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Show THROUGH THE SUBMARINE ZONE WITH THE RED TRIANGLE' ! That afternoon the secretary carried up with him at least two cards written writ-ten by each man in uniform. It Is peculiar what the boys like and will stand for. They like to hear about things. Anybody who can stand on his legs and talk connectedly about anything gets a welcome and a cheer when he is through. . If you can describe de-scribe how to paint a white house green and keep at It for twenty minutes, the 'boys will sit quiet and listen and enjoy it. If you can play a harp 'or tell a funny story or dance 'a j!g they like that, too. They just want to be occupied about something . ' to have their minds filled. There is no denying that the hours spent in the submarine zone are tense. Tou see boys off in corners looking at photographs of somebody, and reading read-ing letters. Tou see them sitting alone and looking hard at the deck. They don't realize they are doing it. If you come near such a fellow he will grin and begin to talk about a porpoise por-poise he saw alongside the ship. If you have gotten his confidence he will waggle his head and take you girls to speak of. Wasn't much i J anybody cared whether I come or but Ma. She was like to ha.v,' 1 fit, Ma was and she will be wriv'l every day." He stopped and pinch I his nose. What he wanted to do j rub his hand across his eyes, but h ' couldn't quite bring himself to 0 "I hope they tell her right Boon rB ' safe. She'll be worryin'. She Wor .. ries a heap about me one time and another. I'm goln' to write her on ' a week, anyhow." "Wonder how long we're acroii for?" says a fat lad from the Midi), ' West. "You're In for life, Fat. It dotft , matter if you never git back, thy , won't know you, anyhow. Walt trj ' you've et that French chow a yeu You'll be a beanpole. When you g '' home and tell who you are, folkj"; -say you're lyin'." -; Then everybody goes for boat Grin -and stands around uncomfortably ; wearing his life-preserver for half aj .. hour or so. ' The funny thing about it is that v.o body makes a sound when you slrit land. It gives rise to a sensation thi " cannot be expressed by sound. "Thr she is," somebody says finally, anJ ' V ' ' That afternoon the secretary carried 'r up with him at least two cards wrlt- ten by each man in uniform, 'v. It is peculiar what the boys like and A ' . will stand for. They like to hear about yjl things. Anybody who can stand on -PSSfl-wSS5 ft Jy nia less and talk connectedly about jCfrv 'Jfj j' ljf anything gets a welcome and a cheer - . '"'"' :':;?:v,i ft when he is through. . If you can de- g!ry-? . . ' - scribe how to paint a white house r ffg. jSonN ' green and keep at It for twenty J Qzc 'T'i$ I I ll IW minutes, the 'boys will sit quiet and i SNw "ixi 11 W 0:-rtJfPwr'',,! sten and enjoy it. If you can play S?t- " W-Jvh ' I HI Vk 5fo73$& a harp -or tell a funny stoi-y or dance MfctT 91 ZS0M$$0i 'a jig they like that, too. They just ' Ja " " if (f IP KjrfJ rtTW II m JsteSiiZrZZM want to be occupied about something fgf&i fmimOfiii-:' (jS JL fy jlML JLjecaii'WM, f? 'II VStp to have their minds filled. 7 J'WMf!fW':-: 'X'ttiM W. There is no denying that the hours yy 'tS.yf ' WS$MS&M -' spent in the submarine zone are tense. fay&rL-- V J&Skh &P'iV t--lnVJ You see boys off in corners looking MW- t I W-'W-t at photographs of somebody, and read- &?W jm'Mfii lVZeZgYZ7llhZ dec!? TnTy Jf W-tK- f It . don't realize they are doing it. If J0h I'T .ffciiS iW you come near such a fellow he will 10 . V.l iZsJPmmM' jL grin and begin to talk about a por- points, jjiciiuvuj wwwuo to tne nm and looks silently. There is France It is the first foreign shore most ' them have ever seen. They watch verj quietly but here and there you caj , hear a sigh; a sigh of relief. They1!) there. They are approaching the rej ' job, and the real job has no terror for them. They are in the job t fight and they know It and are g!a . to do it but they Just natural! didn't like the idea of those submi rines sneaking around under th -;: feet- They're there. They are in slgt . -of France, and they don't quite kr.r : what to expect of it They are fee ing a thrill of a sort strange to th?r -as they poise on the threshold of tl -; Big Adventure. You go down to say so-long, ft . By Clarence Budington Kelland TF YOU are a soldier bound for France you