The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1919-01-02
put Germany down entirely she will vel
rise to menace the world again, The

though their war material may be great
ly reduced the people still believe their
army to be undefeated. The so-called
revolution is a joke here and | imagine
the papers at home interpret it the same
way. If the world is actually better for
it all it may be worth while after all
Looking back now and hearing the inside
information from the boys who have
been over here for Is months, wonder
how we at home were made to feel so Sc
cure. When the Germans started their
big drive in March there was little to
stop them except the indomitable French
courage The real turning point came on
July 18th when the Americans first came
across with their victory at the Marne.
If the Germans had broken through on
that date they would have gone clear to
Paris and the coast. However it is near
ly over now, and France is certainly a
happy nation. Every building here is
decorated and flying the Allied flags.
The shops are selling red, white and blue
ribbon and nearly everyone wears bow
of Stars and Stripes. The one great
good that will come from the war will
be the boys who return home-a different
lot than what left. Whenever we get
together for chat the talk always turns
towards home. l have yet to hear of
fellow who has not said that he never
appreciated good home before, but will
when he returns. There will be a good
many surprised parents when they see
the boys stick around the home fires.
While at the front we used to see sor.e
grand air battles. AS rule the Allies
greatly outnumbered the Huns and came
out of the scraps victors, although l saw
two American machines sent down.
One believe made safe landing The
real sport is to see Jerry 60 after the OBJ
servation balloons. They are immense
sausage shaped affairs and offer wonder
full targets. They are supposed to be in
the air as long as possible to take obser-
vations and to watch operations, but
that they will eventually be brought
down is evident One day just before
the drive started Jerry brought down
three in flames. The observers in two
came down in parachutes, think, safely
but we did not see the others Jump.
On one occasion Jerry flew at a great
height far over the Allied machines
which were guarding the balloons and
when he was overhead he made a nose
dive for several hundred feet with his
machine gun wide open. He dove past
LuG dll SHIPS duu uldlly SuOG LllG UdllOOn
up in flames and eventually made his
escape. He was the nerviest flyer have
ever seen, although there are many
Americans who pull some pretty tricks
The largest number we saw at any one
time was one afternoon while we were
advancing. We stopped for rest and
hearing big roar in the air we looked
up and the sky was full of them. We
cd until r,ackc
counted 245, but others said there were
over 300 machines, all of them belong
ing to the Allies. They were in fighting
formation and we learned later that they
were on bombing trip. No wonder the
people along the Rhine began to cry and
ask the Germans to stop bombing Paris
All the Huns need is little of their own
medicine.
Well we are not at war here in Vichy
We are living in the hotels and enjoying
life as we'll as we can, but everyone can
hardly wait for the time when we head
toward home. tell you it will be great
day when / get back onto my jon again.
realize that am one of the lucky ones
and have been, but never SO fully as l
have after the experiences of the past
few months. We are all looking forward
10 1uduhS giving tOiAollo" w Z dl W
have turkey with the rest that goes with
it, including pumpkin pie We took up a
collection among the boys and the cook
is to make regular U. S. A. cake. The
Red Cross have Thanksgiving service
in the morning which l shall try to take
in, and in the afternoon there is to be a
football team and track meet. OF all
the war auxilaries that are doing things
worth while, the Red Cross carries off the
honors. Here they have taken over a
large theatre and music hall and fitted up
fine reading and writing rooms, a canteen
and large, convenient lobbies Outside
we have large wicker steamer chairs to
sit around in as much as we Please. They
run fine picture shows each day and hun
dreds are turned away. They have a
library from which we can draw books
and magazines. They furnish plenty of
games such as chess, picture puzzles, ETC.,
and several times week they give free
coffee and hot chocolate. There are about
20, 900 to 80, 600 soldiers here, SC you see
they must have quite an organization to
take care of them. Wherever we have
been we have seen the work they are
doing. | can tell you tnat when we saw
the first American Red Cross woman up
near the front she looked as good as a
mother to US. 1t had been weeks since
we had seen an American woman. They
travel about in all kinds of weather and
administer to whoever need them most,
whether it be officers or privates. They
treat them all the same and have never
heard any criticism thrown at them the
way there has been at some of the women
workers who have come to France. At
one camp where we were located there
were two American girls connected with
certain organizati ton and they spent
most of their time riding horseback with
the officers and eating at the officers
mess. 1t caused so much feeling that it
put the whole organization in wrong.
Undoubtedly the girls were trying to do
all they could to further the work that
| they were supposed to do, but they did
not use tn cir heads.
Vichy as you probably know is a ia
nous health resort with abundant mineral
springs and baths. Some of the springs
are very wonderful They give water
that varies in temperature from very
hot to warm and cold. 1t has a salty
taste which is not as unpleasant as many
such mineral waters are. These springs
are handsomely covered with highly Or
nate pavilions. In fact the whole city is
built to accommodate and please the
tourist. They have a very large and