12
LETTERS FROM^ THE FIRING LINE INFRA NCE
HARRISBURG BOY
! IS IN THICK OF
L REAL FIGHTING
r, T
Ji. Franklin Etter Tells of
Hauling the Wounded
Under Fire
At night the road is pitch dark and
Just filled with all kinds of traffic—
companies going to the front, motor
trucks with ammunition and provl-
From the thick of the fighting
Somes a letter from B. Franklin Etter,
feon of George E. Etter, of this city.
He is in the ambulance section and
his story of wild night rides with
groaning and suffering wounded over
terrain pitted with craters, by the
light of bursting shells, is intensely
thrilling. ,
<Copy of I Letter frbm B. Franklin
Etter. "No. 4)
July 2, 1917.
t>ear Family:—
Well, I'm right in it now! If any
body wants to know what a real bat
tle is like, tell them to ask me. What
I've gone through in the past week
Would be enough to make any Amor
lean wish that there had never been
iiny war. Of course, I cau't tell you
where I am, but it Is enough to say
that I'm right in the thick of a big
battle. Active service! It's been so
active that I've been working five
flays straight, day and night, with
Only about ten hours sleep alto
gether.
You remember in my last letter I
told you that we were going Into
pctlve service and were quartered
right behind the lines in range of the
German gups. Last Wednesday, the
twenty-seventh of June. I took my
car out for my first bit of active serv
ice. I was to go ta a post, a field ]
hospital between the first and second j
line trenches, to get some wounded. '
H'he post is only about 300 yards from I
the German trenches. I got up all I
right and was waiting there to get I
my car filled. It was at night and |
bf course we ran without lights. The |
l-oad from the last town—l will call
It X—runs straight to the trenches ,
around the foot of a hill, and the,
last mile and a half Is in plain view j
Df the German trenches, only a quar- I
ter of a mile away. Going up, sev
eral star shells went up and made the
road bright as daylight and of course
the Germans saw me all the time as
|l was waiting for the wounded. The
Rcrmans began an attack and shells
t>egan to fall alt around the post,
Which Is an old monastery, ruined by
Ishellflre. We all had to beat it into
an abri, or underground chamber, and
stayed there for a while. The shells
tell all around us and exploded with
terrific noise, throwing dirt and rocks
for yards. Standing in the mouth of
the abri you could hear the shells
Whistle and explode by the dozens.
It gives you a creepy feeling, I tell
(ou. They start out with a low
Whistle and the tone goes up as they
t-ome nearer or pass overhead, and
then they explode with a terrific bang
l—o-r-rump! The funny part about
It was tiiat I wasn't the least scared;
In fact. I rather enjoyed it.
But when my car was filled, I had
to take the wounded down to X
through it all. Believe me, it made
hiy hair stand straight up! Shellholes
Ml over the road and the most awful
l-acket you've ever heard. A continu
ous roar.
Shell* I.nml Near
But the sight was beautiful. All
the surrounding hills were lit up
With flashes of light, either from ex
ploding shells or gun flashes. Then
there were dozens of star shells, sig
nal rockets, etc. The aeroplanes all
the times were flying overhead, di
recting the shellflre. They flew very
low and also sent out signals. The
nlr was filled with bright flashes ot I
bursting shrapnel, sent by the Boches |
nt the aeroplanes. All along the i
toad, from batteries concealed in the
fields, came flashes and roars not |
fifty feet away, and the shells from I
them passed right over my head.
Of course, the Germans replied and |
bent shells into the French batteries j
and, believe me, they came close, i
Several times shells have hit within (
twenty feet of me, throwing rocks j
pnd dirt and eclat (pieces of shells) !
Into my car. I have some pieces as!
fcouvenirs.