probably made up your mind to have one last look at the Statue of Liberty as you pass out. You have said to yourself that you will stand on deck and wave your hand at her in farewell. Well, you won't. Whether you are colonel or private you will be out of sight very much out of sight until you clear land and your transport dips her bows with the roll of the open Atlantic Uncle 8am does not advertise his transports. nor does he encourage his boys to line the rail and cheer the Goddess of Liberty. So your last impressions of America, Amer-ica, especially if you are an enlisted man. will be of shut-inness. You will be below decks grouching about how smelly it is and mentioning to your bunkie that if somebody does not open a porthole pretty quick you'll just naturally kick a hole in the side of the ship. But -that doesn't last. In an hour you have all the air you want, and maybe more. From the time land is cleared the decks are yours and will be yours for days and nights. All you will have to do is eat and sleep and have boat drill every afternoon, and lug a life-preserver around with you as if you and it were Siamese twins. On the Lookout for 'Whalefs For a day there is novelty in it. The boys for the most part are having a new experience. They are looking at a perfectly authentic ocean probably prob-ably for (Jie first time, and making bets on who will be first to see a whale. On our transport watching for whales was not an amusement. It was a serious occupation. It required re-quired time and strength, and powers of argument. "You see 'm any time from the minute you pass Sandy Hook," says a boy from the prairies. "It says so in books. I'm goin' to keep my eyes peeled for them there spouts. Say, how high can a whale squirt water? "You don't see no whales till you git most to Greenland," says a determined de-termined buck private from Minneapolis. Minne-apolis. "Cold water for them birds. That gulf stream comes pourin' down through here and whales can't live in it no more 'n goldfish kin In a teakettle." tea-kettle." "How high kin they so-uirt water?" "Hundred foot." "G'wan. There hain't no flsh kin send a stream that high. I bet she don't go more'n a dozen foot.' "Hey," bellows an optimistic lookout, look-out, "what's that there? Whale?" Everybody rushed to the side to take a look. Nothing is visible and the lookout is picturesquely abused for breaking up an argument. This is along about the first day when things are interesting. But it palls. One day, two days, three days of nothing but water and the boys a-re fed up with oceans. "I'd give seven dollars to see a mud-pie," mud-pie," says a corporal from Texas. "Me for one of them Vermont hills," says a lanky New Englander. "Huh, Vermont hills. What is them? Now take Colorado say, this reminds re-minds you sort of Colorado. You kin see so far. Ever hear of the fellow ,, i iiiT.rT""irf and looks silently. There is Franc 'vh lflv i Vfa u u tbe flrst foreign shore m5t- 4 TT""" " 5V ,!,- yj Jf 4 L Wfr 4 - CtatJ' Jr-jZ- ' them have ever seen. They watch ver, ?J JKtf JLS&L k -ti'IV f - Q"letly-but here and there you ' , JCM0' " T J there. They are approaching the r ' 4.1 lV .4 - SsSTV? 5V SVfv s3r T for them. They are in the job t -. HT l3 Vv ' fit and they know it and are J I v.f V "if C' J V S 'A 4 t H-but they just natura'J . j . .J Nf. 4 If f '37TVT1 didn't like the idea of those subm, : A fXV ''d-A 4 -ft. lTttUASl rines sneaking around under tW,: ' " v.- ' A iT-M i 4JJ y U ? feet- They're there. They are insist., ' V-" , U AWW -.'I )f !''Vl of France, and they don't quite fa,-: ' ft -,? ,,faef' " J? f 4 what to expect of it They are fee.. - ' STmV " f,VV K" , V i " I ' a thrill of a sort strange to tha k (' ''VSSv h 1 fJW Big Adventure. A friendly bout, but orie of the kmrl iliat yields plenlv of excitement to OUT fighting bovs Internlional Fdm Srrvic if II i r sdiw K t.rl 1 t "Hello there." says a man who He is off. He is joined by another man :. ': . J .:.iZ:v:-rt V$? - j- r " sidles up. from Dakota and another from Rhode -5-:.iJ'i---,-i--4.- -i,, .fgi i. tWn?7-TJ ' 4 111 1 "Afternoon." Island and an Indian boy from l fsssa. k :.: "iv''i4H5r-! J v ?ZC 111 'Where you from?" Carlisle and they talk all at once- Af 'iU-. " That is the universal question? Even the Indian. You could get up a I I kwWwfearS-w? y J!"?..--i'fljjJTteaii. Everv soldier aboard that boat wants fight In that crowd in a minute. Every I 1 5.