The Delta independent., 1918-06-07

in. As we walked along 1 noticed
that the rains had washed the earth
away from German who was buried
there. His arms were protruding and
WIS altogether a most gruesome
Ssight naturally gave the body as
wfdeFa a berth as possible. After pass.
ing heard remark, and turning
saw one of my men shaking hands
with the corpse and saying: Good
morning, Fritz!"
Major Sandford took part in both
the battles of Ypres, which were
among the most decisive battles of
the war. Here his battalion was vic
lently shelled by the enemy, the
British losing heavily. At evening
there were but 1000 men left out of
the initial 10000, but by good work
of other British battalions the day
was saved and the Germans failed to
take the channel ports.
At the second battle of Ypres the
Germans used chloride gas, one of the
most deadly methods. They took the
first trench, every man killed. Fur
ther over the men were poisoned, but
ia a WAoi d6ohs nc 1cl iudusp
ped with masks. came on with a rush,
and the men in the farther removed
trenches were many of them able to
put up good. stiff fight, so the enemy
failed again. And the speaker added:
Il think / am safe in saying that they
never will reach the channel ports"
He was greeted with rounds of ap-
plause.
Continuing. he said: There are
many who are inclined to be pessimis-
tic regarding the present situation
While 1t is true that one of the main
objectives is Paris, which would aid
the enemy materially. it is by no
means as important as the channel
ports. The main object of the enemy
is to get us to keep striking. but the
allies are waiting until there are
enough Americans that when the last
attack comes up, the allied forces will
be sufficient to go straight through
to Berlin. The Germans want us to
keep weakening our forces and fritter-
ing away our strength, and they are
trying to force us to keep up the fight.
General Foch is trying to keep us from
being forced into it until the allied
troops are stronger.
The major pronounces Ypres "Yeep"
though he says the French pronounce
it "wipres."
He SAWS when a cannon drops into
a shell hole It sometimes takes half
day to get it out. They use mules for
this work and he brought out laugh
when he naively said: They send us
these Missouri mules. but they never
send any instructions with them"
He recited the experience of being
shelled by the Germans when their
last cannon had been put out of COM
the fragment of the battal-
lion concealing themselves in two
discarded tanks or cater
pillars. Here they were safe so long
as a shell did not actually strike the
protection. Eventually shell did
strike it. killing several and frightful-
ly mangiing others. There was one
young man who had been recommend
ed for promotion to rank. which in
the British army lies between private
and corporal and is the first step in
the line of promotion. The major ask
ed for the man whose name was
Francois. and heard him say: Here
am. / am all right. get the others
out" Rushing inside the tank he
found Francois with one arm complete
~. blown off. and both legs horribly
He and his assistants took
the injured man with the others on
to the hospital. where sew
eral. including the heroic Francois.
died during the night The next day
young Francois commission arrived.
The speaker told of the latest meth
ods of torture emanating from the
Huns, in the form of mustard gas
shells. He says il makes great blist-
ers, sometimes almost completely COW
ering the body. as well as affecting
the eyes and lungs.
He then spoke of the financial con-
iition Of the allies. and particularly
Of England. who for the first two
Or three yecrs of the war. was the
financier of the allies, and who as
lime has gone on. has become notably
until IL is as much as she
Fan do to keep up her own war en-
penses of $S5. to $4,000. 900 a
Iay. The allied forces. then, must
ook to the United States of America.
the richest nation of the earth, whose
vast resources have hardly been
scratched by the war. They make
formal appeal to the American men
and women to act as bankers and loan
they possibly can to finance
he war. He said; You must get
every thing You can over there at
,nce. as quickly as you can. General
Woods message to America is just
me word hurry, hurry hurry And