Trench and camp., 1919-05-22

WMG-S-@-e-&t V@SV9 In France!
Then we tied up. The men went
to their hunks and were up before
daylight, piling down the gangplank,
forming by organizations uuon the
docks. and trudgiRg away to q camp.
That was the arrival of this partic-
ular outfit In France! No bands; NO
raptuGous receptions; just bamteRing
cries to the darkness, and then silent
and serious lines Of men filing dawn
upon silent docks-a few Chinese
coolies pushing trucks, few PrenGh
women in rough working dress
checking lists Of supplies.
Sart Of RaNme AFFAIR
But a little later, an they were
standing at ease, + heard this con-
vefsatioR between tive Of the Amari-
cans who had Just set foot ON French
sell:
Sort Of q tame AFFAIR, huh?"
"Ye-ah, kinder"
do yeu feel-oh--er-funRy?"
''Sare. De yoH?''
Yeah. Say" his face grew
sheepish- felt like
was praying without saying any
words Just when we came down the
gangplank and stepped onto France
-ah, hell! You know!''
"SaRet Say, Pm kinder glad We
breeze in this way without lot o.
fo0fishness. I was Sorter 'fraid they'c
have a reception committee and kis,
us."
And they were at their old game,
and kidding" and horseplaying un-
til they were called to- attention. And
that d0ughhsy, too would fight like
% hYena should he be charged with
having entertained, much less ex-
pressed, emotions Of profound sent1-
ment as he set foot upNn French soil.
And he is the boy who is coming back
home with q rare and wonderful line
Of slang and an intense aversion To
serious discussion of the war and its
experiences, save to his most intf-
mate friends. He calls the French
frogs and he knows the army was
run dead wrong. He never had
serious thought in his life-never!
And the war was Just a huge Joke?
Hero stuff. Deliver him from that.
And maybe you can Judge the dough
boy by what he says-and maybe you
can't
A transport is leaving France. The
Joe Green iss docked at Mafseilles.
About z.080 American soldiers file up
the gangplank. To all appearances
they are entirely without emotion.
Once aboard and adjusted in their
assigned quarters they line the rails
and lean ever, staring stolidly at the
piers. There are no flow
ers, no misunderstanding crowds
to say farewell.
French Boy Comedian
The ship warps out from the dock.
A little French boy capeEs atop the
pier aping the walk Of Charley Chap
lin. Some Of the soldiers langh and
the yeung comedian repeats his per-
formance.
BON VOYAGE" he cries and, twist
ime his heels and AARing out his toes
he ambfes around a corner Of the
quay. The ship ehuFned her way into
the channel and gathered speed The
panorama Of the great port, the mag
RiGeaRt city, the sWNerh hills behind,
hay 0uEsuraa4 to view. The rock
is1anded eliateam where Monte Cristo
was imprisoned and from which he
was thrown into the sea looms be-
side M and slawfy fades into the twi-
light. Silently and very seriously
2, eco American fighting men lean
ever the rail and gaze into the dusk
At the darkeniRg shores of the land
where. thAy have knewn Afe's most
experiences. Someone
began to sing Home, Sweet Home"
and ferventIy the chorus swelled.
Rasa . Eanenas demand: when
do we. eat?" And from the forward
deck, just - the twilight was lave
hest, o bunch Of ''twentY-miMHte
eggs" eAsnted with tPemolo effect,
the doughboTs" admonitory hymn:
So, IL ta Paris yen should ever roam,
Lat 'em alanet Est 'em alone! Let
'@m al0nRt"
UHutter3ble happiness was in
their hearts. And emotions that it
womId be perfectly disGHaceful to ex-
press or Indicate. Se they sailed away
singing . rolliekimg song about the
&lfaPemeRts Of French
nAidens. to say R0thfns af That su-
paRh classic in which every anldiaz
da1iGhGs, whaReiR "hae-yW-tjfnl Ka-
tie" fe assured ever and over that
"WhAR The mrm-moon ahiAea
Over the e-e-ew shed
In b WaitiMg, waiting