Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1919-01-16
From Sergt. John Machen.

Sergt. John Machen, a Go. II boy,
who has recently been sent from one
Of the German prison camps, writes
his wife in Manchester, describing
some Of his experiences.
1t has been a long time since Il
have written, even prisoners letter
to you.
We arrived here December Sth
from Switzerland, from where | mall
ed you a card. We are all in hotels
here that have been turned into hos
pitfalls.
There is so much to write that
don't know where to start. Besides
it would take month and reams
and reams of paper not to speak of
the feelings ! can't express.
1t was hard to realize that the
dance" had really stopped and we
could get ont Of that country
Of brutes and brutality. Believe me-
If anything goes to make a man love
his country and want to fight for it,
it is spending a few months as.
prisoner of war in Germany.
They have suffered hunger, its
true, but their women and children
are not molested and their towns are
still standing and not knocked into
stone heaps. But there isn't any
use raving about that because
can't reach any "Jerrie" now but
when / can, he don't want to look FOR
any mercy, and | think the men who
were In Germany with me will say
the same thing l sent a cablegram
to you this evening thru the Red
Cross to let you know that / have ar
rived safely in France.
The one thing don't like is the
uncertainty Of when I'll get back
home II ever in my life / want to
go home, It is now. We got started
all right, but are hung up now.
DO you know l have not had a
single word from home since we
were in the woods behind st. Mlhiel.
My wound is all healed up, but
the bullet is still inside. 1t does mt
bother me, so guess I'll come back
to the States when the rest Of the
bunch starts.
This Is peach of town from the
little | have seen Of it. 1t is a great
summer resort, with mineral waters,
saloons and race tracks. There are
lots of hotels here and they have all
been turned into hospitals. am
sleeping on the second homes to- God
bed that I've slept In since l was
home on my furlough 1t is a mahog-
any finished bed with a mattress
two feet thick on 1t, also sheets and
three blankets. Guess that's hard,
Ell? We eat bread that's white, too.
We are to be out of quarantine
Saturday and am hoping it won't be
long until we are on our way.
l surely wish you could have been
on the trip we had thru Switzerland
1t Is beautiful country and as near
ly like the U. S. as any l have seen
on this side. The mountains are
beautiful, snow covered and cut sharp
and clear like the Rockies. It was
dark before we got to Geneva, so we
couldn't see Mont Blanc.
The Red Cross gave us a royal well
come at the town Of Basel, just over
the border between Schwies and
Germany, also we got hold of a silk
flag about Az x615 and as we came
across the Rhine we put 1t out the
window and believe me we sure did
yell. They gave VS. so much to eat
on this trip that l thought I'd bust
chocolate and white bread, Lordie 1t
did taste good, and real tailor made
American cigarettes.
Believe me, If it hadn't of been for
the American Red Cross, two thirds
of the prisoners would never have
come back. They brought us here
and put us in these hotels. "Yonrs
truly" is very lucky and drew
front room that looks out into the
square or plaza or whatever they call
it here. There are five in the room
and we have nice balcony with a
sure enough French window to go
out thru.
/ hope to be in the States before
this letter arrives.