- ---5tsS.-r.ur-. 9IafaasS?--is-K;':--;--i.-I'''2-'"i III - to talk about his town and the way to fellow is sure his State is the best U vs&fil-t !..s-'?vr f "N J aS-, - get a conversation started about his State, and his county is the best 's-"?; 4&2?-v&is'& Z"- .--"S ."' '.r own local town pump and new water- county in the State and his town is the WW fVr.-T!f'v Z?t II II ' works system and the girl who takes best town in the countv. and h's farm WW. w-i:-.3s!rr:st T - ,s5i' II ll care of Doctor Jones s office, is to men- or house is the best in the town. X;-'"''' - tion your locality. Your set entertainment is stood. But V ei-";v-.N-'t:s.-;rfljS?'??s;'!i' Jf sCSSC. - '-s' "I m from New York. for real value, for real efficiency in '?..-s;; - ,r & "Never seen New lork till we come getting the mind of the soldier off his v&1' i-'"'" " ? to take the boat. Im from Portland, first long journev from home and the Sbts .JStf-st "a'' jVJy Mich." monotony of the voyage, the chinning Sir'yV -' "I was there once. On the Grand match about home is the thing And NSNSvW, - River, isn't it?" your trained and sensible Red Triangle i-'''i "Bet your life. Say, ever fish In man knows this. The best work he s56i4i' " that river? Know anybody there?" does aboard a transport is not the Sjg'- " And then he Is off. He does not hard planning of set entertainments, ' ' want you to reply. All he wants is not the sweat and labor of keeping Commutes on Public Infomiu a listener. He tells you how many equipment on hand, or of looking after -u tle way to Franca out my -ay that started to walk to a mountain he seen before breakfast and didnt git there for four days and a night? Yes, sir, true as preachin'." "G'wan, your life-preserver's wearin' creases in your bean." And so on, and so on. "How's them seasick guys this mornin'?" "Gittin' around. Say. it's funny, hadn't It seasickness. What makes it come on?" "Every time the boat woggles It pushes your stummick up against your brain and makes you dizzy. Way to prevent it is to pull your belt tight to keep your stummick down." "Say, hain't there nothing to do on this boat I'd be darn near willin' to play checkers." The Quartet Warbles "How long's this goin' to last? Got any idea when we land, or where?" "No. Where's them boxin' gloves?" Just then down the ladder comes a man with a red triangle on his arm and the boys look him over to see if he sizes up like a regular person. "Y. M. C. A. guy," says one, under his breath. "Wonder if they're goln' to pull anything. Now's his chance. If he's any good." The "Y" man sits down on a hatch and says nothing. Pretty soon a man sidles up to him, takes a squint and says "Hello." "How you making It?" says the secretary. sec-retary. "MiddlinV "Got your sea legs?" "Say, what is the use of havin so much ocean, anyhow? I could git along if about a million miles of It was to dry up this mornln'." "We got a quartet upstairs. They say they're good. Don't know myself. They claim to come from St. Louis. How'd you fellows like to have them drop down and warble?" "We'll take a chance if they wfH." "They'd have been down before, but A friendly bout, but orie ot the kind that yields plenlv of excitement to OUT fighting boVS InternaUonal Film Service the tenor lost his voice overboard and just got it back. Ever see a seasicK tenor? Right after mess we'll drag 'em down and make 'em roll over and play dead." After mess the quartet makes Its appearance, and a shipful of American soldiers with life-preservers draped over their persons or coiled around their knees, or used as mighty uncomfortable un-comfortable cushions, spread themselves them-selves on deck and prepared for the worst. One song, and there arises a wild yell. It was a Galli-Curci triumph from the first note. The gang liked the songs, and the gang liked the quartet. They sang half a dozen songs and then tried to back away. "Block the doors. Hang onto 'em. Don't let 'em git away." Then the quartet has to sing two more songs, and the baritone, who speaks with a rich southern drawl, tells half a dozen stories, and they make their escape. "Where's the gloves?" the secretary wants to know, and, morals uplifted by the music, made to forget themselves them-selves and their ennui, half a dozen boys are eager to lambaste each other for their own glory and the amusement amuse-ment of