El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-30

In War Time
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK

I books. they viii not be reprinted and back
numbers cannot be supplied
/ before dawn the ships captain
y rolls out Of his bunk where he had
sense enough TO get a few hours
sound sleep while others ran the tub,
and - his breakfast things together
out of q tiny wall cupboard. On an
alcohol stove he cooks his mess and by
the time It is ready a servant brings
l in the coffee. He is a companionable
fellow, this red headed Australian
/ skipper, with a nice sense Of a good
story and a CLINT Of humor; he has
/ been running the channel with troops
now three years and shows us the pic
lures Of his wife and children with
considerable pride
To another officer and me he leaves
his cupboard and his servant and tells
US to help ourselves, which We do with
regular enjoyment. As we 90 outside
the sun IS rising and We glimpse the
co, Of France.
Is July disappearing Havre,
we view the city from the outer har-
Dor, where we anchor TO await the
tide so we can get over the bar Beaches,
great buildings, quaint narrow streets,
fine sea wall. Several hours elapse,
then we pass in. Enthusiastic people,
United States flag flies everywhere,
little group on the quay cheers
We land and take up march TO the
camp in the outskirts. See a Few
French soldiers guarding German pris-
oEers in work squad; sorry looking
bunch. sullen and tired looking, some
defiant; disposition Of our men TO
throw remarks their way Is promptly
squelched by our officers.
Barracks for the night, II Is
British camp and We see almost our
first British soldiers, as few were IN
evidence in Winchester or S0uthamp
ton; these here are on leave and there
is considerable disorder and rather IN
restrained drinking, nothing vicious but
Just disregard Of rules.
To our surprise we hear that Ger
man air raids are expected and people
are apprehensiTe. Several hangers for
dirigibles. Vast stores OF American
material and supplies. American
trains and auto trucks. An American
hospital train Just down from the ad-
vance hospitals with wounded OF con-
yalesceuts.
Soldiers make fun Of this socalled
1rest camp where as at Winchester
everybody IL put to work and every
thing one wants TO do Is prohibited.
Tons Of paper work TO get through
with, and leaves denied
"A july l9l8-People are celebrating
Bastile day with parade down town
but L see none Of It, and do not visit
city at all We are entrusted with
several bales Of General Orders, Special
Orders. Bulletins. and Memoranda Of
the A T. F.. and several more bales Of
G. Oss. S. O's, Bulls, and MemOs re-
pealing OF modifying the first lot, to-
gether with various bundles Of special
Instructions, regulations, prohibitions
orders. notes, blank forms, reports,
statistical summaries, etc, etc, all
Secret and Confidential and an 70 be
instantly read and digested and abided
by in every minutest detail on pain Of
dreadful punishment; since the mess
comprises only about 10000 words the
task Is taken lightly. The main thing
Is that we are an duly impressed with
the fact that at last We are really
members Of the A. i. F., American Ex-
peditionary Forces.
Rainy afternoon, sloppy and chill.
Al night in heavy drenehing rain we
take up long hike down dreary roads
and through dreary gray sloshy streets
Of the city 20 the diugT dark railway
station where we entrain for Recey-
sur-Ource IN northeastern France. The
officers find seats in passenger coaches
with no place to lie down, but the men
are packed in little cattle cars lower
than American cars and half the
length, each car bearing the inscription
in French. % horses, 40 men, Our
soldiers are distributed 80 TO the car.
Little to see out the window this
rainy night. After several hours We
pass through Rouen but can see moth
inc. I think Of Jeanne dare and the
romantic history Of this battlefield Of
centuries, and then snooze til morn
IS July l0ls-Traveling al day
across France. Passing through Yer
sailles catch fleeing glimpse Of the
famous palaces and park. See the top
Of Eiffel tower miles away but do not
see any more Of Paris as we 20 around
the city TO the south. 1ielun, Fon-
tainebleau, we pass but they are no
more than names.
Slow, slow progress, we creep along,
and stop often at little side stations.
Along the upper Seine all day; upper
reaches OF the stream very beautiful,
with many villas; fisheries. Some milf
tarv shops and airplane factories, but
very few troops and almost no sign Of
war.
We pass within 80 OF 90 miles Of the
battlefront where the greatest battle
in the world up 70 now IS being fought,
but the country here is calm and peace
full as the back counties IN New Eng
land. No one would ever dream any
thing unusual is going on.
France all concrete and stone 50 lar
as we have seen; almost no brick and
no wood at all
United States flag seldom seen
through this region, nothing like Eng
land; but all the people are chee1y,
and general feeling expressed Is that
France Is saved now that the Ameri-
cans have come. People friendly but
not at all demonstrative.
Flowers, beautiful woods, and perfect
gardens and fields
Continued tomorroF.l
look over the orient line that has
been built out 10 that place both
east and west
Y. T. Stafford, general manager OF
the Mexican Northern. left lhis morn
Ing for Escalon. Mexico, after spend
ing THANKSGIVING with his family
la D.