War Service Letters 



467 



papers and keep informed as to what's going on. Now we are unin- 

 formed and are at sea as to the general movements of the Allies. We 

 get bits of news, but it's like feeding a starving man by letting him read 

 a cook-book. I am wondering if the Allies have taken Metz. We want 

 to be with the boys when they march down the main street of that city. 

 Maybe we will, and maybe we wont ; but it will not be long before we'll 

 be marching down some main street in some big city, and it will be some 

 German place, mark my word, and it won't be long either. The people 

 at home can rest assured that before we come home for that fatted calf 

 and tell you all about the medals we won, or nearly obtained, we are 

 going through Kaiser Bill and his horde of kulturists, and we are going 

 through them thoroughly. The job is being done now, and it's not far 

 off before we'll be hocking Bill's crown — hocking it in an American 

 way, not in the German sense of the word. 



The Huns are awaking to the fact that the American army over here 

 is anything but a small, contemptible one. I can't see how they figure 

 to come out of this affair with a whole skin at all. The German prison- 

 ers we have taken have been told there were only a few Americans 

 over here and would not believe we had several million men in Europe. 

 Their awakening is being a tough one. 



Yesterday we were issued several pairs of Red Cross socks. Again I 

 say more power to this society. The folks at home will never regret 

 what they are doing and have done for this organization. Another 

 body that the Americans should be proud of is the Y. M. C. A. We 

 have a "Y" man with us, and he takes good care of us "stomachically" 

 besides spiritually. He and the mailman run a good race for first place 

 in the popularity contest. When time and circumstances permit, Mr. 

 "Y" man appears upon the scene with cookies, tobacco, jam, gum, salted 

 peanuts, and occasionally candy. His supply is generally limited, but 

 each of us get the opportunity to get a goodly portion of his wares. 

 This is the first time in my life where I had money to spend and no 

 one to take it. H anyone wants to save their coin, tell them to join the 

 army and head this way. 



We have become accustomed to the French money now. It annoyed 

 us at first, not the amount in value, but in paper. Five dollars in change 

 meant the carrying around of a wad of bills nearly an inch thick. Pa- 

 per money is issued in value as low as fifty centimes. In our money, 

 "real money," the boys say this equals ten cents. Sometimes the boys 

 start rolling their cigarettes with these before they realize the differ- 

 ence. French coins are numerous, however. But the worst trouble we 

 have is spending our salary ; but, then, we haven't been to Paris as yet. 

 Our cooks are taking excellent care of us and our meals come regu- 

 larly. Canned goods are used extensively, but everything is fine. Yes- 

 terday they treated us to some good home-made doughnuts. 



Several days ago a letter came to me from one of my fellow Sier- 

 rans. Portia Dalton was kind enough to write me, and I surely was 