their fellows. And so for many nights. The program pro-gram Is regular. Boxing and wrestling wrest-ling from mess till dark. Then the , "Y" scrambles together what talent It can and puts on a show. But always the quartet. The soldiers will stand for anything in the way of speeches or monologues, or what-not, If the quartet quar-tet Is promised. Somehow, muslo seems to hit the spot and the sort of music that hits it hardest is the kind about sweethearts and home fires and Good Old Uncle Sam. Of course, there's the funny kind that gets past hugely, especially if there is some sledgehammer punch at the Kaiser. How they do love to hear the Kaiser Informed that certain young men of America are on their way to remove his goat. "Where're You From?" Next to being entertained, these boys like to talk. At first they were a little suspicious ' and hard to approach. ap-proach. A man to succeed with them must apply for admission. He cannot go among them brashly announcing that he Is there to do them good. It Is a matter of manner and manners. man-ners. One man with an air that was a trifle patronizing not Intentionally so found this out with speed and dispatch: No, the real way to meet them is to sneak down and sit by yourself your-self and look at the ocean and light your pipe and Bay nothing. Do that, and look as If you felt ns if you hadn't any right to be there, and were afraid a sergeant would come along and knock you out and ydu are on your way. Then the boys begin be-gin to drop around and put you at your ease for they are gentlemen. They feel for the moment that they have something to give, and they want to "give It. "Hello there." says a man who sidles up. "Afternoon." 'Where you from?1- That Is the universal question? Everv soldier aboard that boat wants to talk about his town and the way to get a conversation started about his own local town pump and new- waterworks water-works system and the girl who takes care of Doctor Jones s office, is to mention men-tion your locality. "I m from New York.' "Never seen New Y ork till we come to take the boat. I'm from Portland, Mich." "I was there once. On the Grand River, isn't it?" "Bet your life. Say, ever fish In that river? Know anybody there?" And then he Is off. He does not want you to reply. All he wants is a listener. He tells you how many, stores there are and who runs them, and where his father's farm is, and how many acres and how the old mr.n Is probably Just starting out to d3 the chores, and he talks and talks and talks. Your Y. M. C. A. may bring singers sing-ers and actors and preachers and musicians mu-sicians abroad our transports, but no form of entertainment has been devised de-vised which gives your soldier so much real pleasure as to be turned loose in a conversational debauch about his own town. It's not homesickness, exactly. ex-actly. He does not want to go back and say so. He wants to go across and do the Job, and do It well. He won't brag, but he has on Idea at the back of his head that when his own paiiicular unit gets to France the war wijl really start. In fact, he will admit it under pressure. "Walt till you see this gang go to work," he says. He doesn t gi Into details, but ho knows. Another fellow comes up. "Where you from?" he says. "New York." "Urn. I'm from Arizona and say " ii 11 'W 1 1 ' i - )jj . over in a corner and surreptitiously drag out a picture, concealing it from profane view with his body. "That's her." he says, and In showing show-ing it to you he pays you about the greatest compliment of which he is capable. "No," you say. '"Honest? Say, how did you pick up that girl? Bet you swiped the picture. Gosh, but she's some lady." "Now hain't she? Say, name's Louise? Yes, sir. We was goin' to be married before I come away, but we sort of talked it over and decided we'd bettor wnlt. She was willin', though. Nothin' fussy about her. Her old man runs a store back home. Didn't like me much at first, but now say, -"11 bet I could step into his store this minute and, borrow a ten spot off him and he wouldn't give a darn If he nover got it back. Pretty classy looker, hain't she?" "Can't think of but one girl in America Amer-ica to touch her. I married that one myself." "Huh " says the boy. He's sorry for you. Y'ou're married, and likely you're suited, but what a shame it is that you can't have a girl Just like his. "Bet I get a wad of letters