Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-04
NC PUBLIC LEDGER -PHII4ADELPHIA, WEDNESDAY, JUNE

wabbling unsteadily across the slippery
boards and up the swaying iron stair
ways, in which there is no purchase for
hob nailed shoes; the balancing OF
laden messkits and splashy cups, when
the owner thereof needed both hands
and some claws and gyroscope to bal
ance himself; the tense, set expressions
| on unshaven faces; the fatal slip, and
slop of spilled "slum" and coffee and
the hilarious laughter; the despair over
bread blown away by the wind; the
wrath over hot coffee dropped down
ones neck: the disgust at treading on
n wienerwurst the determination to
| find place to flop, and joy, because
here's two inches on the starboard rail
somebody overlooked.
Friday, May 23-This, the fifth day
out, found the home -goers wearied.
Grouches appeared. Snappy answers
were the fruit of CHEEKY remarks. Men
| lying on the deck resented being stepped
upon. Plainly human flesh was tired
of being hemmed in. cramped, jostled in
the center of a never ending ocean. Tho
sea was calm. The sky leaked fine
dampening drizzle. Always cool, the
weather had become cold by virtue OF
the wind. which had vecred around to
the northeast. The decks were wet.
There was no place to sit down. No
body was allowed below except those
who were cleaning the bunkrooms. The
sailors hoses were splashing more water
tbau usual. The guards were more
testy and officious. The sergeants in
charge of details were snappier; the
soldier coal passers growlrd and grum
bled. The officers were eating turkey
and smoking expensive gift cigarettes
and we weren't. The Kroonland was O
slow old tub, anyway.
Reading and Song Antidotes
Such deplorable state of mind for
tunately had its antidotc. Reading mat
ter helped. Books from the ship library
magazines, newspapers were read
passed around and rcrcad. Out came
old letters and decks of cards. The
Italians. of whom there were a-plcnty
in the 304th Engineers, found solace in
their animated finger guessing game
mora U doubt the spelling of thi.
word.)
| But the natural reaction against tn,
gloom of monotony Frightened forth il
that great comforter of the fighting
man, song. During the afternoon littlt
groups formed to wear away the hours
with the army ballads. the best of which
are unprintable. There were thu
sentimental songs, full of harmony
like THE Sunshine of Your Smile
and I'm sorry I made You Cry" ant
catching lyrics like 'Mademoselle.
From Bar-le Due tone of the never
to be published versions of the "Par
lez Vous" song that swept through tn,
A. f. F. and, finally that old favor
ite, extoling the ''doughboy" for all his
suffering:
o. the Infantry! the Infantry!
With the dirt behind their eaps!
The Infantry! the Infantry!
That laps up all the beers:
o, the Cavalry and the Artillery
And the blooming Engineers
They could never lick the Infantry
In a hundred thousand years.
CHORUS
Well. Is home. boys; home;
! It's home, boys. home.
In the land of liberty.
Well hoist Old Glory to the top OF the pol
Saturday May 24EA strict inspec
tion of the ship from bow to stern
more detailed than the daily all morn
ing examination of the bunk rooms