The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-07-03
AMERICAN SOLDIERS
FAVOR PROHIBITION

AMERICAN SOLDIERS
FAVOR PROHIBITION
Says Capt J. r. Pence. Who Has Just
Returned From France Praise for
the Doughboys Who Kick Yet
Fight Like Hades.
Capt: j. x. PGuoo, who returned last
week from France, gave an intefesting
talk at the Rotary luncneon Monday.
The Captain was engaged in the 4edi-
cal Corps along the front lines, spend
ing considerable time in the Toul sec
tor. He was given special training
with the X-Ray, receiving instruction
from the most renowned specialists
in that work, which will serve him we'll
in the future. He 10 . member of the
firm of Pence & Pence, physicians and
surgeons Of this city, and has resumed
his practice here.
Capt. Pence gave up fine practice
here and enlisted for overseas service.
He experienced some good hard work
but army life evidently agreed with
him for he added about forty pounds
avoirdupois.
The Captain says that there il con-
siderable talk among the soldiers that
il was not fair to put prohibition over
on them while they were away fight.
ing and that this would never have
occurred. had they been left ut home.
The Captain says that in his opinion,
had the question been left to Z vote
among the American soldiers in
France they would have voted for pro-
hibition two to one. He says that there
wasn't q bigger kicker in any of the
armies than the American soldier, nor
was there . class Of soldiers whe would
do what they were told to do as well
as the American doughboy. He might
have reason to kick about his grub
sometimes, but he'd eat what was dish
ed out to him and then fight like
Hades. The officers might not have
always treated the men Just as they
should have been treated, but the Cap
tain says the men on the average,
showed the utmost respect for their
officers. The Amrican soldiers had q
chance to see the i'll effects Of the use
of so much Intoxicating liquor. This
is the case in many of the European
countries, and particularly with
France. The French people use water
sometimes for bathing purposes --
but foS drinking scarcely ever. The
French workman carries his bottle Of
Vim Rouge, which is bitter, fearful
tasting light wine, akin to colored dish
water. Still the French people get
used to it and seem to like it. They
do have excellent champagne and
plenty of it. The moral standard Of
the French people, the Captain says,
is somewhat lower than that Of the
American people, and he believes that
the excessive use Of alcoholic liquor
has much to do with it.
Speaking of the reported German
atrocities. Capt. Pence says that no
matter what we may have heard about
the Hun brutalities in Belgium and
portions of France, we NAV we'll be-
lieve them to all be true. He did not
see any Of the Belgium and French
children with their hands cut of, but
saw authentic French government re-
ports setting forth a list and facts
"nncerning all of these crimes. The
United States is having the Brice re-
port complied, and while this NAV not
have general circulation, it will be
kept on file by this government to be
used in the future dealings with Ger
'ranv. The French reports show that
in one Belgian city, where all Of the
able bodied men had gone to war. an
old Belgian fired on German soldiers,
killing few Of them. AS punish
ment and to discourage the firing on
German soldiers in the future, the
Germans surrounded the city Of sever
al thousand population, the soldiers
standing so close together that their
elbows touched, and then put to death
every old man. woman and child in the
city. Babes were bayoneted and roast
ed over the flames. The Hun officers
and men became intoxicated and pub
liclv raped nearly every woman and
girl, then putting them to death, the
report says.
Sneaking of the venereal diseases in
the American army. the Captain scvs
that our army is the cleanest in the
world. There are fewer cases Of the
disease in the army now than there
were when the men entered. The Of
ficers were very strict with their men,
a soldier contracting the disease being
subject to court martial. There were
frequent inspections Of the men.
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