6 C
Omaha Boy "Over There" Writes
Edward J. Phtlps, jr., in letter to The Bee
Relates Experiences in Thick of Battle
Vividly of War As He Sees It
Edward J. Phelps, jr., son of Mr.
and Mrs. Edward J. I'l.elps, 10.10
South Thirty-second street, was a
junior in Stanford university when
he heard his country's rail nearly a
year ago. He joined the third am
bulance unit sent out by the uni
versity to France. He arrived in
France on July 4 and on September
7 enlisted in the United States Army
Ambulance corps, previously having
been attached to the French armies.
He was in the thick of the suc
cessful attack on Fort J)e Malmaison
in the Aisne sector on October 2-5
and visited this fort shortly before
its evacuation by the Germans. On
this occasion lie worked from ,V to
48 hours without sleep and received
his "baptism of shell fire."
Passed by Censor.
An unusually interesting letter has
been received by The Ike from this
young man. The letter, which was
passed by tlic censor, follows:
So much has happened since leav
ing Omaha last June, it would be
useless to attempt more than a brief
resume of some of the past incidents
that will pass with the censorship.
The third Stanford unit, of which
was a member, sailed from Xcw York
on a French liner, June 25, and ar
rived in Bordeau on our national
holiday. The trip across was a
smooth, uneventful nine days, with
one exception. After all passengers
had been given instruction as to what
to do in the event of a submarine en
counter, the afternoon of the eighth
day a U-boat was sighted from the
crow's nest. Our steamer started a
zig-zag course; everybody was run
ning up and down the deck, some
with life-preservers already on, and
our stern gun was turned to larboard,
but before the gunners could fire, the
submarine submerged and did not re
appear. Spend Sleepless Nights.
The boys on the steamer who had
signed up in the American field serv
ice, marched in squad formation to
the troop depot. We rode in third
class troop cars to Paris, arriving
there about noon the next day, so
we didn't see General Pershing's men
march in Paris on the Fourth. After
three sleepless nights, elcep was an
appreciated necessity; and even
though we slept on brancards for
the firt time, nothing less than a
shout in my ears aroused me the
fotlowing morning.
Our uniforms purchased and equip
ment obtained, we left for an am
bulance training camp, which is lo
cated on part of the territory over
which one of the important, early
battles of the war was fought. Our
unit learned wc would have to stay
there a month before another Ford
section would be ready. Our unit
conferred and decided to go as part
of . a gear-shift section, so we were
back in Paris on France's national
holiday, celebrated in memory of the
fall of the Dastile.
Thousands of Cars.
Then we went to V and took
over a section of 20 Fiats built for
five "couche" (stretcher cases), or
eight "assis" (sitting cases). Thou
sands of motor cars were parked
here and the city and grounds of his
torical interest were of rare beauty.
Next day was spent journeying to
a town which is in the strip of coun
try the Germans quitted last spring.
Many hundreds of soldiers were en
joying "rcpos" and eagerly ques
tioned those of us who possessed a
speaking knowledge of F'rench,
"What is the United States doing?"
Of course, wc were kept busy indi
cating by signs and an occa
sional word of F'rench, the prepara
tions started in the states.
After a month of hospital evacua
tion work over an extensive area we
were, to our joy, attached to the
' ', the division composed of
zouaves and colonials, the best fight
ers in the French armies, in my mind.
tyery regiment is decorated with
military honors and one regiment has
received the fownagire of of the Le
gion of Honor, the highest military
honor bestowed on any regiment in
the French armies.
Answer Emergency Calls.
Then we went eight kilometers
behind the lines, where we were bar
racked. For the next month our sec
tion not only performed poste de
secours duties, but were at the dis
posal of our monsieur directeur
(medicine chef,) answered emergency
calls and one car a day went to the
ravitaillement to get supplies.
I might tell you of some of my
sensations the first day at poste".
Since that time the same thing has
happened hundreds of times, so that
they are all commonplace.
To get to poste we left the small
shell-torn village where; we were bar
rackedno civilians lived there and
drove along a grand route a short
space before proceeding directly
toward the first lines. We then
passed our tented base field hospital
and soon came to Aisne. We crossed
the bridge at five-minute intervals, as
at that time this point was under ob
servation of Germans in a "sausage"
balloon. Then we entered V ,
where our base poste was located.
Three kilometers farther was A
poste, and only 400 meters from No
Man's land. T poste. However,
a ridge of hills protected it from di
rect fire. The first day our car went
to postes. I had the good fortune
to go to the last mentioned poste.
