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Published Under Auspices
of
National War Work Council
Y.M.C.A. of the United States
Vol. 1.
Major General Clement
Returns From France
Commander of 28th Division Arrived in Camp Yesterday
Afternoon After Several Weeks’ Absence. Given Warm Wel
come at Headquarters. Had Interesting Experiences on the
Western Front.
With the bands playing “Hail, Hail. ’
and “Auld Lang Syne.’’ 'Major General
Charles M. Clement, commander of the
Twenty-eighth division at Camp Han
cock, returned to camp yesterday after
noon at 2:30, after an absence of several
weeks in France.
It was not generally known that Gen
eral Clement would return to Camp Han
cock yesterday and as a result, hundreds
of civilians missed one of the greatest
sights ever presented in this country—an
entire division of troops standing at “At
tention.”
It was an inspiring sight. Troops
lined the Wrightsboro road,-extending ail
the way from the entrance to camp, to
the road leading to the post office. On
the right were the infantry brigades and
machine gun battalions and on the left
stood the brigade of artillery and sanitary
train. The drill field was a rrfass of
horses and men, all in fine condition, and
it must have gladdened General elem
ent's heart to see his division in such
perfect form.
General Clement has been at his home
in Sunbury, following his report to Wash
ington, and in an interview given to the
Pittsburg Gazette-Times at his home in
ii.iburv, he makes some interesting
■%jonts. The following. arOe'e is frosjn
' Gms? ni-'fnnes- ' ' ■
fl. ’’tat his command and probably thou
sand's more -ff Atnerhmn tttnoos “
sent to France during tKe ' next few
months is the opinion of Major General
Charles M. Clement, commander of the
Twenty-eighth Division, Pennsylvania
National Guard of the American army,
who is spending a few days at his home
here; following his recent return from a
six weeks’ stay at the theater of war in
France.
During December it is quite likely that
50.000 men will be sent over and if Bra
zil provides promised transports twice as
many will go next month, is the opinion
of tlie general. After the first of the year
the men will be rushed across just as
rapidly as possible.
The general would express no opinion
as to when the end of the war will come,
but he does believe that when the _gnd
comes it will be uqickly, like the bursting
of a bubble.
Death in Every Wind.
He spent twenty-one days along the
French and British lines in France and
on several occasions Was within zones
where dekth rode whistling in every wind
c'. rged with torment and destruction.
On October 28, his birthday anniversary,
he was so near the battle lines that one
of the French officers informed him that
if it were a clear day, instead of being
rainly and cloudy, he would have been
extremely lucky to have left the place
alive. They were within easy range of
the German guns and shells dropped all
around them, and the adverse weather
conditions alone prevented the Boche
gunners getting range of the building
where the party of which General Clem
ent was a* member was sheltered.
Within a radius of an eighth of a mile
the earth was frequently rent with great
shell holes. Some were 40 and 50 feet
deep. On another occasion he was along
the French line of battle so close that a
big shell exploded, within 150 feet of him.
Once his atitomobile skidded and an auto
mobile “lorry” driver tyarned his own car
into the path of the general's and saved
it going over a 60-foot embankment.
On the Messines Heights a shell burst
close to the general as he was walking
towards the trenches. A French officer
remarked:
“They have the range of this crater
and we would not dare to be here two
minutes if the sun was shining.”
There are several dents in the English
helmet the general wore on his tour of
the trenches. This he brought home, with
him. together with one of the gas masks
used at the front.
General Clement also met and dined
•with General Pershing. An engagement
had been made to cat at . a restaurant,
but when the time came General Per
shing had to hurry to a different point to
confer with an allied war council, and he
wired Clement to meet and dine with him
on a train. To do this General Clement
had to make a speed pt nearly a mile a
minute to arrive at a junction point in
time to meet Pershing’s party.
Germans Glad to See Hirn.
France has been churned into a clay
pit. the general says. The mud every
where is from four inches to two feet
deep. The- soldiers stand for hours in
mud. that reaches half way up to their
knees.
THE AUGUSTA HERALD
Edition for CAMP HANCOCK Augusta, Ga.
The general saw many German prison
ers. At one internment camp he and his
aide. Theodore D. Boal. of Boalsburg,
were sighted by one of the Germans ,who
cried, “Americans.” The Germans, in
their eagerness to see ''the Americans,
pressed forward in such great numbers
that their guards had to threaten to use
their bayonets to hold the men in check.
Prisoners captured in actual fighting are
often brought back over the lines with
their clothing torn into rags, due to their
coming into contact with the barbed wire
entanglements.
Stories to the effect that German sol
diers are poorlv fed and half-clothed arc
discredited by the general. The German:;
in the front-line trenches are fine speci
mens of manhood.' One group of prison
ers included about thirty boys of the
11)19 class. These from their appearance
were pale and underfed. This was ex
plained bv the fact that those at home
sacrifice to the limit so that the soldiers
may be fed. The 191!) class had not been
in the trenches long enough to profit by
the food provided for the men at arms.
Saw Several Battles.
