The Benson signal., 1918-03-09
Troops in France Are Training
to the Highest Point
of Efficiency.
KNOW NO FEAR OF FRITZ
Soldier Writes of Work and Expert
ences With Army at the Front
Old Regulars to Be Used as
Crack Units of the Unit
ed States Forces.

Dear -: This is the first time I
have had-or have taken-for letter
writing in some days. I wrote home,
and will devote the rest of the minutes
between now and bedtime to a long
delayed letter to you. I only just re-
turned to my company after being
away for q month-in a blamed sight
colder place. / had a long and Won
derful trip, the details of which can't,
of course, recount. Let it be men
toned, however, that among other
things did was sleep in real steam
heated room, with sheets, five electric
lights, all going at once, and q bath
room. I was a next-door neighbOr Of
Hank Wales, of the I. N. S., who, dis
covered, worked in Sacramento, taking
the job left when went to Panama.
He knows you, and mentioned that I
did, but didn't go into any details. My
trip, my one night Of luxury and Ihy
reversion to the life of the army have
brought realization Of one thing,
though:
To peryert the title and main strain
of the latest Broadway and first-line
trench hit, the fun is over, over here.
From now on it's business.
France, to the American soldier,
never again will be what it has been.
This thought began to formulate itself
in the minds of the lucky Americans
who came over here in the late sum-
,,oor 90 1917 about tho timo tho CnOW
began to fall and the fog to come in
from the coast. Now it has crystalized.
The grave, WhOle-souled, sincere six
months welcome of France is over. 1t
was a welcome not so much regal as it
was genuine-nOt one such as is
spoken at banquet when the mayor
turns the hypothetical keys of the
city over, but Of the man who opens
his home and his all and says, not in
words, but in deeds, "YOu are one with
us; what we have is yours" And for
tunate were the Americans who were
present at this welcome. The army
that comes this year will be welcomed,
but not as we were.
No Longer Novelty.
Not that France has Intentionally
moderated her tone. There has been
a merely natural relaxation, of course,
and the "Soldat Americaine' now is
accepted more as matter of course
than as a novelty. But the big factors
are that the United States is getting
into the war--and it is winter. There
is less liberty now than there was
no all-night passes, and frequently
Sunday is broken by inspection and
drills. There is no military permis-
sion to visit nearby cities except on
business. Visiting of the cafes is per-
mitted only between noon and 2 p. m.
and 6 p. m. and $3.50 for officers and
enlisted men. Winter has brought long
nights and cold days, its Red Cross
sweaters and the II pairs of socks
from home, and, incidentally, the keen
est appreciation Of three fruits of civil
nzatiOn which "back home" are such
common-places that their existence
creates no more thought than the flea
on HectOr'S back.
These are light, heat and water.
war, ana 1CS cOncOmlCanC economies,
cause a step backward in evolution
and human progress-superfcia at
least-and luxuries vanish, one by one,
while what, the American of today sub
consciously considers as necessities
are stinted An aeon or so ago water
and artificial heat and light might have
been considered luxury, or dissipa-
ton by our developing ancestors. But
now they are normally in the class of
things we must have. There is, of
course no alarming scarcity Of any Of
these things. Merely a conservation.
Over here we hear that the lights
are going out on Broadway, and Dear