Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 223, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1918 — D. J. BABCOCK WRITES OF SIGHTS IN FRANCE [ARTICLE]

D. J. BABCOCK WRITES OF SIGHTS IN FRANCE

Somewhere in France. ' August 21, 1918. Dear Father —Was very glad to get your interesting letter of July 23, which I received last evening. The cartoon is certainly very appropriate and it is quite true to conditions over here.* Have been having it quite easy for the past week, being in the motor repair shops for a little work on the “mill.’’ I helped do the work, grinding valves, fitting in some new bearings, etc., and was glad to get the opportunity to do so.

1 have/ written you and mother several letters since arriving in France, and you, no doubt will soon receive them or probably have done so by now. I also wrote George a week or two ago, but don’t suppose he has received it yet. All of our letters have to be censored, you know, and that takes Up considerable time, but is improving lately. There is but little to write about of interest 'here now, that I haven’t already told you. “Jerry,’’ as the British call the Huns, has been shelling the town where we were stationed with one of his long range guns, and he came so close to our outfit that we were ordered to move at onoe, and since then have been free from the noise made by his shells, except while on certain roads which he shells freely on dull days at the front. I saw one big shell fall behind us the other day and it injured four horses and two men, killing two other horses outright. It is moonlight here almost every night and Bosche aeroplanes frequently come over and drop a few bombs, but so far we have not been bothered much by them. In the day time it is quite hot and the dust on the roads is something fierce, so heavy is the traffic. I have seen quite a /bit of France, making several long trips, all of which are interesting as there is usually something new and novel to be seen each time. Expect to write Ossie (Omar Osborne) today if I can get the time/ The list you publish of the boys from home here should be sent to each one of them so they could write each other if they desired to do so. Am sorry to hear that the linotype machine has been giving you trouble, and also that you are kept too busy to exercise /Jack Hudson.” "(the family auto.) I certainly would like to do that for you, and don’t believe it will be so very many months until we’ll all be home again. Reports to division headquarters last night said that the American and French troops in Southern France had taken 8,000 prisoners and several guns and still had the Bosche on the run there. A portion of our division was In action on this front and in a minor operation secured forty prisoners and- a gun or two, which makes one feel exceptionally good as it presages ill luck for the Germans once these Americans get going at full speed. I was talking to an army corps engineer the other day—an American—and he said that if the war did go through the winter it would be a great surprise to i)im, and ir it did, a great allied offensive next