The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-06-02

Worlds War and the Fields of Franco"
at the Fourth Street NJ. l.. church on
Tuesday night.
Prior 10 the Worlds War Colonel
Smith had held n number OF high gov
ornamental positions, judge advocate OF
Illinois. Federal prosecutor and special
United States attorney.
But among the positions he has held
and which he takes great pride IN, was
that OF news writer and later on. cdi-
torial writer on the Chicago Trlbuc, 4
good many years ago.
Colonel Smith is leCturing under the
auspices OF the Anti-Saloon League OF
America. but his lectures are not 10y any
means confined to the liquor question.
In fact. prior to bringing up any phase
OF the Anti-Saloon movement he tells
in most interesting and forcible man
ner Of the days spent on the front line
in the mud of FLANDERS.
Never Saw Them.
Speaking of his own experiences Col.
Smith made'th statement, "A man who
was at the front in the late war oCcu-
pied the position Of boy with his eye
TO knot hole. He saw just what cam"
within the range of his vision. And
no more.
II have heard a great many tales Of
how Germans were found chained TO
their machine guns. SO they could not
fee from our troops. l didn't find any
Germans chained to machine guns. And
never saw any. Thos" Germans
saw didn't have 10 be chained. They
stayed there.
Il want to say word about the mon
who remained at HON" in training
camps. They arc entitled TO their full
share of praise. They went whcr" their
government sent them and they did
what their government told them TO do.
They were anxious and ready TO 60
across. And tho fact that they were
ready. ncrved the boys across the water
l..,V 81, I,
dozen moro behind him. If necessary.
was Bound to GO.
II came pretty near not going my
self. l had pneumonia and was con-
valcscing. The surgeon told me / was
not able TO go. told my striker 10 20
get my trousers and If he couldn't got
mine 10 steal the biggest pair he could.
"Hc got pair and ! hunted up the
colonel and told him the surgeon had
discharged ME as a well man and l got
To so across.
Now as to the English soldier. You
can tell an English officer as far as YOU
can see him. But you cant tell him
very much. And don't tell me they
shoulder with the SCOTCH And with IN"
Irish. And any man who has fought
shoulder to shoulder with an freshman
has been in some fight.
And the EnElishwomcn. God hleSs
them, Every women | saw over there
was either in mourning or "vcralls. All
working for the soldiers and their little
ones.
French Railroads.
Now. The French. Tho funniest
thing in Franco excepting n Fr"nchman
is a French train. The starting az a
French train is n function. TIL" onGin-
Ger or fireman rings the boil for som"
time. and man on back platform
blows n horn. The cars | rod" in were
marked eight horses or twenty mon.
IL don't know whether went as two
mon or one horse. Rut tho trains can
run lively. The French. with all their
foldrrols. are business.
"Onc day ! was talking Ia little
French captain who became CNaepcrat" al
at the slowncss OF an operator and
dashed tho telephone to IN" ground. |
dreaded going over tho top with him.
nc was so nervous. Rut W" went over
together. Tho FrcnChmcn and I. after
we had gained our point of vantage.
climbed on ruined wall to make oh
servation.
Warm Situation.
'Snnnrs saw us and bullets com
menccd to spat about us. 7 mentioned
to the F'renchman that Il was "ctting
too warm tho rabouts' md u" lightly an
swPrcd Tout. Zcv can't h"ct us
so was placed in tn" highly en-
harrassIng position Of having I" st"N
there and get shot ct until h" got r"ndT
to com" down. or own IN that n" Amer
lean feared to face peril that F""nC"-
man braved. So I STAYED ard J VII
saw 7 was Somrwhot relieved when ~
curiosity was satisfied and he got rcHdN
to descend.
MANY nersors in this country hnv"
, wrong idea OF FrNrchwowcu IF vow
h-d seor thcm wnrkin" ~ IN" fields
fragments ~ shells dr0nH'n" ~''"u'
,h"rr. did. you would havo = Differ
cn, opinion.
"\rr ,"vc~ WI r."~"' 'ho '"l =.
I..'r t."~,.,.r ~"nnI"l0'hcr who '.""N" -
my headquarters 10 SIC me. Sm had