New-York tribune., 1918-05-05
By Geo. II. Beny

First Lieut., U. S. r., formerly of
Company 7, 165th Infantry, Goth
N. Y. N. g.
ts>ELL 'em when you go back. s.as !.
to come home until this mess
is cleaned up that we won't go
back until it's finished. An kiss the
Statue of Liberty for me. hey, will
y'u! Say, take drink Of Old Georges
on me, will y'u? Hey, tell 'em we're
all right, an tell 'em what the Hun
does to wimmen."
was crawling out of comnuni-
latter part of March. Some of the boys
and officers had come down there to
bid me goodby, for / was under or
ders to 60 back to America. They were
your sons, your brothers, your sweet
hearts. But they weren't the boys you
knew at home-they were men, with
some Of the veneer of civilization worn
off them, more the primeval man fight
ing for just and true cause.
Before try to tell you something OF
what the seth did over there, want to
nail some of the rankest ibels ever
issued against the finest body of fight
ing men in the world. Those libels
are in reference to intoxication and
morals.
Some persons have spread broadcast
the word that the American Expedi-
tionary Force men do little else than
cavort with women and drink them
selves into fine pickles.
have seen the American soldier
in England and in France. In the
seven months I was over there, run
! ming across thousands of men, saw
but two drunk Two out of thousands.
And take the figures of one battalion
in the 69th, for example, in reference
to the other accusation-one man out
of 1000 with venereal infection. These
figures were compiled after that bat
talon had been in France about five
months.
Back in q so-called crest camp,
where the Goth was due to go after its
trip in the trenches, the men are kept
on the jump from o'clock in the morn
ing until the same hour in the evening.
Following that, both officers and non
commissioned officers must attend a
school,, But-they rest at night.
In the trenches they don't rest very
much. The playful caperings of the
"cootie" brigade, the almost incessant
pounding of the artillery shells and the
screech of gas horn when "smell''
attack is on combine to make rest an
elusive proposition. This rest, too,
comes in the daytime, not at night
Record of Day
In the Trenches
Let's start out with company occu-
pying the front lines, reading their
schedule from "stand to' in the morn
ing. Here's all the happy soldier has
to do:
"Stand to-" which means every man
in his position along the frestep, auto
matte rifle placements or posts that
are especially good for throwing either
the hand or rife grenade, is held at
daybreak and at dusk. Every man must
be on hand fully equipped, with bayo-
net fixed. Time has proved the Hun
will most likely be active during those
periods.
Probably half an hour before and af-
ter dawn the men silently file out to
their positions. Not word is allowed
They wait there, seemingly hopeful
anxious that the Hun will make a try
at them. They're ready, eager. You
can see them, with one foot on the fire.
step (that is the little mound of earth
eighteen inches above the trench bot
tom) and the other foot resting on the
duck board" board walk covering
the trench base to keep you out of mud
and water.
Dawn comes, oh, so slowly. Wher