The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-01-31


After crossing directly in. front of
our ship, the exact range was gotten
BY an English sailor, our gunner on
the port side, who fired the fatal
shot,, striking the periscope There
was mighty explosion and huge
flash of flame, casting the ruthless
Hun into his watery grave. The
wild cheers of the enthusiastic boys
rang out from the depths of their
hearts. Two other subs" were got
ten by the chasers a mile or SO dis
tant from the main fleet, all this TAX
ing place in the same zone in which
"Steaming up the Merz River of
July 31st, we arose to view the most
welcomed sight of the entire journey,
which was land-and later the beauti-
full city of Liverpool, England Long
will THAT scene be vivid in our minds
About ID. m. we warped up to
the docks and disembarked receiving
the glad hand of welcome extended
by the English pedple There we
took O Midland train for Southamp-
ton, England. Our journey was
through the most picturesque part of
Southern England, and it justly de-
serves the name, THE garden spot of
the world, as it is often called. At
a. m. we marched into the so-called
rest camp, just out Of Southampton,
where we tried in vain to get some
much-needed rest About all we
accomplished here was to overcome
our sea-legs. The following even
ing we marched aboard the channel
steamer, "Narragansett" where we
made ourselves as comfortable as
possible for the trip across the
channel We arrived at lie Havre
France, at break Of day.
'tOur first view of France was
through a heavy mist and fog AT
ter wearily plodding along under
our heavy packs we at last arrived
at a rest camp on the hill overlook
ing the city. Here we remained in
camoufiaged tents during the day
SO as not to be spied by an enemy
plane that might be scouting about
Little sleep did we get that night or
our beds of boards and for the roal
of guns at the front. The following
day we were loaded into cars cap
able Of hauling forty hommes Of
eight cheveaux, meaning forty mel
or eight horses. What a scramble
there was for even room to exist.
"The scenery through the Seine
Valley reminded us much of some O
the fertile valleys of the U. S.; bu
the cities of Rouen, Paris, Orleans
and French villages had a particular
characteristic Of their own, differen
from any we had ever seen before
We arrived in Romorantin at p.' m.
August 5th, where we have remained
in camp, one and a half miles from
the city, to the present time. Thit
is the largest air service production
center in France and is known al
: Air Service Production Center No. 2
There are a number OF large factories
and plants for the assembling, re
pairing and qsalvaging planes, il
which many of the soldiers are EN-
ployed. French women are also EN-
ployed i'm certain departments, bu
the hardest and most undesirable
work is done by Chinese labor. Mel
of most every nationality of the
globe are seen on the streets. Tht
production here surpasses that of (;
manufacturing city of 100000 in tht
: States. Second to the largest refrig
Grating plant in the world, railroad
yards, miles of warehouses ant
large flying fields are located here
This camp is in direct communica
ton, both by wire and by rail, at al
times, with the front.
General Pershing i'm one OF hi:
visits to our camp, commended yer!
highly the work done here and tht
spirit of the men, saying that eacl
and every man by faithfully perform
ing his duties here was contributing
just as much and just as necessar!
and essential to the final victories a!
the men in the trenches. "He wa:
doing his bit"