Here the French battery lire seemed
to center overhead and I imagined the
shells could be seen cutting through
the air. Chills ran down my spinal
column and the weather turned
frigid. But when you hear a whistle
growing in intensity look out! The
cave is a popular place at such times.
It is hard to describe the sornd, but
imagine a tough piece of canvas being
ripped, then a tall stack of 'umber
falling, and 'ou will know the nerve
racking sound made by a boche shell.
Sees Horrible Sights.
Our first call was to carry two men
wounded by some of the flying frag
ments of a shell. I saw three dead
men in a room at this poste that were
killed by the same shell. The torn
brown of their uniforms was half re
placed by red and two bodies were
badly mangled. One's head had been
blown off and his eyes were so rid
died that they resembled a scarecrow
more than a human being.
One morning the air was heavy and
misty and when we reached our base
poste we were warned about gas. We
were on at A, which is in a hoi
low between two hills. Here the odor
I of gas pricked our nose and our eyes
! smarted -the same as from strong on
j ions. The Germans had sent over
"tear" gas shells. The French bra-
tieardiers in the courtyard were not
wearing their masks, so we thought
'he us' ! to. "Uo as the Frenchmen
! do," a good one. Hut they have had
j three uars of such things and are
somewhat immune to gas, I learned
that morning. That kind of gas makes
your nose and eyes run and your eye
smart as though a hot iron had
touched them. The hour I spent
there before we carried any blesses to
the hospital was the most miserable
one of my life. The bodies have a
new gas that docs not visit it-, evil
effects until several hours after be
ing inhaled, then the unfortunate poi
lus undergo unbelievable agony. J heir
bodies swell, they foam at the month
and their breath is almost stopped
sometimes it unhappily is stopped.
"Gassed" blesses have to be taken to
a hospital as fast as possible.
Two Ambulances Hit.
Two of our amblances were hit
that morning. In one instance a 1U0
M. M. gas shell penetrated the top,
passed through the normal positions
of the drivers, tore away the steering
wheel, cut through two spare tires
and the exhaust. If it had been any
other kind of a shell we would have
been minus an ambulance of our sec
tion. The drivers were in the poste
dc secours at the moment.
After a month at postes we went
back a short distance for two weeks
while our division rested. Then back
again to the same place as before.
Things had been transformed in just
two weeks. Roads, munition, depots,
caves, etc., were skilfully camou
flaged. I even saw some white horses
camouflaged with brown paint. A few
roads and train tracks had grown into
a labyrinth. Many large batteries had
been placed and much more traffic
passed over the roads.
Rumors of Attack.
Rumors of an attack did not come
to a head, though, until two weeks
later, when the French began a heavy
artillery fire. I can feel safe to tell
you, as both the French and Ameri
can press has printed particulars of
the big Aisne sector attack.
After six days of excellent artillery
preparation, the men of the di
vision, to which we were then at
tached, with other divisions, went
over the top at 5:15 the morning of
October 25. The chief objective for
our division was Fort de Malmaison,
and it was taken within eight min
utes. The aack netted the French
four kilometers on a 10-kilometer
front, and the bodies were pushed off
the I.aon plateau. Since then the
bodies were forced to evacuate the
remaining portion of the Cheniin des
Dames and the French hold all of the
vantage points in this aforesaid sec
tor. Build Boche Prison.
The boys of the section were all
out at dawn and soon on the way to
posts. 1 told about our hospital in
the first part of this letter. Well, one
day a boche aviator spotted the hos
pital and dropped a note of warning
to evacuate. The F'rcnch came back
two-fold and built a boche prison pen
on the same spot. Jt was a large one
and surrounded by a high fence made
from the same kind of barbed wire
that is used in the entanglements.
A few hundred meters this side of
the Aisne is an old chateau under the
spreading branches of a grove of
trees, licfore its large iron gateway,
at that early hour, several scores of
slightly wounded were waiting to be
carried to the hospital in convois that
had been pressed into service. On
the road beyond, there were nothing
but ambulances, and wounded who
could make their way, some assisting
less fortunate comrades. All traffic
that could possibly be suspended was'
not seen that morning because of
added dangers. We immediately went
up to our receiving poste, as the cars
were needed as fast as they could
come. Five sections of ambulances
were either taking blesses (wounded)
from the two receiving postes wc
used, or two other postes to the right
of us. The wounded are given first
aid in the trenches or in the field,
when possible or feasible, and tempo
rary dressings and bandages arc
used at the receiving postes. Noth
ing permanent is attempted until the
wounded man is delivered at the hos
pital. See ManjfPrisoners.
