Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-05
AMERICANS IN TRENCHES
LEARN WHAT WAR IS
Our Officers Display Love of Nature
In Contrast With British
and French.
ARMY EQUIPPED BY ALLIES
Saminics Do Not Drink Tea, but
They Sing With Great Zcst-"We
Will Sit Tight Till End Is Ac-
complishcd."
IInternatlonpl News nureau.l


Americas army is in being. and IL in
creasing hourly. All sorts and con-
ditions Of men in all the States of the
Union from Maine TO Florida and from
New York to California-woodsmc
hunters. fishermen, merchants, manu-
facturcrs. traders, millionaires and
mechanics assembled under OLE
Glory for the last grips in the. colos-
sal struggle.
Americans from Utah and from North
Dakota continGents and Colorado pla-
toons, regiments from Massachusetts
and battalions from Nebraska; COM
positc hordcs of Americas people, the
greatest collection of idcalists ever
engaged in practical task. from the
high schools, from Yale. Harvard.
Princeton and Columbia: from the Mid
die West Universities Of Michigan. Wis
consin. Illinois and Iowa; Yankees.
Knickerbockers. Hoosiers, Cavaliers
and cowboys-all are massed or mass.
ing-the biggest collection of deter
mined individual samples yet displayed
in this or any war
American officers In London are
riGidly silent rs regards themselves
and their dispositions. but they chat
freely ION the outskirts" OF their or
conversations not strictly military will
reveal the spirit and attitude Of Young
America. now across the channel. in
the hush which prccedcs the struggle
BRITISH EXTRACT IMPORTATION
LIKE DENTISTS
How do we like the British? Just
fine. But they ask funny questions
just in confidence. They mean we'll
One bit sarcastic asked me IL I Admit
find II disadvantage to have no
language of my own. Another, wheth-
er one often sees Buffalo Bill in New
York society. or whether Shakespeare
or bernard shaw is most read in the
States Our fellows try TO be polite,
and clothe their answers in humorous
dissuiscs. The French we meet allow
US TO tell them things. The British
extract information like dentists But
there is great admiration for the Brit
ish in every camp"
we swap books with both British
and French. but mostly British We
find your British officers very eager to
read our writer's. have observed
Cooper's Tales of the Open Air, Mark
Twain in any guise, William Dean
Howelis, George w. Cable, and, among
our women, Alice Hogan Rice. Ruth
McEnery stuart and Mary Johnston
are most acceptable; but most OF them
practically unknown to wcll-educatcd
British officers. Lowell, Holmes and
Longfellow they have passing ac-
quaintance with.
Il think the marked trait OF the
American officers now in France in
contrast with British and French is
their love Of nature. They have al
ready Il strong affection for their sur
round!ngs. 1t is especially marked in
the country camps. 1t comes, take
/ II. from their love of great forests.
swift-rushing rivers. wooded mountain
ranges in the East. and snowy peaks
and many colorcd canyons in the West.
Our men are largely members of the
Audubon societies. Such companies OF
boys and girls studying wild flowers
and birds as YOU do not find in Europe
Their interest is not SO much scientific
AS vital and tcmperamental."
AMERICANS HAVE
FINE SENSE OF HUMon-
Another feature" said an officer, lis
our sense OF humor. or course we
have come 10 Europe with the reputa-
[, ton as nation OF Jokers. whose jests
like eur ready made shoes have an
o3iique form which makes other ma
tionalitcs find difficulty in getting into
them The contrast IN the humor OF
the various camps as have seen them
Is very marked. Our humor has moth
ing OF French brill!ancy, little OF the
spice OF practical joking which plays
a big part in English fun. 1t is not
like the German joke, which announces
its arrival with the sound of
trumpet II usually wears a sober
face. and speaks in quiet voice
Yes! we've pretty substantial
army already IN France, where the
men and officers have been additionally
trained since they left America. They
q sr,tn 4 t.,I
communication and supply and vast
storage and other facilities No such
provision has ever been made before
in the camps and behind the lines for