Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-04-02

terial with the finest Of the Terrific
rails, and the Irish and Il y the 10th
French Division and was satisfied
with our material.
I came back with the vast pro
tlem before me. / said 10 my chief
Of staff, Our men are better than the
men in this division. We have got 1"
forget everything. even in our Own
amy and capitalize the points OF ea-
c~eilence Of these men When ] re-
turned again found that these bows
had been there a couple IF weeks ami
I Do not believe that anyone ever had
Il more handicaps than these laos
from Maine.
i knew that you bred red h!coded
men up here in Maine. men Of bone
and sinew. Why. many Of your bows
+icpt next TO pigs in h~aynows. WbeD
the boys of the i15rd got UP in IN.
morning in the dark they found that
their shoes were frozen. Most Of
them had colds and l should think
20 per cent OF them at one time or
another were affected with bronchitis.
! They didn't have any transportation.
They had 70 march three miles t. cat
down sapl.ngs I" create smoke. g
they said don't blame them. for
the saplings gave NJ heat. .laugh-
tcr.b
The T. NJ Q. \. men said that the
boys adopted some vigorous Language
when they got VI in the morning uu-
der the circumstances. But no com
plant ever existed They took things
a. thy came without a nurmur. !
! u.,Il 49, , n
battalion. / would tell them what j.
"as 70 stand AZ attention and what 4
s1lGt. meant. ! told them wha. I rad
seen on the french and British
fronts. | 'olJ them 70 salute vas a
marifAstatlon Of > mans self respect.
some ar inclined TO believe that tho
salute INDICATES i~nfcrior!ty. told
ti.rn =" take d man they loathed and
saiut" tim.
If you GET the salute right Il IS
"nc-half Of the battle. don't want
any ole of YOU 70 say Here comes
The Old man Tor l viii be on you
quick.
Il also tod the boys thai: I want
Cd 70 Sc them as the best salutins
division in France. l also told them
that | wanted to teach them how to
Kill the Boche and warned them 20
always look out for the fellow in tao
mud. the man in the trenches.
took special pains with the officers.
had them saluting. | told them 10
look up to the sky and smile. And I
said TO the boys The Boche is com
ing after you - to /. The majority
OF the division by a very smash may
give way. ELL would say I'm GO
ing TO stick and Jim would reply
so an j.. The would think If
! Bunker Hill and Lexington and 50
TO ii with d vim.
And then. some Of the boys were
bad actors. and then they would Is
much as say I'm coming back And
| said if You take these boys. n,
them on the back and sooth Their
feelings they will 60 anywhere for
You.
-AbCut that time they took five tf
my hest officers from me. They
made good choices. | know. for I
chose them. But I aid Carr o..
And that is what we did. in spite If
obstacles aud barriers. some Of the
men were sick. l was il a hospital
for seven days with pneumonia my
self.
Then there was ,he question ,f
road discipline. ! wa out one tim.
and saw troops marching and /
called to a sergeant and asked him if
he didn't know what road discipline
was. and he said he had never heard
of it. Well, road discipline provides
for a company or regiment in march,
ing along a road. and requires that
the regiment march TO the extreme
right on the road. 50 that a motor
truck can run along the road at night
without lights and not touch a man
marching in the regiment. And so !
remarked: Road discipline saved
France and road discipline Will kill
a million men if it is not carried ou...'
Majors and ether officers were
lacking in knowledge. and it was
necessary that they be made TO secure
it. And gradually officers and men
took on "A new form and spirit. There
was a soul stated in the 10th Divi-
sion. In three months the ii r-.ir~
was complimented by the inspector.
one remarked that he thought they
were in the woods when he first "a
them. but they Trad become a fine
disciplined organization. 1t was a
great lesson what these men became"
Major General Edwards stated, in
speaking OF the fine appearance and
condition of the Goth Division. that
he never made comparisons. adding
that they were 'invidious." hut
pad a high compliment to the whole
division, singing out the 1O3rd n
fantry. the Trench Mortar Battery.
tie Field Artillery. the 1Olst Engi-
neers. giving tribute to each of ,l,n
| gallant Yankee Division.
But ] want To give you one Incl
dent continued Gen Edwards. Our
troops had the reputation FOR follow
! ing a barage. and leaning w against
it. That is. Il barragc. is sent out
, and the troops assigned follow it. Our
troops were Il the ST. Miliicl salient.
This was tho point where the French !
had lost 30. 0 men and other troops
had been chcwcd up at that very
point. Tho Yankee Division Law
where all this happened in 1915. The
wires lay there in rnassc. 13 to 20
feet deep. the Bochc wires being be-
yond. There were accordian wires.
chcvaI-dc-frisc and other obstruc-
ton. all in a mass which il was i'm
possible for m one to pass through.