The worst of it is that you have;
tQ drive slow so as not to hurt the '
Wounded, who groan and yell and j
pound on the car when you go too j
fast or hit a bump. I'm getting so
used to the sight of blood and shell j
r-xplosions that I don't mind It any j
hiore. In fact. I saw three men and I
[two horses killed on the road about j
thirty yards ahead of me and I didn't
Inind it at all. One man was blown j
Ml to pieces. If you think I am ex-
Hggerating or kidding you, you are j
(sadly mistaken.
This war is the most awful thing !
J have ever seen. After an attack '
lou see dead men laid out in rows,
waiting to be buried. The'bottom of
Jny car was dripping with blood and
pome of the wounds are ghastly.
Of course, everybody is tired of the
SURVIVOR TELLS
OF SEA FIGHT
Raiser's Fleet Hammered by
Guns of British Fleet in
Jutland Battle
fAssociated Press Correspondence.)
THE HAGUE, Netherlands, July 14,
IBy Post.—Scenes on the German flag
ship Lutzow during the Jutland naval
battle, in June, 1916, when some of the
newest and largest of the German bat
tle cruisers were battered or sunk by
Admiral Beatty's British squadron, are
vividly described by P. Krtig, one of
the Lutzow's survivors, in a pamphlet
which has just been published.
It is believed to be the first detail
ed account of that battle from the
point of view of the German sailor to
reach the public eye.
Torpedoed early in the engagement,
the Lutzow, the flagship of Admiral
Hipper, was hammered unmercifully
by the big guns of the British vessels.
Jt soon became a complete wreck, a
"ship of the dead," as Krug describes
her.
After describing the first part of
the battle and telling how the arrival
of British battleships turned the tables I
on'the Germans, Krug writes:
"Suddenly the entire ship is roughly
shaken. The colossus heaves far over.
Everything that is not fixed is upset.
The first direct hit! The torpedo pierc
es the fore part of the ship. Its effects
arc terrible. Iron, wood, metal, parts
of bodies, smashed ship's Implements
are intermixed. The electric light, by
chance spared, continues to shine up
on this sight.
"Two decks lower. In the Diesel dy
namo room, there is still life. That
-uwni>artment has not been hit and
war, but the French are brave, won
derfully brave, and never think of
quitting. They come out of the
trench covered from head to foot with
mud and blood, and never whimper
when they are wounded.
Through Giu Attnckn
I've gene through two gas attacks
so far, one from gas shells and the
other one a regular gas attack. In
the latter the gas rolls along in a
thick white cloud, which has a sweet
ish but sickening smell. It makes
your eyes sting and if you don't put
on your mask you would be asphyxi
ated. It is terrible stuff. Of course
we wear our steel helmets all th£
time and are never without our gas
masks.
At night the road is pitch dark and
just filled with all kintjs of traffic —■
companies going to the front, motor
trucks with ammunitions and provi
sions, motorcycles and autos, artil
lery, carts to carry the dead, ma
! chine gun carts and drove after drove
: of tiie cutest, smallest, little donkeys
i you ever saw. They go into the
i trenches directly, carrying all kinds
!of things. They are wonderfully
: trained and when I blow my whistle,
which is the only thing you can hear J
above the racket, they all, at once, go
to the side of the road.
I have been doing this for five days
and nights now, with almost no sleep, i
So far I have carried over sixty ]
j wounded. Two of the nights it has j
rained to beat the dickens and the ]
mud is flerco. Once I drove into a '
huge shillhole and had to get a bunch
of Poilus to help me out. Another
time on a hill a huge wagon backed
into my car. put a hole in the radiator
and tore off a mudguard. I had to
slide backwards downhill and into a
ditch to keep from getting crushed
and upset.
We have had to move our quarters
that I told you about in my last let
ter because the Germans started to
shell us. We were all eating supper
when a shell hit the corner of the
house and shook dirt all over us. So
we beat it to a haystack in an open
field and waiated for the Germans to
get through. They shot forty-two
shells and busted up half the houses
before they quit. So now we have
moved to a safer place and are quar
tered in little shacks, four to a shack.
