Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-03-13
MOTHERS WIN WAR
SUMMERS TELLS PEOPLE

at wasn't the soldiers that won
the war but it was the mothers of The
boys and you people back home that
made it possible for US to do what
we did" This was the opening state
ment made by Frank Summers in his
excellent address at the Baptist
Church Sunday night. Summers saw
active service in France and has
lately returned to his home in Mexico.
he gave his experiences to a crowded
house in a clear and entertaining way.
IF it had not been for my mother"
he declared, 81 could never have &C.
complished what little 1 did"
"They say we have made mistakes
and certain politicians were want 10
criticise President Wilson and u
government" Summers said, hut
friends when we raised an army of
100000 men in less than Is months,
say we did pretty good. Of course
there were mistakes made. There
were mistakes made by every army
and this is no discredit to our army
or our government"
Summers who was with the En-
eineers corps said they were a cross
between an infantry soldier and a
pack mule for they did most anything
that was asked of them, from carry
ing heavy loads, to fighting in the
trenches and building bridges.
He said that when they landed in
France on tire 9TH of October, 1917,
it was raining and that if there was
ever a day during the remainder of the
time he was over there, that it didn't
rain he must have been asleep, for he
didn't remember it. He saw so much
rain he said that now everything ne
sees a mud puddle he can hardly re-
frain from playing in it.
On their first march, Summers said
his regiment went twenty miles |
through deep snow and to make the
journey more enjoyable for him the
sole and his shoe decided to part
company.
Speaking of the spirit of the Amer
lean soldiers the speaker said he never
saw it finer than with our boys. The
Americans he said were never cutters
and no matter what happened to them,
how badly they were wounded, they
always came back smiling, even when
they knew death was facing them.
While Summers never took part in
the fight at Chateau Thierry, as a re-
suit of becoming i'll while his regiment
was going up to the front line, he
knows what the fighting meant from
the number of wounded brought back
and the experiences told by his SOL
der friends.
A captured German Summers talk
ed to, told him that his 1.-THE German's)
captain had made them believe the
Americans would not fight and would
run. He found they would run all
right but they would run in the wrong
direction for Fritzie.
When asked to tell what he thought
of the girls in France. Summer said
that somewhere in the Bible there was
a verse which said, one should never
speak i'll of the absent and that he
didn't want to say much about the
French girls; they were alright but
more on the doll order. He also COM
pared the slow, easy-going way of
the French to the hurry and hustle of
the Americans. He complimented that
country on their wonderful hard road
system and said he couldn't get used
to these dirt roads over here; that they
seemed out of place with the sur
roundings.
AS a final shot he said the majority
of the French didn't have the brains
the Americans had.
He highly complimented the work
of the Salvation Army. Red Cross,
Jewish Welfare, Knights of Columbus
and remarked that the Y. NJ. C. A,
did some good but they never had the
right kind of leader. He especially
praised the work of the Salvation
Army lassies.
Archie Playter was also introduced
but as he never saw service overseas
he did not talk. ,