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About Eastern Clackamas news. (Estacada, Or.) 1916-1928 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1919)
Page Two War Impressions of a “Y” Secretary Editor Eastern Clackamas News, Dear Sir: I have your kind request for an article regarding my work in France, and am very glad to re spond. You will realize that it would be impossible, within rea sonable space, even to mention all that came under my obser vation. I have limited myself therefore, to a few outstanding impressions out of a year crowd ed with interesting experiences. First of all. I want to pay my tribute of respect to our Amer ican soldiers. 1 was with them exclusively during my year in France. I saw them in- their period of rudimentary training, in the back areas, was with them during their tryout in the so-call ed quiet sector, and later saw them face the fury of the storm on the active fronts, they measur ed up, whether it was the grind ing monotony and hardships of life in a wasted and desolate country, or the dash against odds over an open stretch f o r a machine-gun defended height, they never failed. Without previ ous military training or tradition, they had more dash and resource fulness than any other army. Their spirit was wonderful. They were driven to the point of ex haustion, then when# they had every reason to expect to be with drawn for recuperation, they were hurled against another front and drove the bosche headlong. Some of the divisions were scarce ly out of the line from June to November. I have never seen such complete exhaustion. Men sank down in the mud, when re leased and slept as if dead tho under heavy shell fire. I have seen them come into the field dressing stations and hospitals severely wounded, yet with never a word of complaint They were magniticient, and are entitled to all the honors that a grateful nation can heap upon them. 1 w as impressed w’ith the sense less folly of war. Without see ing it. one can have no adequate conception of its collossal waste fulness. 1 have seen scores of cities and villages without a house left intact, and every house was a home, and as such sacred to those fine and abiding relation ships that bind the family togeth er and make the home the shrine of every heart. I have seen con voys drag along the highways for hours upon hours, every truck loaded with munitions or with the accoutrements of war. representing the labor of the whole world, and every i»article of it. from an economic stand |M»int, waste. In the wake of the battle is the wildest confusion Thursday, February 27, 1919 EASTERN CLACKAMAS NEWS trucks up-set in the ditches, ar tillery dismantled, wagons wreck ed, miles of torn and tangled barbwire, the roadway lined with dead horses, clothing scattered everywhere, blankets, guns, am munition, helmets, rations, mess kits, every conceivable thing drenched with rain and trampled under foot in the wild, disorderly order of an advancing battle line. All this besides the tragic human wreckage that also lies unmind # ful under the rain, or is carried * with wounded and tortured bodies * back to the ministering care of 5 * surgeons and nurses. Surely a League of Nations is preferable to this. f * Another impression that can never be effaced is a new appre ciation of our own homes and home land. France is a land of charms. Her civilization was old before ours began. She has wonderful cities and cathedrals, TRAINS LEAVE ESTACADA ! * i and works of art, her villages as FOR PORTLAND: viewed from the hilltops are picturesque beyond description. 6:55 a. m., 8:52 a. m., 12:52 p. m., 4:52 p. m., The climate, the vegetation, the and 6:30 p. m. scenery resembles our own Ore * gon, France’s out of doors is well groomed, carefully manicured. TRAINS LEAVE PORTLAND There are no roadsides growing up to weeds, no waste fields of FOR ESTACADA: brush or stumps. Her beauty is that of a cultivated garden, but 5:15 a. m., 10:45 a. m., 2:45 p. m., 4:45 p. m. it lacks the rugged grandeur, the sense of freedom of our out-of- doors. Outside of her large cities, France is unprogressive. Her Portland Railway Light & : methods of work are generations old, the mass of her homes are i n n i poor and* bare, her children do Power Company not know how to play as do ours, her women are neither so beauti : ful nor so womanly, her men are slow and un progressive. We must admire the sacrifice and devotion that all classes have made for their cause. It has W e H ave a Good Assortment of been wonderful, and shows a character that the world did not suspect, but, having seen France, DISCS. HARROWS AND PLOWS we love America the more. —That we can sell you at a Big Discount 1 have been deeply grateful from Portland prices. that 1 have been permitted to have a part, however small, in this greatest drama of ali time. We Have Just Re A COMPLETE » ceived a Fresh Sup The Y. M. C. A. under great STOCK OF ply of difficulties, and in spite of failure and weakness here and there, ELECTRIC DRY CELL —We have Pipe, Pipe performed an enormous service Rtxls, Pipe Fittings to our armies and the cause for of GOODS! V A BATTERl’S all kinds. which they fought. There is no —Hardware, Har — Bulbs, S o c k e ts , \ V ness, Implements, parallel in history for a voluntary HIGHEST Builders & Heavy Sw itches, T u b es, ministry, so extensive and so in Hardware. Heat Switch Plugs, Wire 0 TEST AND LONG V ing Stoves a n d and Cord. LASTING ti1 ite, and those who at home Ranges. b\ their gifts..or with the armies by their personal service have .In 26, 32. 39, and 47 had a part in it, need have no inches. question as to the ultimate ver dict upon it. Yours very truly, HARDWARE FURNITURE IMPLEMENTS W. W. Dillon. Estacada, Ore., Feb. 17, 1919. I NEW TRAIN ¡SCHEDULE l Beginning Sundag, ,< | February 9th, 1919 \ : Í} s ! ) j ! it Plumbing Supplies! o FIELD FENCING B E R T H. F IN C H