Wc passed several small groups of
boche prisoners under a guard con
sisting of cavalry and gendarmes. A
general rule of the batteries placed at
the side of the road is to cease firing
when traffic is passing, but that day
was an exception to the rule. In some
instances the guns were pointed over
the road at an angle of 45 degrees or
more and were discharged over the
tops of the ambulances. My car
drums had St. Vitus dance more than
once and, just as we were rounding
a bad turn, a "210" departed not more
than 15 meters from the side of the
road. The concussion left our am
bulances without windows and the
crash of breaking glass made me be
lieve our car had been struck. But
that was not the proper time to stop
and investigate. Fresh shell holes
were seen on both sides of the road.
Six dead horses, cut from their
traces, told the tale of one or more
obus and two of the carcasses had
been partly cremated by the burning
pieces of an exploded ammunition
car.
The courtvard at poste as
filled with blesses and wc had a load
of 10 wounded in a few minutes.
Abcut noon I dropped off the car to
get something to eat and George
went on to the hospital. One of our
cooks, Pierre, set up a camp stove to
cook soup and keep a supply of hot
colTee always on hand. While several
of us were standing with a piece of
bread and cheese in one hand and a
cup of coffee in the other, a commo
tion made by several Frenchmen in
the street brought us out there. Three
or four hundred boche prisoners were
coming down the street. They were
halted before us and several officers
among the number were taken to a
quizzing station across the street. A
loaf of army bread, a few bars of
sweet chocolate and a package of
cigarettes were eagerly sought, and
when one of them spied a watering
tank. A grand rush ensued. A boy
of 18 years asked me to get him a
drink and gave me the can. used to
hold his gas mask. When I brought
the water to him, he was so thankful,
he gave me his helmet and gas mask.
HE OMAHA
Girls of Armour's Office Force Sisters to Boys in Khaki
For Whom They Knit' Cozy Sweaters and Comfort Kits
-" ilmmmmi' mM
I accepted, for I, knew he would have
no further use for them. So vou see,
there was quite a little bit of senti
ment in this incident
Get Big Scare.
I was surprised that the bodies
were not able to return the French ar
tillery lire. 'Hie victory could not
have been more thorough. On the re
turn trip a small obus tipped the
road 40 meters ahead, and two more
about the same distance on the side
of a hill. At least three kilometers
farther back, when I thought we were
safely out ot danger, a shrapnel broke
overhead, but none of the flying
pieces struck the car. And to top
it all, an enormous shell tore a big
hole m the earth close to an ammuni
tion depot. 1 h is scared most of us I
and wc speeded up a little.
Just out of our base poste, wc
were halted by two gendarmes and
told to make our gas masks ready for
instant use, as a boche counter at
tack was expected at 9 o'clock. At
A we were told to go to J
(a few hundred meters beyond), and
we arrived there at 9 o clock. Our
men were five couches and a boche
boy wounded by a bullet through his
foot. Jfe rode in the drivers seat
of the car, and in reply to questions
he said lie did not believe the bodies
would attempt a counter attack, as
many of their men were sick from ex
posure and lack of food. They had
had only bread and water for the last
six days, for the French artillery
rendered the bodies' supply trains
useless. A weak counter attack early
the next morning was easily repulsed
and all of the gained positions held.
Too Much Wine.
When wc had returned from our
hospital, the round trip being about
25 kilometers, it was after midnight
and wc dropped in to get some hot
colTec, Pierre was in a deep slumber,
with head and bared arms only a few
inches from a hot stove. Plenty of
red wine and cognac had done the
work. He woke up and got our cof
fee. Our section worked from 2ft to 48
hours w ithout sleep. During the first
24 hours we carried nearly 2,000
wounded, many of whom were Ger
mans. Two days after "over the top," I
had the exceptional permission to go
to Fort de Malmaison with two other
fellows and two brancardiers as
guides. Beyond the J poste
most of the young timber had been
leveled to the ground like grass be
hind a lawnmowcr. The end of our
climb brought us to within a kilo
meter pf the fort. It appeared like
a cheese box 'upon a raft of barren
earth. The approach to the fort was
like plowed ground, but the plowing
was several feet deep, I stood in one
shell crater, about 30 feet across, and
could see nothing but the sky. Only
barbed-wire, hand grenades, and
trench bombs broke the monotony
of No Man's land and what had been
the German trenches. The oblong
fort of solid masonry had been re
duced to heaps of debris and a few
blank walls, and the cave abris and
the underground passageways were
all that remained intact. A captain
gave me some German money, saw
edged bayonet and a German officer's
belt, and, knowing that an offer of
money would offend him, I took Ins !
picture rather daring but he thank
ed me after I had taken it. The fort
is at the edge of the plateau and vnu
can dimly sec the towers of the
church in I.aon in the distance. 1
also obtained a pair of the famous
Carl Zeiss binoculars, German in
signia and buttons and other interest
ing souvenirs.
