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I. IM miljk nil cjr f 3 |Z ? w V \l ’ x ¥ I ’ \ ■ * ! 4ft u I£ E I Page 4 TRENCH AND CAMP CAMP HANCOCK, Augusta, Ga, EDITION, 12,000. GEO. B. LANDIS~and J. EDGAR PROBYN, Editors. Published gratis bv~ THE HERALD PUBLISHING CO., Augusta, Ga. ISSUED EVERY V IDNESDAY. Vol. I—Dec7l2Ti9l7—No. 10. Application has been made for TRENCH and CAMP for entry as I il Matter of the Second Class st the Au gusta, Ga., Postoffice. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Trench and Camp will be mailed to any address in the United States (limited to 1,000 copies) at the follow ing rates: Three months 15c Six months 25c One year .. 50c NOTICE? This edition of Trench and Camp is limited to 120 CO copies. An effort will be made to place one or more copies in every tent. If parties are desirous of other copies, application should be made to the nearest Y. M. C. A. building, where they will be gladly furnished as long as they last. As the edition is limited to 12,000 copies, please do not throw your copy away, when you are through with it. Pass it on to some other fellow. * News items, personals, programs, meetings, announcements, etc., from all the units in the camp will be welcomed by Trench and Camp and printed as far as space per mits. These communications can be left with secretaries at any of the Y. M. C. A. buildings and will be turned over to the editors. All copy should be turned in as early as possible. No copy can be hand led later than Monday noon, pre ceding date of issue. Trench and Camp will be issued every Wed nesday by THE AUGUSTA HERALD, Publishers of the Camp Hancock Edition of Trench and Camp. Charles E. Hughes has endorsed the proposed amendment to the draft law, lowering the registration age from 21 to 19. A GOOD RECORD. Elsewhere we print a summary, as well as the detailed figures, of what the Army Y. M. C. A. at Camp Hancock has done during the past month. It is a record of achievement and the fig ures are set down so that all may know th exact amount of effort being put forth. There have been many disconcerting features hampering intensive work educationally and religiously. Chief among these is the religious schedule of activities and the time off, when men are permitted to leave camp dur ing th eday—Wednesday and Saturday afetrnoons and Sunday. It takes an exceptional man to hunger and thirst for educational and religious matters after he has been drilling hard all day, with all sorts of extra duty thrown in, as well as a weekly night hike or a period of two or more days spent out on the rifle and artillery ranges- To meet all these conditions, the work must b.e. highly adaptable and we are glad to state that the men in charge of these activities are not one bit dis couraged or lacking in resolution to be of the utmost service. The fact that almost 200,000 men crowded into the “Y” building during the month proves the need of social re laxation for the men. The fact that 158,000 pieces of mail were dispatched, evidences the heart yearnings of the men who congregate at the buildings nightly and keep in touch with the home folks by means of Y. M. C. A. stationery and other facilities. The thrift campaign has keen hampered by the fact that with Liberty bond in stallments, allotments and other ex penses coming first, there has been as much to send home as formerly. How ever, the gratifying total of $27,128 is a goodly sum to handle, when it is con sidered that the amounts come in small sums for the most part. Despite the busy activities of the secretaries, time was found to have personal conversations with 869 men concerning their soul’s welfare, and 350 men made definite decisions. In com parison with the results in the churches of any single community, it will be seen that although conditions are ab normal, there is much earnest work being dime. All in all. Camp Secretary Tomlinson and his associates have rea son to feel proud of their achievement. TRENCH AND CAMP SPARE THE HOLLY. Once again Trench and Camp re quests the soldiers at Camp Hancock to spare the holly growing in this sec tion. This is the urgent request of many southern women who are doing all in their power to make it pleasant for the men in camp. Os all nature’s handiwork, —and the south litis ben lavished with it—the holly holds first place in the affections of the people, because of its beauty and scarcity. There is so much of sentiment associated with the green leaves and red berries of the holly tree that H has become a valued possession among southerners. Tn real estate de velopment, many southerners have se lected a site for a home because of the presence of perhaps one holly tree on the land. In view of the wealth of associations attached to the tree and the many manifestations of good will towards the men in camp by the kind-hearted southern people, we believe the men of the Twenty eighth division will for go their natural impulse and spare the holly growing in the vicinity of the camp. The conservation committee of the Augusta Woman's Club makes the ap peal, and we are sure that the chival ry of the men from the north will re spond to it. WHY WE ARE AT WAR. Trench and Camp would like to see more entries in the literary competition on “Why We Are at War.’’ The editor asked one yot|ng man to write an article on the subject and met with the rejoinder: “I’ve been trying to find out myslf why we are at war.” That answer sums up the reason for Trench and Camp offering prizes of $5, $3 and $1 for the best three articles on the subject. We want every soldier in Camp Hancock to understand thi great issue at stake. The time will be extended to Satur day night, to permit you to take ad vantage of the offer. Get busy! Trench and Camp is the recipient of much poetry, for which we are grate ful. Some of it is good, some of it is bad and quite a bit indifferent, but we are glad to look it over and use what we feel is Just to our readers. The muse has been working overtime and is but another evidence of the psychic inflhenc.es that have been de veloped through the war spirit of the nation. There are many outpourings of the heart in the effusions we receive and it is a good thing, for if a young man or young woman was obliged to bottle up those yearnings, sometimes possionate sentiments, the result would be disastrous and might lead to dis traction. Let Trench and Camp be your safety valve. Send in your prose or poetry and if it passes the censor, you may have the joy of seeing Os all the camp papers which come to the sanctum of Trench and Camp, the finest in appearance is the Wads worth Gas Attack and Rio Grande R: J tier, published by the Y. M. C. A. at Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, S. C. It is in magazine form, 9x12, and is printed in the national colors on fine book paper, and is very much on the magazine order. The Spartannburg Herald is responsible for the mechan ical work and it is a credit to the print er’s art. There are many interesting features in the paper and we congrat ulate the editorial staff and all con nected with the publication. There is but one criticism we have to offer— and that is in the name, but we pre sume there is a world of past history associated with the cognomen which we cannot appreciate because of our ignorance. However, here’s a toast to The Gas Attack and may it never asphyxiate. BITS OF SHRAPNEL Since July the United Stqtes has or dered for the use of the allied armies 3,- 000,000 pairs of rubber boots and 1,000,000 pairs of “arctics.” Girl students of the University of Cali fornia have signed a pledge to deprive themselves of sweets, except chewing guin, for the period of the war. General Castleman a famous Kentucky Confederate, has solved the dispute as to whether white soldiers should salute ne gro officers, sayipg it is only right to salute the country’s uniform. Sixteen hundred. German firms of Lat • in America have been placed on the “black list” by the War Trade Board or the United States government ana nr trade with them will be discouraged, if not toally prohibited. | ARMY YARNS “I went into a restaurant on the boule vard with a girl,” said a soldier. 'Ticked her up on the street—l know, I was a fool —but she talked English and I was fran tic to look at a pretty woman and hear of something besides war. We had an ome let and two bottles of beer. What do you think they charged me?” The answer might have been anything. “Two hundred francs/’ said the boy. “It took all my money except a few francs. I’ve cabled home to my father in Canada. If he doesn’t come through I’ve got to go back to the trenches before my leave is up.” His was not an isolated experience. The men come here unwarned and as trustful as children. They so want to have a good time —a clean time, free of mud and Boche shells and the fear of death. They do not know the language and they do not ask the prices, and they listen to plausible strangers. One Eng lish woman tries to protect them. She stations herself at the railway station and talks to them when they come out. She is the only one that I know of. No one else seems to care. "Do you want to go to a quiet and clean hotel?” they are asked when they walk out of the railway station on ar rival. x That is what they want above every thing else. They want quiet and clean liness and rest. Most of them go tc bed at 9 o’clock at night and do not get up until 9 o’clock in the morning. Be cause the tout who addresses them is seemingly respectable and can talk En glish they go with him. The hotel is clean and quiet—and they wake up in the morning without a sou. Only the man who has gone through this experience can realize what a trag edy it is. It may mean that he must cut short the cherished leave to which he had been looking forward with such sick anticipation through so many weary months. To rob a soldier on leave is the cruelest thing in war. “He came to me in the midst of a storm off Vera-CruZ,” said the Marine Corns major whose name everyone knows anyhow, sn.tlM* the censorship rules do not irritate. “His eyes were rolling and his blubber lips were trembling. “ ‘Ah want to go home,’ said he. ‘Ah’s sick.’ “‘Sick?’ “ ‘Yes. sah. sick,’ said he. ‘Ah’m home sick and Ah’m seasick and Ah’m lovesick —and dat shuhly is some sick.’” A party of Australians went out to see the town. They insisted on deck ing their taxis with British flags. “Won’t go unless we get the flags,” was the ultimatum. “Tired of being taken for Americans.” That is a sore subject. “Who’s been doing the fighting in this war.” they asked, “we or the Amer icans? All right, then. But there isn't a British flag to be seen in Paris and the town is perfectly covered with Am erican flags. Wherever we go some fool Frenchman throws up his hat: “ ‘Ooray ’ he says, ‘for the brave Am ericans. Vive I'Amerique.’ ” Find a Canadian in town on permis sion and the chances are you will find him jingling with souvenirs. The men of Canada have almost a mania for gathering mementos of war. It was a Canadian who is responsible for the fol lowing witticism: "The English,” said he. “fight for hon or the French for g’ory, and the Can adians for souvenirs.” A little Canadian came to town the other day to eninv bis leave, granted because of a particularly gallant action. But he wasn’t happy. "I f<mght for twenty-four cussed hours straight on end,” said he, “and then e Boche shell put me out. When T woke un the battle was all o ver—and I had n’t got a single souvenir.” "OLDIERS, COME BACK CLEAN. T’is the song for the soldier To sing as he rides from home To the fields afar where the battles are Or over the ocean’s foam. Whatever the dangers waiting Tn lands I have not seen, If T do not fall—if I come back at all — Then I will come back clean. I may lay in the mud of the trenches, I may reek with blood and mire. But I will control, by the God in my soul, The might of my man’s desire. I will fight my foe in the open. But my sword will be sharp and keen For the foe within would lure me to sin And I will come back clean. 1 may not leave for mv children Brave medals that I have won. But the blood in my veins shall have no stains On bride or on babes unborn. Ard the sears that my body may carry Shall not be from deeds' obscene For my will shall say to the beast obev' And I will come back clean. Oh. not on the fields of slaughter, And i’ot in the prison cell" Or in the hunger and cold is the story told By war of its darkest hell. But the old. old sin of the senses Can tell what that word may mean To the soldiers’ wives and to innocent lives. And I will come bock —By Ella Wheeler Wilcox. A Damnable Foe Here is one of the strongest indict ments against Germany we have seen. It was published by the Aviation Sec tion of the United Etates: Democracy is being assailed by the most damnab'e foe that ever fired a cannon, that ever drove home a bayonet, that ever ravaged a neutral state, that ever sunk a hospital ship, that ever shelled women and children in lifeboats, that ever crusified and castrated x captured enemy soldiers, that ever cut the right hands off boy chil dren in captured territory, that ever raped women by the thous ands, that ever lived to fasten it*- demon clutches on the throat of civilization.” Dec. 12, 1917. THE OBSERVER What an inspiration the division re view was last Tuesday! No man or woman who witnessed the long lines of khaki-coated men, stretching across the immense drill eld as far as one could see distinctly, could fail to be impressed with the tremendous power stored up in the various units of the division —infan- try, artillery, machine gunners, ammuni tion train and sanitary train. The Observer looked upon the scene from the window of Building 76, which is the best vantage in the camp, unless we except the high tower directly bacs of the Y. M. C. A. We shall never for. get the scene as the Major General’s car passed by slowly through solid lines of men, all alert and appearing at their best Major General Clement has seen some wonderful sights abroad, but we doubt if anything gave him quite the tarill that his own Twenty-eighth Livision fur nished. As we witnessed the artillery brigade forming into position, there came to out mind a hint of what is transpiring across the seas, where the men who man the guns have done so much by their expert fire, to make possible the advance of the men with