Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 January 1919 — To Mrs. Clark. [ARTICLE]

To Mrs. Clark.

France, Nov. 17, I#lß. Things have happened so fast and with such intensity of late that I have hardly had time to write or anything. We pave to carry on out work at night and without lights unless we’re hidden, and then during the day one has to get everything ready and working so that the same can be used without the aid of lights the next night when necessary. So its some job to keep all running smoothly, but by the way verything has turned out our work has not been in vain. * I wish you and. Mrs. Fyfe could view some of ths conditions that have resulted in France from the effects of the war. Our little affair near Kouts and Hebron would seem small indeed in comparison and we all thought that dreadful at the time, The destruction of property is really a small matter whan compared witp the loss of life, even though small with our forces as compared with that sustained by the French after four years of this, and the most remarkable thing for me to understand is their business-like methods and seeming indifference to sacrifice they are called to make. ; Our coming op the scene when we did seems to have changed their entire morale, given them their “second wind,” ,as it were, as there is not the slightest hitch experienced between our force and theirs,, as when due tp some brek down of a truck or blown up truck, confusion reigns on a congested road and your impatient' “Yank" eager to get his task performed in the shortest possible time, bawls a "Frog" fa Frenchman) out for causing tfte delay. All he does is to lend his stole aid. do what the “Yank" wants, him to and "Smil-e,” and at that smile no one can be safe; it jqpt calms everything down. . f can’t help but laujh myself when I think of some of the incidents that occur. We were blocked for j

<bout Jopr hours one night after waUs.Qjg up to the front of 4hs litre. Of' an<£ -What-not, discovered a blown-up French wagon, audit coming about their meal time, 11 p. m., they had stopped to cook and eat. and gossip awhile. You can imagine a 'bunch of U. 8. -soldier's doing that and how it affected them, but thate their way and maybe it would be best if oura was not so.em? ergetic. I could go on for hours with just such exampl.de. Our wihter has set In over here; the thermometer does not registef sb low but the ai£ is raw and damp, and cuts right through, much like our weather. -The country here does not have a very inviting appearance, houses, roads, trees and fields are all shot UP, presenting a most forlorn picture. No livtj, Stock, no inhabitants, only a stray dog or cat occasionally. One. can never tell which direction you are going for more than a mile at a time as thqMfeads wind and turn over and around hiTft, never parallel, like ours. North is never in the same place twice in all the different places I For the life of me I don’t see after arriving home, unless 1 have a map, TfOw’l will be able to tell where I’ve been. France-and her people have-sure been a surprise to us Americans, but am glad to say the surprise has been pleasant, only we are all home sick, hardly anyone wishing to stay. It is wonderful to have the experience but the U. 8. A. for us. Was glad to 'leaio usual, went over the top in the Fourth Liberty ibarr;* and know that “Buzz” and the bunch were on the job, and the way that you. women folks and those that stayed at home have worked and helped In war matters has sure gone a great way towards giving the boys the necessary kick to put it over old Kaiser Bill.. Very best wishes, CAI’T. M. B. FYFE. A. E. F.» A. P. O. 754.