Salt Lake Telegram | 1916-07-30 | Page 23 | American on Leave Back from War

AMERICAN ON OM LEAVE I IBACK BACK FROM THE V AR ARNEY ARNEW NEW NEY YORK YORK- July 29 John 29 John P. P Ducasse Ducasse Ducasse Du- Du casse of Ne New Brighton S S. I I. I a young student nt in the Stevens institute Hoboken Hoboken Ho- Ho boken N N. J J. who left his studies and enlisted in the French army in December December December De De- cember 1914 and who has been fighting fight fight- ing at the front since March 15 1915 Is home on a months month's furlough to re recuperate recuperate recuperate re- re from typhoid fever In telling of his experiences on the western front he said I I I 1 was assigned d to the Four Hundred Hundred Hun Hun- dred and Twelfth French infantry and and fought in the Champagne battles and around Rheims My regiment lost men Three of or my mv friends were killed I near me and I had some narrow es escapes escapes escapes es- es capes from death In one of the Engagements en engagements engagements En en- our regiment was holding the front attack The battalion commander commander com com- mander mandt r was wounded d but the rain of shrapnel and heavy artillery fire Ire prevented prevented prevented pre pre- vented succor He la lay there two days when volunteers finally carried him within our lines but he only lived a short while after his hiI rescue Verdun Is Safe He Says i The spirit of the French arm army is high The ability to hold Verdun gave them confidence and courage I do donot donot donot not think the Germans ever r will be beable beable beable able to take it The spirit of the German German German Ger Ger- man army Is le broken The push and initiative of 1915 was terrific but unable un unable unable un- un able to mal make e headway against the French arm army gradually it it has lost its morale and is Ig dwindling into spasmodic spasmodic spasmodic spas spas- potency Villages and towns have been ruined and destroyed It is sad to see the desolation of ot it all How one escapes b being ing killed in battle Is luck One will go so through h it for months and be off on a furlough return and going into the next battle perhaps be the I first one killed Monotony of Trench Life Tho Tim conditions in on the army are first class and we are well taken care of Service in the trenches is monotonous s. s I There are fifteen days in the Uie front fronti i trenches if you t escape being killed you have fifteen days in its 11 the rt rear ar trench to rest up then back again to the I same routine Ducasse has made application for forI appointment to the aviation a corps anti and andis I is anxious to return to France and a. a again aln to be on the firing line He hopes to be present when victory Is IsI II I won for France and the allies He Is IsI I j 22 years vears of agE ago and says if he has the good luck to pass t safely through the I war he will return and resume his studies studie He lie HEll HE'll is the son of John P P. Du- Du I casso cassa a business man of Manhattan whose home is on Staten I Island