I've tried to sleep in all kinds of
places for just a few minutes, some
times an hour, at a time; once in the
seat of my ear, once on a stretcher,
twice on a blanket on the roadside,
in the abris, on benches, on hard
wooden bunks, sitting up, and all
kinds of places; never once on any
thing soft or comfortable. Most of
the time I've been Just crusty with
dirt. I've eaten anything, any time
I could get it, any way at all. Lots
of times I've eaten with the common
soldiers, drunk their coffee and cheap
red wine, which is all we have to
drink most of the time, as the water
is bad and you dare not drink it.
It is very weak and won't hurt you,
and besides you've got to drink it.
The doctors make you. They won't
always let you drink the water.
Never a Complaint
In spit of all these hardships, dan
gers and excitement, 1 am having a
wonderful time. None of us has been
hurt so far and everybody is as brave
as the bravest. You never hear a
complaint and the officers are won
derful. Our post is the most diffi
cult and dangerous in all France and
everybody has been praising our sec
tion for the work we've been doing.
We haven't allowed the wounded to
pile up, we've gone through shelltire
to take them away, we've handled
them weli and without accident, and
have done more work, most difficult
and dangerous work, than any other
section has done before. In fact, we
are almost sure to be cited, that Is,
mentioned in the official report, for
bravery and skill, and officially hon
ored. This is the highest honor a
section can get.
One place on the road we call
"Hell's Bend" because every two or
three minutes the Germans drop a
shell there, and it is just the begin
ning of a long downgrade in plain
sight of the Germans. We have to
wait and take our chance in getting
by. The road is terribly rough and
all ploughed up and you have to
Wf ave your way between shellholes.
There is nothing but soldiers, sol
diers, soldiers, as this is the military
zene. Every conceivable instrument
of war. and tons upon tons of sup
plies. Everything is carried on on
such enormous scale that it is as
tounding. When you think that this
is only a small part of it, you don't
see how they do it. Going through
the country you see whole sides of
hills shot away and just covered with
shellholes, trenches and barbed wire.
Believe me, e'est la vie.
I wish you would send me some
coffee, tea, tobacco, sugar and choco
late to eat. Those things are mighty
scarce and taste fine after a hard
workout. There is no duty if ad
dressed to the ambulance and I do
hope you will send some as soon as
you can.
Am well and not hurt in any way.
I think our section will be relieved
in two days, so we will be out of
danger soon. Don't forget to write
soon and often and send the box. I
wish I had some of your eats now.
Lots of love,
FRANKLIN.
P. S.: Send the box "Care of Min
ister of War."
i
twenty-seven men in the prime of life
have been spared. But the chamber Is
shut off from all others, for the water
Is rushing into all sections. They are
doomed to death.
Terrible Hiivoc
thirty-eight centimeter
shells squarely hit their mark, working
terrible havoc. The first hit the wire
less department. Of the twelve living
men who a moment ago were seated
before the apparatus, there is nothing
more to be seen. Nothing is left but
a smoking heap. The second shot
tigffin pierced the forepart of the ship.
The entire forepart of the vessel, as
far as the Diesel motor room was past
saving.
"Another broadside meant for Lut
zow fell short, but a torpedoboat close
by disappeared, leaving only a few odd
pieces of wood and a smashed lifeboat
drifting round. It is now half-past 7
o'clock. The hostile circle grows even
smaller. The Lutzow and the Seydlltz
lie with their bows deep in the water.
Both are badly mauled.
"The forepart of the Lutzow was in
flames. Shells burst against the ship's'
side in rapid succession. A terrible
sight is presented on board the Lut
zow. It needs iron nerves to look up
on it coolly. Hundreds have lot their
lives. Many have lain for hours in tor
ture. The fight is not yet over. The
bow is now crushed in and is entirely
submerged. The four screws are al
ready sticking half out of the water.
The Lutzow can only make eight to
ton knots an hour, as against the nor
mal thirty-two.
