The sun., 1918-08-04
ATKINS UNDER FIRE
IN ROOSEVELT RAID
Salvation Army Man Tells
Thrilling Story of Majors
Sortie in TOul Sector.
HEROISM WHEN WOUNDED
Former Presidents Sons Loved
by Their Men in Front
Line Fighting.

Under normal conditions ii is proba-
bly, whole lot safer to carry dough-
nuts than to eat them, but the job Of tot
Ing the twisted slnkers right up to the
front line trenches with the Big Berthas,
the ninnewerfers. the 1nmenwerfers
and all the other members OF the werfer
family kicking up high j!nks around YOU
is something else again, and II you don't
believe 1t you can ask Major John f.
Atkins OF the Salvation Army. who has
just returned from France after several
months OF continuous service In the Toul
| sector with the battalion commanded by
Major Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.
Still and all the Major will probably
make light Of the Job Just as he belittled
some Of his other hair raising expert
ences when interviewed yesterday after
noon at the Salvation Army headquar-
/, tiers, 100 West Fourteenth street.
II was obviously and unaffectedly diff
fcult for the thickset little man In
| khaki to talk about himself and he had
to be urged on to the task constantly
He told Of his three experiences In going
| over the top, his work In succorins the
| wounded and a few other exciting ex-
| periences much as he might have de-
a
| All during the recital there was look
| Of wonderment in his boyish blue eyes
which asked as plainly as any unworded
| query could ask why such fuss was
being made over him when there were
so many more important things to be
| discussed. such. for instance. as the cry
! ing need of tobacco and chocolate for
his boys at the front.
At one time, however. the diffident lit
| tie Major waxed eloquent. That was
when he was singing the praises OF
/ Major Roosevelt. Capt Archie Roose-
| Welt and Lieut.. Quentin Roosevelt. who
| was killed recently in an air battle.
"Col. Roosevelt certainly has won
| derful family said the Major. MY.
| how those boys can fight. They are
| certainly upholdinB the traditions OF
their country. Those boys are brave
as lions and they are worshipped by
their men. left for home before Major
Theodore was wounded, but I talked to
| Capt. Archie In the trenches few hours
before he was wounded and I saw him
in the hospital a few hours after a
| German shell got him. He smiled and
chatted with me In n casual tone. al
, though a surgeon told me later that the
Captain was suffering intensely.
! I'm the barrage which sent the Cap
tain to the hospital nineteen Of his men
| also were wounded. and although he
was enduring agony he refused to let
| the ambulance men move him from the
trench until every one OF the nineteen
| had been carried out"
Among Major Atkins's proudest pos
sessions Is a copy OF a letter written by
Major Roosevelt to the General In conf
mand Of the First Division of the Amer
| lean Expeditionary Forces in France rec
ommending that the salvation Army offi-
GER be appointed n chaplain with tho
rank OF Captain and assigned to the
Majors own battalion.
Aids wounded on Firing Line.
Major Roosevelts letter says:
Major Atkins has been with this COM
mand during it's entire active service. He
never stayed in the rear, but went for
| ward with the companies In the front
| line trenches. He was with the COM
| panies repeatedly when strafing was go
| ing on. He in numerous instances cared
| for the wounded under FIRE. He does
numberless services for the men, getting
them papers. chocolate. &C. &c. His in
fuencc is very real with the men. and
they like him and respect him. He Is an
ordained minister OF the Gospel. II
possible. would like him commissions
in grade Of Captain and attached to this
battalion. He would not accept a COM
mission should IL entail his transfer to
some other command"
| Asked II he would accept such a COM
mission. the Major replied that he in
tended to consider the matter after his
return to France, which will be in the
near future. He had no fears OF another
sea trip. he said. because he Is sure tho
German submarine commaAders have
| not got his name or number.
Major Atkins reached France in Sep
tember, 1917. and was assigned imme-
dlately to Major Roosevelt's command
then in training camp. The camp. ac-
cording to the Major. was on the top OF
hill which Julius Caesar had selected
as base of operations during one Of hi.
Gallo campaigns.
Some Of Caesars rock lined trenches
were still there intact said the Major
I'm digging some trenches OF our owr
for sham battles we turned up some
Roman coins bearing the lkness Of the
great Imperator."