Made Careful Plans.
To sec how everything was planned
out in the attack artillery prcpara- j
tion, bringing up supplies, barrage. ;
over the top, use of tanks and cater
pillar tractors to advance the big
guns, co-operation of the aviators in
directing the artillery fire, and mak
ing the positions taken secure from j
counter attack I would not have j
missed for anything; and to see the !
forts and No Man's land immediately ;
after they were taken, was something
I will remember to my last day.
Our section was commended by our
division general and by the monsieur
directeur and five men received the
Croix du Guerre.
Here are some figures: Twelve
thousand prisoners were taken from
the German divisions, and two of the
crack divisions of the Imperial Guard
were represented in the toll. One
regiment of the guard termed them
selves "invincibles," and each man
carried a metal plate with words in
scribed to the effect they had suc
cessfully repulsed more than 20
F'rench attacks and had inflicted
heavy losses on the French. Those
who were not annihilated of this "in
vincible" regiment, were taken pris
oners. The colonel and his statf
were among the prisoners, so rapid
was the advance of the F'rench
troops, v Two other colonels and
their staffs were taken from the
Prussian guard. Most of the prison
ers who talked admitted that Ger
many would lose the war eventually
and that there had been recent food
shortages in Germany; that the civil
population had suffered, with excep
tions of the wealthy, the soldiers be
ing cared for first. Half of the pris
oners taken were boys younger than
any of the men in our draft army,
which proves that Germany has every
man in the field she can possibly put
there.
SUNDAY BEE: DECEMBER 16. 1917.
Scrutinize these pictures close
F.ach one of the girls has volunteered
to be a "sister' to some poor, lonely
soldier or sailor who has ruthlessly
thrust to one side all that is near and
dear while he has valiantly gone to
the front to fight under the ' Starry
Banner" for Uncle Sam.
'I he girls are clerks and stenograph
ers in the general offices of Armour
& Co. and are members of a society
known as the Armour Soldiers' and
Sailors' club. Every Friday from noon
until 2 o clock they congregate in the
sewing room in the ofhee building and
do their ' bit" for the benefit ot the
1,50() Armour employes who have en
listed. At the time this picture was
taken they were industriously en
gaged in knitting warm swearers to
be sent to the sailors and soldiers.
The little girl who is all by her lone
some in one picture is the youngest
member of the club also the proudest
and she takes great delight in emu
lating the work of her elder sisters-in-arms.
She constantly plies her
needles noiselessly and rapidlv in an
effort to finish her sweater in time.
Her name is Zeta Tate and she is the
daughter of Dr. and Mrs. II. T. Al
lingliatii, 4521 South Twenty-second
street.
Speaking for the club, Chairman
Charlotte Lovely promises that each
member will have a sweater ready to
ship to the boys by Christmas, and
m order to make good on the pledge
they are compelled to take the knit
ting "utensils" home, where they can
work evenings and during their spare
time.
In addition to knitting cozy sweat
ers they have made a number of
comfort kits, and as soon as they
have finished with the sweaters thev
Renewed
DIRECTIONS
TTlILL in the order form which
is a part of this advertise
ment and forward with remit
tance. If for a Soldier or
Sailor
Indicate on the subscription
coupon the regiment and com
pany to which a relative or
friend belongs, or the name of
the ship to which he is attach
ed. The Bee, through the War
Department, provides the re
mainder of the address
li W M
i i Tt r i
11 5
will turn to and make comfort kits
for the young men in the office and
plant whom it is expected will be
called into service during the next
draft.
All the club members are justly
proud of the fact that they have not
sought outside financial aid. Through
little schemes of their own origina
tion the money is raised with which
to purchase yarn and other materials.
1 imely hm
Every Day in the Year
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scription to THE OMAHA BEE will be reminded of Christmas and
the thoughtfulness of the giver every day until the next holiday season
three hundred and sixty-five days.
A subscription for THE OMAHA BEE is an appropriate gift for a rela
tive or friend and for a soldier or sailor in a training camp at home
or on the battle front "over there."
TT bespeaks the good-will of the sender and compliments the intelli
gence of the recipient. It is a sensible present in wartime.