"The Admiral decides to transfer to
the Moltke. eH gives orders to turn
and get away from the scene of the
fight. The Lutzow has not gone a mile
before she receives a broadside of
thirty-eight-centimeter shells. The
entire ship was filled with the poison
ous fumes of the shells. Any one
who failed to affix his gas mask was
doomed to be suffocated.
Wounded Killed
"It was three-quarters of an hour
before the lightning installation was
THURSDAY EVENING,
NURSE FROM
HERE WRITES
OF WAR WORK
Mrs. Helen Gage Tells of the
Wounded Men in French
Hospitals
The other Bide —the side opposite
fighting,—that of nursing is given
in the following letters from Mrs.
Helen Lauder Gage, a daughter of
a prominent local family.
Her description of what the Red
i Cross is doing is vivid. She sailed
| from America with a unit last May
: as a member of the American Red
Cross.
j Two of her letters follow: .
"Somewhere In France."
I "Dearest People:
| "X hope you received the letter 1
\ wrote you the other day. I thought
I would write to-day when I am not
busy in case the other one did not
reach you. 'One never knows.' This
is the first afternoon I have taken off
since I came and I am enjoying it
down on the beach. The season is
not yet in full swing but there are
quite a few people sitting around and
always lots of soldiers and nurses.
I wish I could send you pictures of
the place, it is so pretty, but I will
bring home plenty when I come.
"We have not been so rushed in our
work the past few days; they have a
work the past few days, they have a '
scarcity of water and consequently
we are not accenting any convoys and
are sending many home. Army nurs
ing is very different from civil nurs
ing and the English methods very dif
ferent from ours. It is so nice to
have our doctors to work for. The
first week the English doctors were
here. Most of our doctors have been
living in tents, waiting for the Eng
lish officers to go; also all the V.
A. D.'s are in tents. It looks like an
Indian village. Our hut accommo
dates about sixty-five nurses and we
have a comfortable little sitting room
and dining room—much on the 'camp
ing out' style. We have a bath room,
too, in this hut and electric lights,
so realy it is quite 'comfy.' The meals
are, of course, not like home cooking,
but we ha,ve to remember there is
a war on when we sit down. What
we miss most is coffee. They serve
tea each meal and it is horrid to
have tea for breakfast. We get
sugar not much, but enough, and
we have breadless days very often
and what we do get is stale. We
come down to the little town often
and have tea and can get lovely
strawberries. To-morrow No. 3 Can
adian Hospital are entertaining us at
tea. We like the V. A. D.'s here very
much. They are very refined girls
and a wonderful help.
"As yet we have not had any mail.
When in the world did you Bend your
letters? I am hoping and expecting
a letter each day and I do hope you
have sent me some papers. They
will be a God-send.
I suppose you have already heard
they have, sent home for more nurses,
doctors and men. We are short of
all three, especially nurses. If you
know any young fellows who want
to escape training camps, advise them
to get into a Unit for it beats being
in the trenches and most of the fel
lows say they like it. We are all a
very happy lot. We have an actor
among the boys and he is getting up
a play for the Fourth of July. Dr. T.
told me to-day we may not be here
next winter, but may go wherever
the troops are or wherever General
Pershing establishes our base. We
think it would be fine to nurse our
boys although they could not be any
more patient and nice than these
boys, but it will also be nice to be
where It's warmer in winter. I have
one chaip who has Just come in with
one leg off to his hip, the other knea
is fractured and three shrapnel
wounds which are terribly infected,
also the arm has three shrapnel
wounds as large as an egg; also badly
Infected, in addition he had the end
of his spine injured. He is as cheer
ful as a cricket and never yet has
complained of one discomfort, and
when.we inquire how he is it is al
ways the same reply, *1 feel fine, sis
ter.' I have another patient who has
six large shrapnel wounds in his
back, six on one leg and four on the
other, two with fractured spines, and
they are all smiling and happy and
they know tho war is over for them
and they will soon be sent home. Wei
restored. Then for the first time could
the Extent of the damage wrought by
the salvo be seen. One of the shelis
had landed in the sick bay. Here there
were three doctors and fifteen attend
ants, besides 160 to 180 wounded. Of
all these only four remained alive.
