The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-04-24
Karl ST0UD7 Returns
FROM NOBLE MISSION
MmOt Boy Back From France After
Interesting Experience. Recon-
mended for Commission, but
Armistice Was Signed Before
1t Was Issued.

! Sergeant Karl H. Stoudt, a young
lawyer of Minot, who enlisted in Com
pany A two years ago, and has been
in France most of the time since, re-
turned to Minot last week. Early in
his service in France, Sergeant Stoudt
was separated from his company and
put into the gas division, where he
soon became an instructor. He train
ed thousands, Of officers and men in
the methods of protection against gas
attack and the use of gas against
the enemy. Part of this training
was during the battle of the Aisne,
in which Stoudt participated. The
INSTRUCTION was carried on under fire,
! officers and men being sent at all
hours of the day and night for in
struction Immediately necessary for
! the preservation of life During this
time Karl got little sleep. but he
says he is making up for it now.
He was twice directed to 90 into
training for a commission. The first
time he begged off, because gas in
structors were more needed than Of
ticers, and men were dying like flies
for lack of knowledge Of how to pro-
tect themselves against gas. The
second time he again asked to be let
off for the same reason, but his COM
manding officer insisted that he was
entitled to a commission and must
have it. He had passed his ex-
|aminations and been recommended
for commission when the armistice
was signed, which put an end to the
issuance of commissions in that ser
vice. Stoudt's captain wrote a let
ter to- his superior officers praising
Karl in the highest terms, for his
efficiency and being on the job night
and day, no matter how tired, to do
his part. The editor would give five
years of his life to have letter
like that written about him.
The Representative of the Independ-
ent mad a, very interesting interview
with Karl about conditions in the
war zone. He said: "Probably if
the armistice hadn't been signed when
it was / wouldn't be alive today. I.
was just about to be sent off on Of
fensive gas work-and that is prac-
tically suicide, because when our men
left off gas attack the enemy con-
centrates his artillery fire on the place
the gas comes from, and attempts to
wipe out our gas force" He thought
the Y. M. G. A. had great difficulties
to face, and while not always all one
would have wished, had not received
enough credit for what it accom-
plished He was loud in his praise
Of the Salvation Army, and says ev-
cry returned soldier will be loud in
praise of them from now on. Asked
about the court martial system, which
is now causing so much discussion, he
sa.id the officers composing the army
courts had great power, perhaps too
much, but as a rule used it fairly
and justly.
Living conditions varied The Am
erican soldier always had plenty to
eat, but sometimes missed variety.
Some kinds of supplies, of course,
came by fits and starts. Candy was
sometimes abundant and sometimes
lacking, and the boys tried to stock
up when they could get any. They
craved it more than almost anything
else. When he got back to America
ice cream tasted like food for kings.
Bacon was plentiful, ham practically
non-eXistent, and eggs never to be
had in the army. The boys would go
outside and get some French women
to cook them lot of eggs. The
French cooks are wonderfully good,
and the French soldier has very ap-
petizing dishes. SO does the French
civilian. He enjoyed thoroughly all
the meals he ate in French houses.
The French raise their own feed, and