to each in
turn: do you know how the memory
and love Of you has been carried
overseasf DO you know how the
anxieties, the heartaches, the desires
fulfilled, the loves and lives and oc-
equations of past days that you may
have regarded ms over and gone for
ever are living m again, re-enacted
1n the memory OF soldier men 1900 to
1900 miles away from home, with lit
he prospect Of return till war is fin
lnhedr'
IAN Hemeric Company"
Then It was our turn to put the
questions, and as the long line Of
trees on either side Of the roadway
mashed behind us we were admitted
to the fellowship Of the company of
United States fighters. worshipped Its
heroes. learned Of its achievements.
They are In truth an Homeric COM
paDy, seasoned by frontier fighting.
masters OF the war cunning Of the
Filipino or Of the Mexican. sons of
service. vet very much alive to new
conditions.
Was there not Major X, who, to
teach his meh the possibilities Of ac-
curate machine gun tire, drove his own
auto 10 yards along parallel to and in
front Of the barrage put up BY the
company he was training? Or Lieu
tenant Y, most daring Of most mod
- -,~~~ MI wA,1tIA