Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 158, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1917 — Germans Near Limit of Food. [ARTICLE]

Germans Near Limit of Food.

(By Victor Jouvetal.)

German prisoners captured on the French front are very glad to be captiqpd. German soldiers are short' of food and they don’t see how the war can last a great while longer, Victor Jouvenat, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Jouvenat, 16.42 D street, has written in a letter just received by his parents. Mr Jouvenat left Lincoln early in May for the French front, and landed on French soil May 15. He was sent immediately to the front “somewhere in France,” where he is now serving as an ambulance driver, carrying back French and German wounded and German prisoners xrom the front lines to the hospital stations back of the lines. In part Mr. Jouvenat’s Iteter follOws:

“I don’t know what the date is today as we lose track of such trivial matters out here. We left Paris and had a great ride out here to the front. Our section went right to work, as we replaced the French section. I worked all night Monday and Tuesday, only getting about two hours’ sleep in that time. Then we dropped back behind the lines and had two days’ rest. Igo out again tomorrow morning for two days’ work and then back into again. We rotate in order to give each other some necessary sleep. “It was a good thing for us to get right into service as we are now pretty familiar with the work, such as loading and unloading the wounded, the arrival and departure of shells, and with some of the roads, although lots of times we are sent forward on roads which we know nothing about and it takes very careful. driving in order to avoid shell holes, and then, besides, we are always having to watch for new shell holes which we know nothing about. It is very good work and at times is very exciting. We have had some experiences already which will probably seem trivial before our service is ended.

“Just now the guns'are silent, but at night and early in the morning they make a constant roar. It is a wonderful sight to stand on a hill overlooking the field at night and watch the torch shells and the flashing of the guns. The shells can be heard coming and eclaire has a distinct whistle before it hits ano bursts, When one is heard coming everyone ducks in a hurry. The shrapnel bursts in the air overhead, as they are a sort of time shell. This probably sounds awfully bad to you, but don’t get scared as we are playing it safe and everyone is looking out for us. “We all have gas masks and steel helmets. Both ms gas mask and helmet were taken from some dead soldier. This sounds terrible to you, no doubt, but it doesn’t seem very bad to us now and one does .not stop to think of this. The helmets are steel and rather hard on our heads but they are absolutely necessary to soldiers over here. The gas mask is really far more important, and the soldiers are arrested, and put into prison if they are found without them. “We do most of our driving to the front at night and of course we are allowed no lights, so it keeps the driver on the job of straining his eyes to see what is on the road. In the daytime we do evacuation work from one hospital to another farther back and so keep things in readiness for the newly wounded. We all like it fine and think we will like it more as we go along. Now don’t get scared and imagine all sorts of horrible things as I will give you the straight of it, so do not worry.” “The French seem much pleased with the ambulance service, and a doctor told me that the men said that they rode easier and that the Americans took better care of them on the road, which is a rather nice compliment for us. “A few aeroplanes are just now going over. This mqrning we watched them take a few shots at a boche flier. When I got in yesterday, we went down to the canal and had* a swim, took a good scrub and washed out our clothes so that they looked pretty clean, and put them on my ambulance top to dry. I was just thinking I had better wash my shirt as I have worn it for about three weeks. Thank goodness it is brown and doesn’t show the dirt. We will all look like tramps when we get into Paris as clothes are the last thing we think about, r- ' _ “Recently I met a French soldier who had been wounded and was driving an officer’s car. He spelled his name Jouvenott. Some coincidence, wasn’t it? We had some time over it. He was a fine young fellow but I didn’t have time to talk to him long.”

Writing under date of June 19, Mr. Jouvenat says: “We certainly have been working as we have handled two attacks and, of course, that means many wounded, both German and F/ench. Our home is right in the midst of a big battery. The first day or two we were a little nervous but now the road doesn’t affect us. ,

“I just now finished my dinner, consisting of beans, meat, bread and This is some life as it is one round of excitement after another. This traveling at night without lights K some outdoor sport, as soldiers, Wnnon, horses anti wagons are constantly on the move and we must get around them, and at times we have to go very fast. At other times we have to travel slowly on account of the condition of the wounded. They are a very brave lot and take their medicine without a whimper. We have all seen considerable of it already, both of the horrible and funny side, if you can call jt the lat-

ter. “The general tpld .our lieutenant yesterday that he was very much pleased, with our work and that we had handled things very well. Our division naw goes on rest for a few days and we will go on rest also as wte are connected with a certain wing. “Yesterday we hauled German prisoners along with the French'. They all seemed glad to he captives and

tell us they are short of food and do not see how the war can last. Hope they are right as it would be a blessing. One of the boys just dropped in to relieve me from my run so I must close and get some sleep, as haven’t had my clothes off fpr quite a few days.” A The above clipping was receive by Mrs. Jouvenat from her husband, Frank Jouvenat, of Lincoln, Neb.