The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-11-16
LARGE AUDIENCE
HEARD ADDRESS
Ivan Bowen Was the Speaker
At GAINESVILLE
WAS ON ARMISTICE DAY
Mankato Man Gave His Impressions
Of World War; News OF
the Village

GAINESVILLE, November 14.-Armis-
tice Day was observed in most 1T
ting and proper manner by the Am
-erican Legion Post No. Isl and the
Legion Auxiliary with the great
body of our loyal citizens behind
these patriotic organisations In their
endeaVors to recall to mind the
world vide importance of the occa-
sions. Flags were displayed on all
public Buildings and IN many pri-
Tate business places as we'll as res
idence.
Notwithstanding the Indictment
weather, a sky overcast with CLOUDS
and light rains and mists the people
from the city and country turned
out in goodfy numbers to listen to
the wonderful program that had
been arranged by the Legion and
the auxiliary, packing the Princess
Theater TO its utmost. In fact If the
weather had been favorable the
movie theatre would have been far
too small to accommodate the audi
ence.
the post for the past year, was the
master of ceremonies and opened
the program promptly at two thirty
by calling for the singing OF one
verse OF America by the audience.
Then followed a reading by Mrs.
Eugene Cahill with a theme particu-
larly in keeping with Armistice day.
The audience was next pleased with
a piano solo by Miss Guylet Gordon.
Dr. Scott then introduced the speak
er of the afternoon, Mr.. Ivan Bowen
chairman of the Minnesota State
Railroad and Warehouse Commits
sion with whom he had been &C
Quainted for a number of years and
whom he had at length induced to
accept the invitation to address the
GAINESVILLE eX- service men, althous'
he had also been invited to make an
address in his former home city.
Mankato. =
Mr.. Bowen's speech was not
lengthy but dwelt wholly on his re-
Elections of Armistic day and the
events and experiences Of the eX-
service men from the day of the
entrance of the United States into
the World Conflict in 1917 to that
date which Mr. Bowen claims right
fully belongs to the. ex. service men
as marking one Of the big historical
dates of the world. He recounted
some of the trials and fluctuations
that soldiers encountered during the
first few months after the draft
went into operation. Before the
draft act went into effect the gov
errment had called or 100000 volu-
teers and the Draft act was enacted
and put in force when 1t was seen
strength to a million or more. At
first the government was in no
shape to take care of so vast a null
titude Of men it had called into its
service by the draft Consequently
during the first few months after
their arrival at concentration camps
many of the men had to wait a
long time before they could be sup
piled with arms, ammunition and
piled. other difficulties arose espec-
tally with the issuing Of the uni
forms. The measurements of all the
men had been taken but in spite of
this when the uniforms We're given
out the recruits were lined up and
then filed passed the sergeant who
threw out a suit for each man with
out regard as to whether it con
formed TO his size or not. And the
be seen carrying suit much too
large for him, while a short recruit
would be seen with a suit Of khaki
that was not possible to be compar-
able with his size. The men en-
deavored to remedy this situation
by exchanging suits to obtain bet
ter fits and quite generally sue
ceeded. Gradually, conditions in
these camps were improved as the
ment and people asserted them
selves. All Of the obstacles were
overcome although there were sew
eral more issues of uniforms with
much the same difficulties encoun-
tered before the troops were moved
to eastern points for embarkation
overseas,
The life Of the men after their
arrival in the trenches in France
was a most Interesting phase of Mr..
Bowen's talk. A portion of the army
was taken through England to
France. After these troops had
landed in England they were taken
to Winchester and after being per-
mited to take brief rest. were
rushed to a point on the eastern
coast Of England and slipped across
the channel in the various kinds of
small seas and river craft that were
utilized by the British government
for that purpose. Soon after the
arrival Of the A. e. F. in France an
order went out that all the equip
ment of the men in every branch OF
the service and every man was re-
quired to mark his own equipment
with the utensils that were provid
ed for the purpose and az there
were only few Of these tools the
recess took a long time. When II
vas COMPLETED il came to be feared
that II American troops were taken
prisoners bv the Germans that these
marks would reveal the identity and
location of the forces these TROOPS
were with and also reveal informa
tin or great military value TO the
enemy. A new order accordingly
went out that these markings were
to be taken off of all the equinmert
and II was accomplished although
how and by what means will never
he known as there were no known
INSTRUMENTS for removing them Put
an order in the army Is an order
that cannot be questioned or dis
obaved.
Life IN the trenches, Mr.. Bowen
stated. got to be quite ordinary ex-
cent during the big drives as there
was a REGULAR routine Of drill and
camn work that had to he done ey.
cry day. The individual in the army
In the trenches only saw small
mart Of the war. that which was in
his immediate vicinity in which his
platoon was engaged. There was
one thing that came to be an i'm
nnrtant part Of the regular business
OF the men in the trenches and that
was the Intermittent artillery duels
= that usually started around two
-