when we land," says another boy. "Not from girls. Nope. Hain't got no you have talked with them, I divided apples and cigarettes w them for days, and you like thi -and hope they like you. The ha shakes you get are worth all it n have cost to come across yourself Co your unimportant part. And U you get off the vessel first, leav them behind. It doesn't seem qt the thing to go away without anot look, so you and your party of I Triangle men walk along the dock I look up the steep sides of the ves ; at those hundreds upon hundreds fine, boyish faces, come to do a ma Job for their country. And they ' you. Up on the ratlines a buck I vate is clinging- He takes off his ' and swings it around his head. "Three cheers for them Y. M. C guys." he yells. Crash! Crash! Crash! The ch are given, hats and hands are wa ' and you don't see it very well' so very, especially particularly w V because a fog has suddenly come , or something has gotten In your You turn around and beat it. but ! have a feeling in you that : wouldn't sell for the price of a p.' clpality. You have wondered along if It was worth your while come to France for the Y. M. C. That farewell has given you ' answer. He is off. He is joined by another man from Dakota and another from Rhode Island and an Indian boy from Carlisle and they talk all at once. E en the Indian. You could get up a fight in that crowd in a minute. Every fellow is sure his State is the best State, and his county Is the best county in the State and his town is the best town In the countv. and his farm or house is the best in the (own-Tour (own-Tour set entertainment Is good. But for real value, for real efficiency In getting the mind of the soldier off his flrst long journev from home and the monotony of the vovage. the chinning match about home is the thing. And your trained and sensible Red Triangle man knows this. The best work he does aboard a transport is not the hard planning of set entertainments, not the sweat and labor of keeping equipment on hand, or of looking after supplies, but In Just listening. So it goes for days and days, every man lugging with him his life-preserver as a reminder that he is on serious business. The flrst day that life-preserver bothe-rs him some. He looks a bit glum and keeps a weather eye peeled for submarines, and Jumps every time anybody drops a shoe. But two or three days of living with a cork and canvas Incubus, and he forgets the submarine and takes on the duty of every soldier, which is to kick about chow and quarters. In tbe Submarine Zone "They say this is the most uncomfortable uncom-fortable scow in the business," says a boy. "Huh, I bet this is a palace to what we git across." "Chase yourself. I've had letters. Why, right up in the front line trenches they have white bread and butter and beefsteak and running water and electric lights. I hain't worrying about Over There. We git treated right. Everybody says so. But this hooker she sure is a rotten mess." "When do we git into the submarine zone?" "Dunno." "Somebody says we have to sleep with these things strapped on for two or three nights.''' "If we do I hain't sure but I'd rather a tin fish got us. Ono night In one of these and I'd look llko mother's washboard." "No danger of subs, anyhow. See them guns aft there. Look at the medals them guys is wearing. Best marksmen there Is. If a sub was to stick up her nose blooie." But uftcr u number of days the submarine sub-marine zone Is reached, and the boys ro:Uizo It. You run see them sober up. Ona sign of It Is the general desire to wrtto letters. "Say, Y. M. C. A., hain't you got any paper and envelopes, or postcards or somethln'?" Tho "Y" man brings down a slack of cards, and an rpkloinlc of card-writing card-writing laki's place. Tho cards are printed forms sayinK only that the vesjol ll poll which the writer sailed has arrived wifely In 1-Yancc. lie signs hln name. It Is truo that ha wrote tho same card In America and left ll to ho mailed when the cable NhotiUI return waylUK Iho lianspoit was isafe urro.ss. hut Ihe .soldier llke?i the Men.-alUni of milnrt It all uver nalll. llo likes to sec It in print. "No danger of subs anyhow, bee them guns aft there i f Look at the medals them guys if wearing. UeBt markbinen there it." ,H llui, ,,, ,M. m,I. marine tn, rI1M,. () ri, ,M! ,llT (.oluaIt hH.kmj, ul plioh.Kn.pl., of foi.nho.lv ,ul rci.lm lollo. |