At one of the’ fighting fronts he saw
several engagements. At one time ha
sat with a French commander during a
w.tt.le. . A, t
i - .c,t od it d II ft tcn
KJ"* -hl to surrender as the dugout
■ ...w-n-d and AS IWi reached for
sergeant used a grenade.
After the battle General Clement accom
panied the French officer as he made a
detour of the trenches. Soon a man- cov
ered with mud saluted.
“How many men did you account for?”
asked the French command.
"Seventeen, sir,” was the answer.
The conversation appeared as informal
as customer asking the price of eggs of
a country merchant. The mon are taught
to kill and they work with the same un
concern as the mechanic at his his trade.
Soldiers never pass a German body with
out using their bayonet to make sure that
the man is not shamming, and will later
shoot them in the back. Speaking of the
valor of the allies, the general said that of
all things spent and squandered there hu
man life is held least dear'. The officers
and men calmly accepted all hazards un
mindful of the death to follow.
On account of the general dampness of
the atmosphere, rain falling nearly every
day; the water in the trenches and no
heat, frim the men relieved from duty,
respiratory diseases run rife. The things
in the knitted products most needed, in
his opinion, are warm stockings and ab
dominal bands. General Clement and his
aids suffered Slightly from the cold, but
were not delayed in carrying on the pur
poses of their visit.
American Troops Eager.
During his stay on the other side Gen
eral Clement also spent considerable time
with the American forces. He says the
American boys are in good spirits and
health. In the short time they have been
there they have made great progress irt
solving the problems of modern warfare
and all are eager and anxious to go to
the immediate front without delay.
The trips over and back were unevent
ful. On the way over one of the pas
sengers insisted that he had seen a sub
marine, but this report was not given
credWhee. The ship was shrouded in dark
ness after G p. m., and for four nights
the passengers slept in their clothes to
be ready for any emergency. On the re
turn trip the portholes were closed early
in the evening. At all times a captive
balloon was kept suspended over the boat,
where a" lookout kept watch for a Hun's
submarine.
On the return trip on a French steamer
General Clement spoke several times to
a little American nurse who had been in
jured in the bombing of a French base
hospital. The French government had
decorated her with the cross of the Le
gion of Honor. In spite of all efforts she
refused to talk of her injuries, which were
understood to have been serious.
SOLDIERS PLANNING MARDI GRAS.
If present plans materalize, Augusta
will be given a novel sight on New
Year's Day, when th» soldiers from
Philadelphia will stage a-miniature Mardi
Gras. Many of the soldiers participated
in the annual Mummer's parade in Phil
adelphia and they have asked to have
the magnificent- costumes used on that
occasion, sent to UaS;p Hancock. . If
these gorgeous trappings may be had in
time, Augusta wil) witness one of the
most specticular sights ever witnessed
in the South outside of New Orleans.
CAMP HANCOCKe
DECEMBER, 5, 1917
SECRETARY HUNTER
GOES TO FRANCE
Augusta Y. M. C. A. Man Will
Leave in Few Days to Work
Abroad.
General Secretary Walter M. Hunter of
the Augusta Y. M. C. A. has returned
from a hurried summons to New York
City where he was in conference with
the officials of the Y. M. C. A. War
Work Council, and as’ a result of the
deliberations, Mr. Hunter will leave Au
gusta in a few days for “somewhere in
France.”
Mr. Hunter has been secretary of the
Augusta Y. M. C. A. for several years
and has endeared himself to the peo
ple of the city by his readiness to as
sist every desirable cause. In accepting
his resignation, the board of directors
did so with the proviso that the posi
tion would be held open for him' upon
jhis return from France.
When Camp Hancock became a cer
tainty, Mr. Hunter foresaw the neces
sity for enlarged equipment and a cam
paign for $15,000 was inaugurated early
in September, with which fourteen new
shower baths have been installed and
other improvements made. Thousands of
men from Camp Hancock have visited
the Augusta Y. M. C. A. and have en
joyed the free privileges and all regret
Mr. Hunter's .departure, but wish him
great success in his labors among the
American troops in France.
F. M. Whiteside, who has been the ef
ficient assistant secretary at the Y. M.
C, A. has also resigned to accept th©
his wife and child the latter part of this
week. Mr. Whiteside came in close
contact with the men of Camp Hancock
and did all in his power to make things
convenient for the soldiers.
EVAN WILLIAMS -
WILL SING IN GAMP
Noted Welsh Tenor Will Give
Programme Here Monday,
December 17 th.
Evan Williams, whose wonderful tencr
voice has been heard wherever talking
machines are known and who is one of
the world’s greatest concert artists, will
sing at Camp Hancock under the aus
pices of the Army Y. M. C. A. on Mon
day night, December 17th.
Mr. Williams is making a tour of the
army camps- and the men are delighted
with his glorious voice. For years, he
has been one of the higher priced vo
calists on the American concert stage
and his services are always in great de
mand. Os a recent concert in Camp Dix,
the camp paper said of his singing:
“Evan Williams, America’s great con
cert tenor singer, charmed the hearts
and ears of his mammoth audience with
a beautiful program. Mr. Williams held
his audience spellbound for nearly an
hour, with scarcely an intermission.
