Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-04
EAMlMEES DO 60 MILES
! ON NERVE AND STEW
Only II Drop Behind When
Big Contingent Makes Cruel
ing Winter March
LEARN TO FIGHT COLD
French Soldiers Teach Methods Of
Keeping Ramshackle Billcts
Warm
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. Jan. 4.
Americas soldiers In France arc fast
learning how 10 keep warm under con-
dItions MS they exist In tho war zones
How a certain big militia contingcn,
marched sixty miles IN the tccih OF y
blizzard ION its nerve and hot stew" was
one chapter today of the story of how
the Sammecs are enduring the hard
ships Of the fighting man In tho bcs'
possible fashion.
n has been bitter cold. But the cold
snap relaxed slightly today. Tho snow
storm paused and sictly sun shed
its feeble warmth over vast white
desert over which the Americans are
putting up q defensive fight against
winter.
At noon the thaving snow sent tricliles
OF water down retaikd roofs and cave
spouts Of the billcts gurglcd "A mociing
spring song.
WORSE WEATHER COMING
There is worse weather and more Of
u coming soon---thercfore the Sammees
are profting by bitter experience They
are preparing to shut out the snow and
wind and shut in the heat.
A young French soldier. home on leave
from the front and before the war EN-
ployed In New orleans. found a group
Of shivering Alsbamans billcted In his
fathers barn.
You fellows aren't wise to this game. "
he said. I've been doing IT for three
years. There's no use crawling into the
hay unless YOU stuff paper into chnks
In the wall and build in the window holes
with loose bricks like the French sol
ders do when they arc billeted in
wrecked villages near the front. Just
watch aud you'll learn the trick"
The Frenchman kicked away aud dis
lodged bricks from the base of an old
wall In fifteen minutes he finished his
job and plasterless masonry filled the
window aperture. through which snow
had formerly drifted.
The certain militia contingent, OH COM
pleting its sixty-mile hike, found its
new bilets intensely cold. But within
very short time the men had plugged
UP all the holes and started redhot fires.
Hundreds suffered on this march when
their field Shoes already badly worn.
began going to pieces. The steel hob
nails intensified the cold. Many men in
this contingent had insufficient under
wear and socks while they marched all
day long In the teeth of a blizzard.
Their officers were not surprise when
some dropped from the ranks, suffering
from frostbito.
TwENTY-oNE FALL BEHIND
only twenty-one of my failed to
nnish," said colonel THE others did
that sixty miles on their nerve--,and hot
stew"
The housing facilities throughout the
American zone consist of village houses,
barns and wooden Swiss" barracks, The
latter are fIimsy, but comfortable when
the snow is banked high around the
sides. the cracks sealed and the stoves
burning.
I'VE live like gentlemen in these huts,
said Fall River (Mass) boy. show
Ing an orderly row of cots with each
mans equipment nearby. I'VE sleep In
our underwear and with our blankets
rolled around us. But it's fierce getting
up IN the mornings when the fires are
out"
thousands of American troops are bill
leted I'm barns They do not live like
gentlemen. Many seldom undress, eN-
cept for the periodic hot baths-which
are not only available. but compulsory
Face-washing to all the troops these days
is an Arctic ordeal and shaving is tor
ture, unless the soldier is lucky enough
to get warm water from the cook
shack.