19143 W^ith the Greek Army 



they borrowed the dowry of a newly married woman, 

 six heavy rag carpets or mats. A proverb current in 

 the Orient asserts that "Dieu a cree trois choses A cutting 

 nuisibles; le serpent, la punaise, et le Turc" (God P roverb 

 created three noxious things: the snake, the bedbug, 

 and the Turk). One of the men being detailed to 

 stand guard, he wished to come into the room and 

 walk back and forth all night in front of our bunks; 

 we persuaded him, however, to patrol the passageway. 



These young fellows were largely coal miners from 

 West Virginia. Nicolas Monstrousis (from New 

 Hampshire) was very enthusiastic about " Constantine 

 XIV," and the capture of Constantinople which was 

 to restore the glitter of the ancient Byzantine Empire. 

 Yet the others showed scant interest in military glory, 

 and Sergeant Mille Volos from West Virginia said to 

 me confidentially: "I don't see what all this is about; Legitimate 

 I don't know why Christians should want to cut each doubts 

 )ther's throats." Volos was extremely interested to 

 find out where in the world they were; they only 



lew they had marched up from Salonica to guard a 

 >ridge in the woods over some petty river. So I gave 

 lim my map of the Balkans, than which nothing 

 :ould have been more appreciated. 



As pay each soldier drew a much depreciated Lot of the 

 irachme (franc) every month. Conditions in camp soldier 

 /ere all very primitive. The men slept in a barn-like 

 structure, a screened-off raised platform at one end 

 being occupied by an officer with a writing desk. 

 Breakfast and supper consisted of coarse, sandy 

 bread, cheese, and coffee. For the noonday meal 

 which we shared with the company we had half- 

 cooked beans boiled in a huge caldron, the thin broth 

 serving as soup. 



C 595 3 