A suitable letter announcing that the subscription for THE BEE is a
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Eve. and Sunday 10c per week
Morn, and Sunday. .. .15c per week
The above domestic rates apply
also to subscriptions sent to mem
bers of the American Expeditionary,
Forces abroad.
Thursday evening at a sewing class
the girls donate 25 cents each.
Going on the old theory that a
stitch in time saves nine each mo
ment of spare time is utilized. In an
incredibly short length of time the
article is finished and each girl feels
that she has accomplished something
worth wdiile. The members do so many
good things that it is impossible to
enumerate them here.
The members of the club are as
follows:
Charlotte G. Lovely, chairman;
Lily Ring, Edna Darr, Mary Mc
Grath, Emma Ring, Hortense Eads,
Mildred Griffith, Sarah McCormack,
Grace Gorman, Marcy McLenathen,
Kitty O'Grady, Helen Hetick, Bazelle
Ervin, Marjorie Tripp, Jessie Ervin,
Irene Ruben, Clara Boyle, Eileen Mc
Cay, Esther Kaplan, Marion Hanson,
Clara Stargardt, Mary Moran, K 1 s i c
Roessig, Madeline O'Grady, Anna
Peterson, Ethel Welsh, Frances
Barta, Ruth Hudson, Helen Gilmore,
Agnes Johnson, Margaret Lyons and
Zcta Allingham.
A number of the girls have been
employed by the Armour company
for a number of years, but according
to Chairman Lovely there are no
"old timers" among them.
A Human Centipede.
An Irish housekeeper was showing to
some visitors ths family portraits In the
picture gallery.
"That officer there In uniform," she
said, "was ths great-great-grandfather of
the present owner of the property. He
was as brave as a lion, but one of the most
unfortunate of men. He never fought a
battle in which he did not have a leg or
arm carried away."
Then she added, proudly:
"He took part In 24 engacements." Lon
don TIt-Blta.
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HERE AND THERE IN
REAL ESTATE WORLD,
Bits of Information From the
Four Winds of Interest to
the Developers of
Cities.
The Real Estate board of Birming
ham. Ala., one of the most enter
prising cities of the country, with a
board that keeps up with the reputa
tation of the city, has worked out a
self-renewing lease.
Lynchburg, Ya , and a number of
other cities are after the plumbing
thieves, and the Real Estate board
thinks that they have discovered the
successful remedy. Most cities lay the
responsibility upon the junk dealer,
and the Lvnchburg realtors insist
that there is where the chief trouble
lies.
The national convention of Real
Estate boards will be held at St.
Louis, June 17, 1918, and the St.
Louis realtors have guaranteed a
fund of $25,000 for proper entertain
ment. Three thousand real estate men
are expected.
Columbus, O., will put on at the
state fair grounds, in January,
real estate and building show, in
which all parts of the state will be
interested. Plans for houses, houses
themselves, plumbing, material, drain
age, sanitation, landscape gardening,
plotting, all will have their places in
this interesting and unique show. The
Real Instate board of that city is back
of this movement.
Cleveland reports that 100 realtors
or their employes have joined the
real estate education class being con
ducted at the central Young Men's
Christian association under the au
spices of the Cleveland Real Estate
board.
The Real Estate board of Oakland,
Cal.. has taken up the vigorous prose
cution of the despoilers of vacant
property. This is a new idea among
real estate men. Cash rewards are of
fered for information leading to the
arrest and conviction of anyone dam
aging the property under the care of
the board, unimproved, as well as im
proved. New York realtors state that fi
nancial institutions have shut down on
making realty loans. They claim that
this situation is not depressing, but
has its bright side requiring the work
ing out of some new system to off
set the newly developed conditions.
The rental demand is most healthy,
and the real bulwark of the profes
sional business of the day. In a word
the real estate conditions show that
it is a buyer's market and the time
to buy is now.
Philadelphia announces that it is
facing one of the most acute short
ages in dwellings for rent in its his
tory. Youngstown, O., is still behind in
the demand for buildings on account
of the increase in population, due to
industrial conditions.
Buffalo, N. Y is a paradox.
Rents are higher, building materials
have doubled in prices, labor costs 35
per cent more. Yet you can buy
many houses in Buffalo at prices not
greater than two years ago.
Pittsburgh is influenced by the
great demand of manufacturing con
cerns and plant extensions. The Jones
&
i-augnnn lo., lias during the
last
six montns acauired title to
$o00,000 worth of lands. This com
pany has also been building a town,
Woodlawn, erecting hundreds of mod
ern dwellings.