Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-06-07

Article by Sergeant John Il. Williams
Appearing in the Baltimore
American.

American.
TO the Editor-A recent Issue of
local newspaper contained an article
concerning the 35lst Field Artillery
which could hardly be considered
complimentary. The writer, in his at
tempt TO set forth certain facts con
corning this regiment, saw fit to re.
sort to very cheap sort CT Durles-
Que pllrasing. In order that the Baiti-
more public may not be mislcd, l am
asking for sufficient space in the
Peoples Letter Dos Of the Baltimore
American to correct any false I'M
preston that might have grown out
of that article.
First, the illiteracy i'll the 351St
Field Artillery is less than one--halt
per cent. Over Is per cent of the ell
listed personnel arc college men, about
IS per cont have received high school
education and about sc per cent have
received grammar school education.
The oriiclc further spoke of certain
individuals of the outfit having re
turned home with unusually largo
sums OF money. In almost every such
case the amounts were honestly OBJ
OH the front just outside of Metz
took advantage Of the opportunity to
collect rich supplies Of Hun souvenirs.
These articles sold at fancy prices III
other parts of France and to tho sail
ors ut Brcst. Then, too some Of the
men supplemented their mcagcr army
pay by writing for newspapers
and other periodicals. Strange the in
dividual who is responsible for the
article in question could not have Wis
tied the 35lsC Fic,d Artillery at Camp
Meade like many New York Lewspap
or men did, where he could have re-
coivcd accurate Information. What
tho American public wants to know
is how We helped to win the war for
democracy, and not how much cduca
ton We have, how we earned our
money nor what kind Of raZorS We
used to shave our faces. Let mo say
to our fair minded American patriots
in whom / have not lost confidence
those who woiro behind every Amer.
can soldier who wore tho oliye-drab
uniform, irrogardlcss OF cOlor--and
TO those who greet us with kind
words and sympathetic smiles, we
did It by pulling together; by forget
ting prejudice AMI antipathlcs. BY
so doing we were able to succeed.
This I believe is ho greatest lesson
that tho American soldiers learned
in tho recent war.
When tho 92nd Division took it's
place on the front 1t occupied sec
tor adjacent to one in which H. Ger
tain Southern outfit was laboring,
and when tho baptism camo there
was only ono lino--a solid American
line-sinco tho Huns used no Jim
Crow shells. Sometimes we were boil
storing tho lines Of tho white SOL
diers and sometimes thoy were boil
STEERING ours.
Ono night after q heavy engage
ment strange faco stood ahead of
mo In tho chow liIe--a white face.
That was nh uncommon thing Rt the
front. Before we had worked our
way up TO the field kitchen CONVEX
sation developed, in which my COM
rade said Sergeant, I we come to
tho conclusion that much Of the race
trouble back in America is bad stuff.
II we can live and dio together az
men hcre in these narrow swamps,
wo can get along together back in
the good old u. S. A." Continuing
he said: II lost my blankets in the
air raid the other night and since
then I've been sleeping in ono Of
your ammunition trucks. This morn
ing Big Berthe. got q DETECTION on
ono Of our field ranges; l suppose
they mistook 1t for q gun and we amt
been able to servo any chow today"
Tho lad just spoken Of proved to-
DO one Of my best friends In the a.
II. T.. just speak Of this incident to
show tho spirit that prevailed on the
'front.' 1t is the only true American
spirit after oil, all other Is un-Ameri
can and not In accordance with the
principles for which America entered
the war. Garry 1t on" as tho soldiers
would say, and let US not have any
moro of the sort of welcome" write
ups that this thoughtless individual
gave. We have returned home; we
do not ask favors undue returning
soldiers Of q victorious army. AL we
ask Is that wo BIO given a square deal
"a true and accurate writeup or none
at all. Indeed we have but done. what
wo consider our duty, and we shall
not be disappointed il no writeups ut
all arc given us. All we ask is that
when accounts Of our efforts are CIV
en- in newspapers that they be fair
and void Of attempt at burlesque
Journalism. Perhaps had the writer
seen the solemn sights Of tho battle
fields Of the western front he would
hold the war too serious for burles-
que writeups and he would respect
those who dedicated their lives to the
cause that bcckoned us all.
SNRGT T0IJN n. WILLIAMS
351st Field Artillery,
;,;o IN