The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1919-03-21
Criticisms Not Warranted

members OF Company r. who have
returned to their homes during the
past few days, have sounded the
warning that Lewiston people
should pay little attention to any Of
the criticisms Of conditions in
France relative to U. S., army oper-
ations. The Lewiston company was
located at Anglers during the entire
fifteen months period the company
was in France. 1T was selected as a
training unit because of its excel
lence in military efficiency as was
demonstrated before the organiz-
alton left the United States and the
men were given unusual opportun-
titles to observe and learn of the en-
tire army operations in France.
The view is expressed that the
criticisms are result of a desire
to make political capital out of
something that in reality does not
exist. The Company F. boys mini
mize the conditions at Brest, which
has been termed the "Hell- Hole"
and perdict some of the men who
have been responsible for the Brest
criticisms will be called to answer
for their charges.
The view of the Lewiston boys is
that the United States may we'll be
proud of the wonderful organic
ations effected in France to facillt-
ate the maintenance of the armies.
The storage, the transport organic
alton, the replacement plan and
many other innovations introduced
were in every way far superior to
anything the allies ever attempted.
Company F. went to France with
232 Idaho men enrolled but during
the processes of supplying men at
the front, there were only 33 out of
the original Company F. men re-
naming when the organization was
sent home. Many Of the Company
F. boys went into the second engln-
GERS and were in the hardest fight
ing at Chateau Thierry,, Rheims
and other points of decisive war;
fare. Some of the boys who had
been wounded were recovered to the
company through the process of
being handled by Company F. upon
their recovery and discharge from
the hospital.
Much of the time the company
was operating entirely as a replace
ment unit. Raw recruits were
rushed from the United States to
Anglers for training 1t was in
tended to give these men at least
six weeks training but there were
a good many instances where men
were in the fighting trenches within
three weeks after they arrived IN
France.
The members of the company
were given fine opportunity of
learning conditions at the many
fronts by the frequent visits when
requirements were taken forward.
The replacement plan was to keep
every unit at the front to its full
fighting strength. The casuals
were reported each day and men to
take the places of the killed,
wounded and missing were ordered
from the replacement camps. This
meant that steady stream of new
men were en- route to the front
from the time the Americans first
assumed a prominent part in the
warfare until the armistiee was
signed. Company F. boys visited
all fronts in providing these re-
placements and they heard no COM
plants of the men relative to any
of the hardships that they were cal
led upon to endure. On the other
hand, the American soldiers were
there to fight; possessed morale
alyaost beyond understanding and
were anxious only to 60 ahead and
finish the job. 1t is explained
that the splendid morale of the
American army resulted in large
numbers of Americans being scat
tered through the armies of the al
lies in order that the war-wearied
veterans of France, Belgium, Eng
land and Italy might be encouraged
to a greater effort to hasten the con-
clusion of the war.
Mr.. and Mrs. McGhee of Leland
retnrped Wednesday from q visit af