These were hurled into the next com
partment by the air pressure. There
they lay unconscious.
"The Lutzow was now a complete
wreck. Corpses drifted past. From the
bows up to the first thirty-centimeter
gun turret the ship lay submerged.
The other gun turrets were completely
disabled, with the guns sticking out in
all directions. On deck lay the bodies
of the sailors In their torn uniforms In
the midst of the empty shell cases.
"From the masts fluttered torn flags,
twisted signal lines and pieces of wire
of the wireless installation. Had not
the lookout man and the three officers
on the commandant's bridge given
signs of life the Lutzow truly would
have resembled a ship of the dead. Be
low, on the battered deck and in the
coal bunkers, there still lay innum
erable wounded, but there was no long
er a doctor to attend them.
"Night came on. Hope was enter
tained of getting away without a fur
ther encounter. But at 3 o'clock in the
night news of the approach of two
British cruisers and five Jestroyers was
received. Just at that critical time the
fore and middle bunkheads gave way.
Men I.eft Heliln<l
"Orders were given to carry quick
ly the wounded to the stern. Then the
order rings out. 'AH hands muster In
division order abaft!' A tumult arises
on the lower deck, for every one is
now bent on saving his life. It is im
possible in that short space of time to
bring up all the wounded. They are
scattered everywhere. Eighteen men
had the good fortune to be carried up.
All the rest who could not walk or
crawl had to be left behind.
"The twenty-seven men shut up in
the Diesel dynamo chamber had heard
the order through the speaking-tube.
Many, mad with anguish, screamed
through the tube for help. U was
learned that two of their number lay
bound because they had become In
sane. Inspired by their sense of duty,
these sealed-up men had continued to
carry on their work to provide the ship
with light.
"The torpedoboats now quickly took
off the crew of the Lutzow. Those left
boftlnd were doomed to death. It was
resolved that no piece of the vessel
should fall into the enemy's hands. An
order was given and a torpedo cleft the
waters. Just then seven men were
seen running like mad men around the
rear deck. Over-fatigued as they were
HAHRIBBURG TELEGRAPH
don't keep thom here long. They are
sent home to the hospital nearest
where they live. I wonder if our boys
will be as brave?
"It's getting late—l go to bed with
the hope that to-morrow will bring
your mail. You must always tell me
every little thing when you write.
"With dearest love to everyone,
"Devotedly,
June 19, 1917. "Helen.
„ June 16, 1917.
Dearest Folks:—
"As I can't And anything but a pencil
to write with, I hope the sea air will
not obliterate all I'll try to write. I
have tried several times to write you
but 1 have been in a whirlwind since
I left London. We came on a hos
pital ship from Southampton to Havre,
leaving at 7:30 and arriving at port
safe and sound about 4 a. m. We did
not undress but managed to get some
sleep in our clothes. We awoke to find
a cold, rainy, dreary day and there was
considerable delay in getting us oft the
boat as our arival was unexpected that
day. We left finally about 1 p. m. and
rode in second and third class cars
until 10:30 at night. You can imagine
our comfort and at 10:30 when we ar
rived we had a ride of one hour by
auto, arriving here about 11:30 cold,
weary and hungry. However, we ail
survived and some of us went on duty
the next day,—l was one of them. I
am sorry 1 am not permitted to tell
you where I am or any details about
the size of the place, or in fact any of
the things I know you are keen to
know. However, I can say it is a most
beautiful spot on a hill and the view
is wonderful. The lltle town we over
look Is old ana quaint and of course
water is always pretty to look at. It
is always cold here except in the mid
dle of the day, when the sun is rath
er hot, but you may know it isn't very
hot when I tell you that we sleep with
two army blankets and I use foot
warmers. They say it was so cold here
last winter that hot water bags froze
in the becl. What I am going to do to
keep warm at that rate is beyond me.
