The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-03-13

well. And in the hospital that we af
forwards manned in France, no train
ed nurse could have cared more intel
ligently and kindly for the sick than
did those North Dakota farmer boys"
After describing the trip across,
his boat arriving just day behind the
Leviathan, which carried many Minot
soldiers, he described the La Courtine
camp.
'We were blessed with chief who
made everyone work 26 hours day.
He knew that a man who is over
worked won't have time to become
dissatisfied with his lot. The camp
itself had been built about 81 years
before for artillery practice and ma
neuvers. The buildings were we'll
constructed of stone and quite COM
Portable. The water was excellent.
1t is located in range of low noun
tains The country is beautiful, but
poor agriculturally. The lietle town
Of 800 houses is inhabited wholly by
camp followers"
The Major then offered to answer
questions and for an hour he was
kept mighty busy. He praised the
Y. w. c. A. and said he could see no
reason for criticism. The Y. M. C
A aimed to sell merchandise at cost,
but the same article frequently cost
, more at one time than another The
Y. M. c. A. searched the markets and
always was able to supply the SOL
diers. This organization was every
where soldiers We're to be found, with
the free rest rooms, pictures, etc.
He said the French people could
rot see why the Americans could have
gotten into this great conflict, only
with the idea Of helping the French
out for what Lafayette had done for
US. The French cannot do enough for
the Americans. The French will do
things for an American soldier that
they will not do for their own SOL
ders. A French family was on bread
| rations, but they'd give their last
slice of bread to the Americans, If
they thot they needed it, and go with
| out themselves. Frenchmen cannot
| eat unless they have their bread. An
| American soldier can go all oven
France without a cent and the trains
are full Of American soldiers without
money. True, the American soldiers
were so free with their money, that
the French considered it would do no
harm to relieve them of some of it, so
they did considerable grating. The
American soldiers brot this On largely
by refusing to accept change, as their
pockets already were pretty full OF
French money, its value not at first
being realized.
I In March, when the British Fifth
army fell down in front of the great
German drive, the people in France
knew little Of it. The French people
don't know vet that the Germans made
a ten mile gap thru which they could
have poured an army of half mil
lion men had they known 1t. 1he
French news was so closely censored
; that the people in America knew fan
more about the war than was permit
ted to be published in France. Ger,
many received papers from Frame
right along thru their spy system.
Before the American soldiers ar,
rived in force, the French morale was
pretty low and the British appeared
about ready to quit. The Major say:
that during his stay in England, ht
received the impression that the av
!, erage Briton was about ready II
! make most any KIM Oh petiCe VIII
l Germany. The American troops soo1
scattered all over France and the NOR
ale of the French people looked up
! France in 1917 was tired Of the wa
! but the French army was not willing
: to quit until it had gone into tn
! trenches to finish the job or get fin
; ished itself. 1t is wonderful hov
the French people fought, notwith
! standing the fact that the Frencl
: since 1870 had been teaching the
children in school that in case 0
:. another war, Germany was sure t
: win.