The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-08-07

They had been told that there were
only $4,000 Americans in the whole of
France and they were surprised when
they saw our vast army. When the
Americans had become billeted in The
German barns, the Germans would in
vite them into the houses for sup
per- They declared that the Kaiser
should have been hanged long ago.
Four days before the armistice was
signed, German prisoners informed
the Americans that the Kaiser had
gone and that the armistice was as
good as signed The Americans did
not believe them at the time.
Mr.. Novak had some close calls, but
did not get scratch. Shrapnel killed
four men close to him, one directly in
front Of him, and this he said caused
his hair to stand on end. AS the Am
erican army advanced in the Mouse,
they had much trouble with the Ger
man machine gunners, who were. CAM
ouflaged. The Germans would leave
two men with each gun and after the
gunners had killed all the Americans
they could, they would run out with
arms in the air, crying "Kamerad."
Novak says he saw one American SOL
der who had been wounded in the arm
by a German machine gunner, run up
to the fellow who had done the trick,
fillinp him full of holes. In one en-
gagement, the Americans had been
told to keep their heads down until
after dark. One soldier who was anx-
ious to ascertain where the Germans
were located, stuck his head up and
he paid the penalty with his life.
Altho it rained nearly every day,
there was scarcity of good water
along the front. Novak says they used
to carry water from hole along the
road for the army kitchen.
When the Aemrican army passed
thru Belgium, they could not have
been treated finer by the Belgians.
Altho they were short of food them
selves, they divided their. milk, bread
and beer with the Americans. A Bel
gian band would meet the soldiers at
the outskirts of town and play the
Star Spangled Banner and the Bel
gian national air. The young folks
would head the procession, playing
accordeons and carrying the Stars and
Stripes and the Belgian colors and
dance would be given in honor Of
left but day and half ahead of the
Americans and they left but very lit
tie in the way Of food. Out of every
PEELED to give the Germans four. and
horses and cattle. AS the American
soldiers stood guard at the bridge, the
Belgian women would bring them
Ia e%o ,c% ~
The German civilians were not per-
mitted to enter the towns without a
pass One morning, one German APP
peared with his pass, driving horse
and displaying a huge white flag, driv-
ing along, looking neither to the right
or to the left.
When the army arrived at Jametz,
France, funeral was being held. The
French told the Americans that the
Germans had killed a 14-year-old boy
because he refused to accompany
them.
AS the Americans proceeded into
Germany, they met French people
whom the Germans had turned loose
and one American prisoner came
trudging along. In Jametz, the peo-
pie all lived in their cellars and when
the army arrived in town, there was
not soul to be seen. AS soon as the
inhabitants learned the American
army was in town, they came out of
their cellars and gave them a great
ovation. There were old men and
women mainly and the old men lost no
time in wheeling furniture around in
wheelbarrows.
The Germans had fixed their dug
outs up comfortably with chairs and
other furniture they had taken from
the Belgians. They had pianos and
electric lights.
i WATERMAN FARM SOLD
FOR S25, 900 o o