We all live in little huts and of course
they are very cold. The place looks like
one of our very large rail construc
tion camps. Harriet and I room to
gether. We will try to buy an oil
sto.ve. I will have to have, you send
me two pairs of woolen stockings and
we have to have sleeping bags. Do
you think I had better have you send
one, or would you advise my having
Mrs. C. get me one? I am writing
about it now so I will surely have it
in time and anything you think would
make me warmer, please enclose. 1
do hate to be cold. The air here is
splendid and we all look and are fine—
I never felt better.
"I have never been so happy in my
work as I am now. The work Is Inten
sely Interesting. I am in charge of a
surgical ward with forty-two beds, —
all serious cases. I have ten nurses,
two aids, four orderlies. I must tell you
about my orderlies—two are medical
students, one a prosperous going busi
ness fellow and one is from one of oui
best prep., schools. Dr. Taylor from
Philadelphia and Dr. Dillard are in
charge of our ward. The endurance and
patience of our boys is wonderful.
There is never a complaint and there
are all EnKlish Tommies. A Canadian
are many heart breaking sights. Thev
hospital adjoins ours. The work Is very
hard and it Is quite a job getting on to
the English army methods of running a
hospital. A few of the English sisters
and aids stayed, as we do not have
enough nurses to do the work. We get
up at 6:30, which is really 5:30, as they
start things an hour earlier here; break
fast, 7 (very slim), on duty at 8, tea in
the ward at 9:30. lunch at one, off duty
either at 2 to 5 or 5 to 8, (that last
means you don't go back on duty that
night), tea at -1:30, dinner at 8 p. m.
It is light here until 10 p. m. We are
all enoying the English tea habit.
"As yet no mail has come and I feel
as tho it was years since I heard from
you. We get a Continental paper but
the news in it is very limited. I am
afraid my letters will not be very In
teresting because there is so much 1
can't say and there are so many in
teresting things I would like to tell you
about. I hope all the letters I wrote
you in London came all right. Mrs.
C. was writing Edith the day I left and
she said she would tell her all I was
doing in case mine did not come. She
was so lovely to me and I felt home
sick when I said Good Bye to them.
Everyone is interested in our army
coming over, but it would break our
hearts to see our boys as some of these
patients are now.
"I will try and write more in a few
days. Address letetrs Just as I put It on
the envelope.
"With dearest love to each and all. I
hope every one will write me very of
ten. You don't know how I positively
ache for letters. Devotedly,
"HELEN."
("Somewhere in France.")
they apparently had dropped oft to
sleep and had only just awakened.
"As the torpedo exploded the Lut
zow's bow quickly dipped. The stern
rose until she stood on end. Then she
keeled over and sank, forming a great
whirlpool that carried everything with
in it into the depths.
"When the roll was called it ap
peared here were 1003 survivors of the
Lutzow; 597 men had perished In the
battle."
Chaplain of the Eighth
Undecided on Future
The Rev. Harry Nelson Bassler,
pastor of the Second Reformed Church
and chaplain of the Eighth Regiment,
has not fully decided to resign his
charge before the regiment leaves I'or
its Southern training camp. While
on the Border last summer he suf
fered a fractiwe of the arm whichmay
prevent him from passing the physi
cal tests. However, if he passes the
tests and the regiment is sent to
France his plans are not ready to be
announced.
NAMED SECOND LIEUTENANT
Conrad R. Zimmerman, of Camp
Hill, to-day was appointed second
lieutenant of the Machino Qun Com
pany, of the Eighth Regiment.
9iw% 1 White
Ki I P YOUR SHOES NEAT For Mens; Women's, Liquid 1 10c j
„ , and Children's Shoes' Cake 10c
F. F. DALLE Y CO OF NFW YOlfK INC.. OUFFALO.N V. • ■>.-'
HELPING YOU
TO DECIDE ON
SERVICE ARM
Recruiting Officers Give Ad
vantages of Their Re
spective Rranches
"What branch of the service shall
I enlist in?" has become the one
great question of the average young
man's life. In response to that ques
tion asked a thousand times a day in
every conceivable place a reporter
this morning interviewed the differ
ent recruiting officers and had them
explain in detail the merits of the
branches they represent.
