Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1919-05-15
MEETS U, s. TROOPS COMING
FROM THEIR Baptism OF fire.
10y Were Tired Dirty with Mud and Stains Of Battle but Fun Of
"Pep"-Mo Illusions Either as to Glory or Pageanry
Of War, Or the End They Were Pursuing
or the Price to Be Paid

On Q beautiful spring morning I left
10 certain French headquarters. Our
object was to rendezvous with Ameri.
can staR Officers who were going to
take Us to see something Of the Unit
ed States expeditionary force. The
guns on both sides were silent, the
roads were losing their night traific.
Hour after hour sped by, the SUMS
heat increased, but, though we lost
our first freshness, we could not lose
that feeling Of anticipation that We
were going to see something wonder.
full, to be witnesses Of the working
Of q force in history, a sight that tens
Of years hence we should still be re-
lating to our grandchildren writes
Geoffrey Butler In the New York
World.
The approach Of our destination
was not unheralded. More and more
frequent on the road we passed the
green.gray motor trucks with boys
from home in charge, khaki-clad and
helmeted with tin helmet different
from the French, flatter, more like =
soup plate than the casque Of a me-
dieval knight, in armor, such as the
Poilu wears. Old stagers at the front
tell one that you may know the dis
cipline Of an army from the way It
keeps its place OH the road.
Do the vehicles struggle into the
middle Of the roadway, thus blocking
other trafnc1 Then the discipline 10
bad and organization will generally
be awry. Do the men on the box
,martly respond to the passing Of an
oihcer7 Then, sure enough. the re-
lation between officers and enlisted
men is cordial and satisfactory.
An Orderly Transport Train.
It was fine to see each motor lorry
hug the roads extreme right edge and
every column Of these United States
transport wagons neatly and regularly
spaced, while there never was any
Sinking, never an intentional and
timely glance the other way. cold
Glory" on our car, the United States
uniform within, always elected q
smart salute from the enlisted man in
charge Of every party from the others
q friendly hand wave and a shouted
message.
We approached q village and on the
village green we saw car Or two Of
transatlantic make-unwonted sight
amid the motorcars, of France. J.
changed my car and sat with colo
mel holding big position on the staR
Of Pershing. With US his assistant
and Pomeroy Burton of London and
New York, now head Of the British
war mission in Paris. the latter Just
back from, and very full Of, a won
derful and minute inspection Of the
United States lires Of communication,
which he prophesies will, when al
lowed to be described In print, provide
the newspaper sensation Of the day In
Europe and America.
We had a. longish run In front Of ~
and there was time to settle down to
an interchange Of talk. It was new
to the Americans to get man from
home and we were submitted to the
completest cross-questioning that I
have ever had to undergo.
OF every city ana community in the
United States could say to each in
turn: do you know how the memory
and love Of you has been carried
overseas1 Do you know how the
anxieties, the heartaches, the desires
fulfilled, the loves and lives and oc.
equations of past days that you may
have regarded as ever and gone for.
ever are living once again, re-enacted
H. the memory Of soldier men 5000 to
$500 miles away from h! home. with lit
tie prospect Of return tlll WaF ig A fll2
Ishedf
IAN Hemeris Company
Then It was our turn to put the
questions, and az the long line Of
trees On either side Of the roadway
dashed behind M we were admitted
to the fellowship Of the company Of
United States fighters, worshipped its
heroes, learned Of its achievements.
They are In truth an Homeric COM
pnny, seasoned by frontier fighting,
masters Of the war cunning Of the.
Filipino or Of the Mexican, sons Of
service, yet very much alive to new
seudttieas;
Was there net Maj8F s, who, to
teach his men the passihtlities Of rs:
curate machine gun Ore. drove his eva
auto 10 yards along parallel to and ia:
front Of the barrage put up by tho
company he was trainingf Or Lieu.
tenant 7, most daring Of most mod.
ern Jockeys, who drove his mobile.
tank down disused well to demon
strate its climbing powers7
There was the young quarternasters
corps lieutenant placed In charge Of
q transport from the other side. who.
with the help Of his minute squad on
board, had placed half the ships ON
GERS and crew In irons for the breach,
Of a.regulation concerning the inter-
probation Of which there was ground,
- ~. 4 b