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Show A Story of American Grit JJERE Is a letter reflecting American Amer-ican grit, American wit and that ready, adaptability- to circumstances which so strongly contribute to the success of American arms. It Is from Lieutenant James Shawe Mclver, Sales Commissary Unit 312, Quartermaster Quarter-master Corps, to his uncle, George Francis Kerr, publicity manager of the Hotel ' Traymore, Atlantic City. Lieutenant Mclver, who Is well known in Philadelphia and A'ew York, is an honor graduate of Fordham University, Univer-sity, 1915, a star man on the baseball team and is of old American stock. It was while young Mclver was training as an enlisted man at Spartanburg Spar-tanburg that his aunt, Mrs. Kerr, inaugurated the system whereby thousands thou-sands of boys at Camp Wadsworth and other camps were provided with free moving-picture shows every day. Here is Lieutenant Mclver's letter: France. Sept. 14, 1918. Finally got here no excitement on way over outside of a two-da v storm, which J didn't appieciate. Thev had' me stationed as lookout off.cer m the crow's nest (about eighty feet above the oecki, and, believe me, it was ...jra6 joo fighting your way up the risging in an eiiuy-miie gale, with th..-' old boat recking back and forth like a hobbyhorse, especially at 2 or S a m no lights and wish waves breaking over the foot of rigging so you had to wait your chance and run fo- it and when you went up to yarda-m you had to crawl on your bellv' tc keep from blowing overboard, and" a transport trans-port uesn't stop for pssengrs after ieaving; su, if you go over thev throw you a life belt and wave good-by. It nearly had me buffaloed trie first time I went up 4 a. m. pilch ,lark and the old scow rocking awav. When I got half-way up. the rigging one minute would be up against rr.v face -jmd next almost out of reach. It was a case of fight your way up and pray your wrfy down, and I was Quite gla.3 to step ashore. Am stationed at so-called rest camp (so named by some humorist) in old stone barracks that Napoleon built so tney say. and they look it. It they claimed Moses built 'em It would still' be believable. However, merely tern, porarily here; will be on my way up to front long before this rcachi . you. Have my orders, but can't say anymore. any-more. French ptoole are very cour teous and glad to see Americans. We marched up from the boat with band playing and townspeople turned out to welcome us. .Nearly all old men, women and children. The old "rnen doff their hats and quite a few women were waving American fiagsj. A little girl ran out In the street as we came by and gave me a rose, and the street gamins chased alongsfda and yeiled for pennies and cigarettes, and once when we stopped to rest 4 gang of little kids corgregated and ran? m good English, "Hail, hall, th gang s all here, what the hell do we care now?" Weather quite chilly, and I sleep In tent. wmcn. as far as I can determine, se.uns to be just pitched over a spring with no ooard floor or any oilier kind-and kind-and we are glad to get that. However, How-ever, as they say here, "It's the 3rst ten years that are the hardest" and 1m inclined to believe it. Saw mi first batch of German prisoners till other day, and I'd take a chance taftel removing glasses) will, any three ot em myselt. It's lucky r got to Xew "''? and T??1 fi;:eJ "P 0" eyes and teeth, or Id probably never had It done things move too fast for those details here and opportunities lack, Jones refers you to Smith and SmitH to Black jnd Black asks "why it r7T d,d" Jones fl if-'" etc. On , of the vamp officers here used to play nail with the Fordham team on Sundays Sun-days and off days away from the enhege anu know most of mv old buud.es." Wrote grandma a 'letter whne aooard ship. D.d she r.et it? I have received no mail slnco I left New ork. Am in good health and still havo my gang intact, lbts of Interesting In-teresting things done, but c'kn't lv them. . JAMES S. McIVES. Second Lieutenant, Q. M C, Sales commissary Unit A. ft |