The reserve corps of the army is
one of the most discussed, end at
the same time generally the most
misunderstood. Any recruiting of
ficer, even though not enlisting for
the reserves alone, can accept men
for the different branches as re
lerves after permission has been
?iven him from a superior officer.
Several branches of the reserves are
represented by recruiting officers for
that section alone.
The chief disadvantage of the re
serves as pointed out seemed to be
as expressed by one of the men, "a
I'ellow never knows where he is at."
A man upon being accepted for the
reserves is allowed to go home and
told that he will be called when he
is needed. When that time may be
is not known or cannot even be
suessed at. He becomes almost a
prisoner of war. If he leaves home
i call may come for him at any mon
iite and find him away from home
and, perhaps, beyond reach of a
message. Not to report when re
AUGUST GLSASSG SALES
AT
The New Store of Wm. Strouse
Friday and Saturday will be Big Business Days at our store, and we request you to do your
shopping as early in the day as possible.
A Great Sale of Men's Furnishings and Hats
SHIRTS Athletic Underwear and all j All 50c Neckwear
$ll.OO Shirts are . ,7q r o'her Underwear reduced- Is 39 C
$11.50 Shirt, are slls . 5 9c
$2.00 Shirts are $1.55 sl °° Unde rwear 79 c All SI.OO Neckwear
$2.50 Shirts are .<[;i.Bs $1.50 Underwear $1.15 Now ~. . /^C
$;3.50 Shirts are :$2 85 $2.00 Underwear $1 .55 Bathing Suits
$15.00 Shirts are .$ 3 ; 8 5 $2.50 Underwear $1 . 85 Kfegji $2.85 •
Men's Palm Beach Suits and Kool Kloth Suits, O
That sold for $8.50, SIO.OO and $12.00 N* * • tnd
STRAW IIATS are now C!|
that sold for $4, $3 and $2 . M
Every Panama Hat is now
former prices were $5.00, $6.50 and $7.50 . >• r .
Greatest Values in Boys' Clothing, Waists, Khaki Trousers, Boys' Hats
and Everything That Boys Need
$5 Suits .. . $4.25 Boys' Straw Hats Boys' .Waists
^ lt . that sold for $2.50; d1 A A 39c for 50c kind
$6.50 Suits —.—J)5.50 all are now . . .*'•"* 59 c f or 75 c ki n d
$7.50 Suits $6.25 ® o e ys '. so ' H . ats . ,39c Boys' SI.OO Shirts are 79c
SIO.OO Suits . . $8.25 Boys' 1 Boys' Athletic
Rn' Palm Roat-li Suite Stockings .. . . Underwear —B. V. D.
$2.95 KS." 50c sc
Ages up to 18 Years Boy.' OQ_ Boys' Bathing Suits
Former Price $4.00 Caps ... |. 50c
The New Store of Wm. Strouse
quested means to be subject to mili
tary discipline.
A man is not in posltltm to make
plans even a day ahead. It is said
that the question, "Wonder when I
will be called almost becomes an
obsession. He takes it to becl and
wakes with it in the morning:. He
reads of the successes of the troops
at the front and wishes he were
with them, he reads of the reverses
and wishes more than ever to be in
the thick of the fighting.
The chief objection pointed out
was the loss of training the men ex
perience while they are waiting for
assignment. It may stretch from
months into a year. The men who
enlisted when they did but in active
service have become non-coms. Some
of them have been made commission
ed officers. It is apparently not
even the best branch for the man
who does not want to see much of
the fighting. It is said that the pos
sibility always exists of being called
into service just when things are
raging the hottest, without sufficient
training and the gradual process
that makes a hardened soldier.