th erifle and bayonet. Power, power, power was suggested in the move ment of every horse and driver as they turned and wheeled into Hne and then drew up in alignment across the broad field. Their guidons gave a touch of color and life to the motionless mass of men, horses and guns. One could not look upon such a scene without being stirred to the. depths of his emotions, and we experienced the same sensation we. have had before in the presence of a column of marching infantrymen—that of mist before the eyes and a swelling in the throat. , it ... And far to the right stood the solid ranks of infantry—the thousands of men who will precede the artillerymen across No Man’s Land and push the banner of Freedom into the enemy’s territory. Once before, as we stood at ths side of the road and noted these men pass by si lentlv. with measured tread, their rifles aslant, toward the sky, we were moved to express our emotions in the follow ing verses: O the ominous tread of the tramping feet As the men in khaki go by; Swinging along with sound of drum, Their rifles aslant toward the sky; With measured beat they march down the street And the sight fills our souls with joy. For these are the boys who without fuss and noise Are ready to do and die. They march for Old Glory and Freedom’s cause To make humanity free; To force the Hun from his murderous throne And safeguard democracy; Some will rush 'mid the roar of the guns And their faces will blanch in the sky, But their souls will live in the ages to come Immortals of Liberty! » • » We were at the Grand theatre on Sun day afternoon for the first time to hear the community singing—and spent a de lightful ninety minutes. This il^ 'part or the program of the Fosdick Commission ton entertain t heso’diers while they are in the city. And it is a great success. The theatre was filled from top to bot tom, the lower floor being occupied by the soldiers and their ladies, while the upper floors contain civilians. Hundreds of sold ers were and if all the men at Camp Hancock understood the character of the program and how well it is arranged, the entire building would be jammed with soldiers, so that civilians would have no room. With a splendid band on the stage—the old Thirteenth — and a number of soloists to intersperse the community singing, the program was delightful. A.s an innovation, the audience sang the words of the song from a screen and the idea proved a great success, for every body was able to participate. Prof. Tebbs of the Army Y. M. C. A. conducts the singing with grace and dignity and from the many comments we have heard, Mr. Tebbs has endeared himself-to the peo ple of Augus.a, as well as the singers from Camp Hancock. » * • Camp. Hancock is full of talent and al though the personnel of the units has been recorded, so far as their economic and industrial value is concerned, no body has compiled the artistic resources of the division. On Sunday afternoon we heard a bass soloist from the 103rd Engineers—a real basso, with a full, sor day evening, we enjoyed dinner with several soldiers in the home of a promi nent New York woman, who spends the winters in Augusta. There were eight men present in uniform and ve of them possessed musical ability of high order. Everybody knows of John Surra, whose magnificent tenor voice and operatic singing have thrilled soldiers in the camp a swell as the people of Augusta. John was there, and' never in better voice. He sang “Celeste Aida” with a beauty or tone and ardor of expression, reminding one of Caruso. We doubt if any camp in the country has a finer vrice than is possessed by’ Mr. Surra. Real artists were uncovered in Messrs. See’ey and Gibbs, of the medical corps at the base hospital. Mr. Gibbs had his 'cello wit*, him and although it had been untouched for five months, he revealer! his skill anr. “rtistry on this beautiful instrument. Mr. See’ev was organist at Christ church. : rov denee. R. 1., and his pin -.o number* I and accompaniments were rs unusually high erd’r. These two men w"Td gmek any prnfessmnal Program. Then Mr. Vanw e. of the 11?th lom-l and Mr. I Humphr’e" nf the base hn’-rtat m"dicai corns cr»- v ’U’ed piano numbers and ac comparrimerds—ard we were nr>"d of th<- men in un’ferm who entertainer! so we - ’ rmrm the most exclusive residents of Augusta. r ♦ • Wh'ob r’--"’nds us that Mr. ’’’ebbs w’riv ••s ail e nirirs to rener: nt +be nM Red Tr’nng'o ter" re”r the o-'mn nnr.toffipo n*tnr>x»on "t 21' tn s : ng the CfoM-W c” rels. J , e » ~s ~„v „ pr| f)U . pourirg <:f bn vnra] rfo f ,< arn r. Paneeck cn «.,e(Jn v . Ever- m q „ w :‘ ir n-hn thinks he can sing cor d’mly invited. Pieric acid as a high explos vc was first hex rd of in general wav during the Boer war, and m connection with the I lyrldlto shells used by the British.