Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-07-25
HAS BEARING
of SOLDIER
Lieutenant w. r. Macdonald Tells
of the War Mefore Chautauqua
Audience---Had Many Thrills
(From Fridays daiIy.)

The address with the greatest hui
man interest at the chautauqua was
delivered on Thursday evening by
Lieutenant w. r. Macdonald, of the
Canadian expeditionary forces. He
had crossed the sea, fought the good
fight, and returned to tell the story
He held his audience with thrilling
grip, so vivid were the pictures of his
experiences in the trenches and on no
mans land.
War May End Next Year
He said the war may end next year
The allies are getting stronger every
day, the German observation balloons
are being kept down, and the planes
are not as numerous. The shots from
the cannon were four or more to one
by the Germans at the beginning of
the war, but now the allies are giving
them the reverse and more.
The allies are getting so strong
they may begin to push the Germans
back at any time, and he assured his
hearers the kaiser will never dine in
Paris. He thinks the allied soldiers
will be able to eat 1imberger cheese
and sauer kraut in Berlin some time
next year. He most emphatically de-
clared the time is not far distant when
the Yankee boys will knock HI out
of the kaiser and his clan.
Goes From Canada
After discussing the war in a gen
eral way the officer took his audience
from Canada to the battle front and
back again. He said the first soldiers
over had miserable boat accommodate
tions-at least he had. No easy deck
chairs, but piled in like sardines. The
meals, he had six each day-three
down and three up. Oaughter.)
He said the philosophical thing to
do was:
kit bag
And smile, smile, smile.
His command landed at Plymouth.
In 1920 the great, grand grandfathers
Of the American people sailed from
that port in order to enjoy liberty and
freedom in a strange land. Today the
soldiers of this country are disembark
ing there to fight for the liberty and
freedom of the world.
In the Trenches
Life in the trenches was full of hOr
rOrs. When one lay down on the straw
insects got upon the body, and rats
ran over the person resting. 1t was
necessary to hang all food from the
ceiling in order that the rodents go
hungry. Mud covered the troops from
head to foot. At night there were
scouting parties to scour no mans
land to learn all possible about the
enemy. Suddenly there would be a
flash and it was necessary to drop at
once, perhaps in foul water in a shell
hole perhaps on or beside the dead
body of a soldier that had lain there
for weeks and weeks. Often it was
necessary to hold a sector at all cost,
and on one occasion he went in with
10S men and came out with only II
He told of sentry duty, of bursting
shells, of barbed wire fences, of hun
ger, of cold, of sickness and of death.
The wounded were everywhere at
times, and it was a great problem to
care for them.
Mistakes of Germany
Lieutenant Macdonald said that
Germany made three great mistakes:
1. Her army did not accomplish all
that was expected in short time.
2. Italy came into the war, throw
ing more burden on the Teutons.
8. There was no revolution in Can
ada and the United States, as expect
ed.
Will Come Back
He assured the parents present that
most of their sons will come back.
Canada has sent about $4,000 men to
the war zone, and of these about IT,,
900 have been killed, about two and
one-half per cent. The army training
does more for boy, more to build
him up into man, than any other
ovnorionop