Excitement Everywhere
In contrast with this enlistment in
the Regular Army as a volunteer
brings with it what was pointed out
a "Hundred and one unthought of
benefits." It offer* branches for any
preference and capability. It assures
men coming under men whose pro
fession has always been the making
of soldiers and fighting men. Those
same officers have never seen nor
heard of the recruit before he gets
his first "call down." All men are
placed on an absolutely equal basis.
When non-coms are to be appointed
they seldom are "men I knew back
home."
The most popular town Beau
Brummel togged only in the ever
lasting sameness of the khaki looks
just like the boy who brought the
milk in the morning. If anything,
the latter has a slight advantage un
less the former is willing to take
even more than the prescribed
amount of physical exercise.
When a man asks concerning the
AUGUST 2, 1917.
branch of the Regular Army serv
ice he is best fitted for unless he has
had some special training or qualifi
cations he is advised to enlist in the
infantry. The great cry of the army
to-day is said to be for infantrymen.
Men who have a leaning toward the
medical profession and wish to get
training are advised to enlist in the
medical corps. If a man admits, as
some of them have, that he prefers
the medical corps because you do
not have to carry a gun and get near
the firing line he is told just what
kind of unpleasant duties may arise
in that branch. He is also toid that
he will not be one lota safer than
if he were an infantryman.
A letter received this morning by
the local army recruiting station
mentioned the fact that the War
Department was still anxious too get
the names of as many non-coms as
possible who were fitted to accept
commissions. In the present emer
gency men have been commissioned
from civil life who have never had
any military experience, vet who
may some time hold hundreds of
lives in their hands. The advantage
of appointing trained men if they
have the other qualifications is also
pointed out.
Many men it was said are not in
a position to leave home immedi
ately and for those the reserve corps
of the army is pointed out if their
reasons are sufficient., although such
recommendations are very few.
Marine Corps Attractive
The marine corps does not have
a local recruiting office, yet a local
man who spent two enlistments in
that branch declared there wasn't
anything like it for excitement. To
fight not only on land but on water
as well has proved a drawing card
for many local young men.
The navy apparently offers the
best chance for a man who wishes
to see the world and become trained
in some special line of work. It also
offers good opportunities for the man
who wants to enlist for life and be
retired with pay. Although it car
ries with it the disadvantage of a
seven-year period of service, at least
a score of Harrisburg boys have de
cided to try it for that time.
Compared with a seven-year
period of enlistment is the four-year
period of the reserves, and the "en
list for the war only of the Regular
Army." While a man is not in ac
tive service in the reserves he is
subject to call at any time during the
four years. Men who enlist now in
the Regular Army will fight during
the war, return heroes when it is
over and again assume their civilian
duties. Any of the recruiting officers
in the city are glad to talk over with
recruits the branches of service they
represent.
Flour Milling Probe
by Government Planned
By Associated Press
Washington, Aug. 2. The Federal
Trade Commission will begin next
week a flour milling investigation as
a part of its general food inquiry. A
corps of investigators, under Or. E. O.
Merchant, of the commission, will
leave for Minneapolis within a few
days. Other agents of the commis
sion will go later to Chicago.
Decision to go into the subject of
milling costs was reached after a con
ference with officials of the food ad
ministration. At the request of the
food administration the commission
Will 'take up soon also the subject of
cost and trade conditions in the bak
ing industry.
PATIMH-MAIV SHOOTS TWO
By Associated Press
New Orleans, La.. Aug. 2. James
W. Reynold, superintendent of the
New Orleans Police Department, was
shot and killed in his office to-day by
Terrence Mullen, a patrolman. Captain
of Police perry Mullen, *vho was in
the superintendent's office at the time,
also received two bullet wounds in the
chest.
IT. S. FOHI'ES O. K.
By Associated Press
Washington, Aug. 2. Untraceable
rumors that some disaster had been
met by the American forces brought
from Secretary Bnker to-day a denial
and reiteration of the promise that,
news of any misfortune would not be
withheld from the public.