Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-03-13

whipped the Germans right in their
own backyard. long before the armis-
lice was signed.
This army wasn't big, us armies go.
and it didn't have Il rifle, or n cannon
of any of the other usual implements.
But it had morale to burn; and morale
won.
These doughboys were war prisoners.
There We're eventually about $500 of
them.
The story of how these men won their
battle al the Rastatt prison camp be-
came nov only when the American
prisoners came out of Germany. Edgar
Nj. Halyburton, of South Carolina, was
responsible for Young America in Ger
many" He is an army sergean OF
eight years service. 1t was his bad
luck 10 be one of the first Americans
captured by the Germans, back in Octo-
Der, 1917. He belonged to the First
division. lie is Il tall. lean chap. 70
pounds underweight now because of
German treatment and his tireless
work.
Halyburton unanimously was elected
commander of Young America in Ger
many" by his associates. He selected
as his aide-de-camp Charles G~eohegan,
9 private from New York.
Shortly after HALLIBURTON was taken
to a prison camp he was joined by half
q dozen other Americans. captured in
the first few days of Americas fighting.
He and his companions We're hitched to
a wagon with 16 Russians and made to
hau wood from a forest, seven miles
from the camp. Their shoes gave out
n they tied rags to their feet. This
snow often was up to their knees and
the weather was bitterly cold. THEN
food consisted of a piece OF prison bread
in the morning aiil soup so thin you
could see the bottom OF the pail" at
night.
The Americans stood 1T several
weeks. growing weaker and weaker, but
studying their German captors. Soon
another group OF captured Americans
arrived. making the total about 90.
Then they decided to demand better
treatment. They had noticed that the
Germans had n distinct treatment for
prisoners of each nationality. Russians
and Rumanians were treated as dogs.
or worse. and were being slowly
starved. British We're treated
what better. and the French best OF all.
It Couldn't Be Worse.
Americans were new in Germany,
and no standard OF treatment had been
established for them. The Germans
had started the first Americans on the
same plan as the Russians. Halybur-
ton and his pals began establishing an
American standard. They made him
leader and agreed to stick by him
Il t1,ro,, y nrxsEtNy HhnNy onl NY,
their position thus: Well soon die on
this anyway we should have died at
the front, we can't die better than
! by demanding that we be treated as
Americans"
Halyburton first ordered them to
clean up as best they could. Then he
demanded, in the best military way to
see the camp commander. He saw
him, and declared that the Americans
must be treated and fed better, and re-
fused for them to do further wood
hauling. He told the Prussian he could
either line the Americans up and
shoot them, or comply with their de-
mands.
The commander was furious. but the
Americans hauled M more wood They
were moved to Rastatt, and their food
improved. Red Cross packages and
clothing arrived and were distributed
evenly. Ultimatums and demands were
made In a soldierly way. with increas-
ing force as the Americans established
their standing. The Americans were
careful to be just and diplomatic in
their demands.
Their camp became a model. Haly-
burton had a commander of C bar
racks to see that every American kept
his clothes clean and his shoes BACKED
Every salute had to be snappy and cor
rect. The Americans gained special
barracks by demanding them. Under
Halyburton's orders these were cleaned