OCR Text |
Show SAYS YANKS FIGHT FOR HUNJRDPH1ES Lieutenant Tells of Passion of American Soldiers for Souvenirs. The Irrepressible tandencv of Americans to gather souvenirs has caused the Germans Ger-mans to declare that "the English were fiplitlnK for their colonies, France for her country and America for souvenirs," according ac-cording to an interesting letter which has been received by Lieutenant C. M. Cun-liff. Cun-liff. 403rd enprineern, at Fort Douslas, from hia brother, Lieutenant R. D. Cun-Ilff. Cun-Ilff. Twelfth engine ra, in frame. It i said that a Yank would chase a German colonel three kilometers to get his helmet to send to the girl across the road at home. In his letter Lieutenant B. L. Cun-II Cun-II f T says: "I shipped you a steel helmet from Fritz last week. He lias no further use for it. I've been waiting to get one personally per-sonally before sending you a lid. but this Is a souvenir of the first American drivei . so I could not resist the temptation to' send it. , , "You know that cartoon that mother S sent me, entitled 'The Pnd of a Perfect Day,' showing a Yankee loaded down with junk. There is a darned sight more truth than fiction in it. for, as the Stars and Stripes says, 'He'd chase a German colonel three kilometers just to get his lid, and then send it home to the girl across the street.' "We have a joke here about the German Ger-man prisoner who said the English were fighting for their colonies, France for her l country and the Americans for souvenirs. The German automatic pistol, the' Luger, is highly prized among the troops, it toeing toe-ing a beautiful, as well as useful, souvenir, souve-nir, so, although It was rather comical, it was not surprising that one whole unit went over the top at the start of the big push with the war cry, 'I want a Lutrer.' "Personally, I haven't taken much ptock in souvenirs lately. I lost all mine in the big push, hut I'll have o fess up that at one time I had four machine guns, and I mighty near (rot a three-inch three-inch gun, but I guess I'll have to leave those tales until I get home. "One of the closest shaves the gang ever had was when they stole the tin roof of a British officer's dugout while he was still sleeping in it, They went back and got the stove, but when they returned for the smokestack the officer was awake. Then the fireworks! Those were the good old days, when building material was scarce and stoves a darned sight scarcer. However, the liberal education edu-cation we received has stood us in good stead and now the bunch, if they were placed at the north pole in the middle of winter, naked, inside of an hour would have a hut, a fire and a place to buy drinks. Thev would probably collect some souvenirs inside the hour, as well as have a full outfit of clothes." |