Probably the greatest hits of the evening'
were, "Oh, Dry Those Tears,” and “Tim
Rooney’s at the Fightin’,” though every
number was a favorite. The program
was gloriously concluded by Mr. Williams
leading the whole bouse in singing “The
Star Spangled Banner.” The soldiers
gave three cheers for the artist that
bade fair to raise the roof off the big au
ditorium.”
“Germany Will Be Beaten”
Bishop Luther B. Wilson, who re
cently returned from Europe, where he
went on a mission from the Y. M. C. A.,
brought back with him a message to
the American people from General
Pershing, American commander in
France. The message said:
“Tell them there is no ground for
the heresy that Germany cannot be
beaten. Germany can be beaten. Ger
many must be beaten. And Germany
will be beaten.”
COLONEL-Tn SPECTOR HERE
Colonel-Inspector E. A. Helmick, of
the inspector general’s department.
United States Army, arrived in Camp
Han dock recently to make an inspec
tion of th eeouipnierit an I personriel
of the division.
ONE CENT POSTAGE
ARMY NEWS
FOR ARMY MEN
AND
THEIR HOME FOLKS
CAVALRY AGAIN
IS DISMEMBERED
Official Order Sends Men to
Various Commands in Division
—Sunbury Troop at Head
quarters. z j
During the past few days, the mem
bers of the 101st United' States Cavalry
have gone through another shifting pro
cess, an order having been issued re
assigning the troops to the units, as per
the original dismemberment order.
The men have been scattered through
out the division, some to the artillery,
others to the ammunition train, trench
mortar battery and engineers.
First City Troop, of Philadelphia,
which was assigned to division head
quarters in the previous order, has been
sent, to Company F, 103rd Engineers,
while Troop I, of Sunbury, which had
been transferred from headquarters to
the Engineers, has been sent back to
headquarters and bad the honor of es
corting Major General Clement on his
return to camp yesterday.
There is general regret over the loss
of the Cavalry regiment, but. the troop
ers are bearing their disappointment
with true soldierly spirit.
COUNTRY CLUB r
HELPS THE RED CROSS [
The Board of Gpvernors of the Country
Club of Augusta have kindly loaned the
use of the two private during rooms for
: hfr Winter. An a.itxßiin-y
to the AOgusta Chapter has been formed
with Mrs. Joseph McKnight Speer, chair
man; Mrs. William C. Denny, secretary
and treasurer.
Executive Committee—'Mrs. Frank H.
Denny, Mrs. Charles Johnson. Mrs. Henry
<Tinker, Mrs. William E. Mikell, Mrs.
Longsdon, Mrs. Sawyer. Mrs. Stevenson,
Mrs. Lawton B: Evans. Mrs. A. D. Coch
rane, Mrs. George Barnard.
Work will begin on Monday morning.
December 3rd. al ten o’clock, a. m.. and
the rooms will be opened every week day
morning after that, date from ten to one
o’clock.
All Pennsylvania women and others
interested in Red Cross work are cordial
ly invited, whether they are members of
the club or not.
In view of the fact that the demands
for Red Cross supplies are growing
every day to such an enormous extent, it
is hoped that there will be plenty of as
sistance offered to this new activity.
Billy Sunday May
Visit Camp Hancock
Rev. William Milton Hess, building sec
retary at No. 79, made a trip to Atlanta
last Saturday for the express purpose of
inducing Rev. William Sunday, otherwise
known as “Billy,” to pay a visit to Camp
Hancock and deliver one of his famous
sermons to the men. Dr. Hess attended
a meeting at the tabernacle and heard
Mr. Sunday speak, although it was with
great difficulty the noted evangelist was
able to address the immense gathering.
Mr. Sunday promised to give the invi
tation earnest consideration and though
he' would come, if his voide improved, but
only on condition that he.be not asked to
speak in the open air. ile will speak in
Building 79 if he comes to Camp Hancock,
but will not be able to say definitely for
several days whether or not he will be
here.
There are thousands of men at Camp
Hancock from Scranton. Wilkes-Barre
and other places who have heard Billy in
their home towns and if he comes to the
camp, he will be sure of an overflow audi
ence, no matter where he speaks.
AMERICANS DECORATED
War crosses have been awarded to
Robert P. Lamont, of Evanston, Ills.;
Benjamin Burton, Jr., of Colusa. Cal.,
and Herbert Hope, of Oakland, Cal., of
the American field service.
Lamont’s left hand was torn off by
a shell October 7th. Burton and Hope
drove a motor truck under heavy bom
bardment October Bth, two men with
them being killed.
A divisional citation has been
awarded to Philip Rice, of Wilkes-
Barre, Pa., for bravery in carrying
wounded men from the battlefield un- :
der heavy fire.
Germany is able to put fourteen men
in the field for the cost of a single Am
erican soldier.
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