Sunday, January 12, 1919:
Fratz, Johnny, Dirk and I went rabbit hunting with our “gatts” this morning. Finding the rabbits rather difficult to hit, in spite of their elephantine size, we spent our ammunition on targets. Fratz, Dirk and I played billiards at the Kurfürst this p.m.
Tuesday, January 14:
The day of the big Kegel [bowling] tournament. Walked off into the country with Johnny, Fratz and Dirk this a.m. Played billiards this afternoon. Horn and Titchner went to Coblenz today for more food.
At 7 o’clock a few of the mob assembled at a very antique and miserable bowling alley in town. We paired off and had a most thrilling and exciting tournament. The alley is very funny. Made of concrete surface, longer and broader than ours and only 9 pins are used. It is next to impossible to make a strike and spares are very rare. Results are as follows.
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| Grant's original "kegel" chart from the diary. |
We had a great deal of fun out of it. Too bad Horn couldn’t have been there. It was his idea originally.
Horn came in about 10 p.m. very tired and disgusted in general. The Commissary in Coblenz refused to sell or issue him a thing because we don’t belong to the 3rd Army American. The YMCA gave him a few little things. The Lieutenant will go with him again in a day or so to see if his bars help any.
Wednesday, January 15:
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| GRW, Johnny Taylor and Stuart Fraser |
Took a hike with Johnny, Fratz and Dirk winding up at the Kurfürst where we played billiards. Was made very happy today by the arrival of mail--one letter from Dot, one from mother (Dec. 16 and Dec. 10 respectively), one from the office, one from Tish Libby and a wedding announcement from Adele Pattison.
Friday, January 17:
The Lieutenant gave a birthday party last evening in the front rooms here in the barracks. He is 27 years old. He surely looks and acts older.
Harris and Woodell acted as toastmasters calling on everybody present to tell why he came to France. Bodfish presented the Lieutenant with the cigarette case which the section bought for him. The case is a dandy, but the presentation speech was better. The Lieutenant made a speech in return in which he called himself “Old Man Smith” and asked the session to proceed as if we were all civilians again, forgetting rank and bars -- man to man. He called on us for an expression of our first impressions when he joined us in Lagny. The testimonies were funny. Al LaFleur was particularly good because the Anderson régime had been exceptionally hard on him. Mechanic Anderson got well oiled up and made a wonderful speech on insignias for Lieut. Kendrick’s benefit. (Kendrick was with us.) “Ergo,” said Andie, “As Shakespeare says in Hamlet, section 649’s insignia is an anachronism.” Champagne, candies, cookies and cheese sandwiches were the order of the evening.
Sunday, January 19:
Rather an interesting day. About 11:30 this morning a French lieutenant appeared at our bureau and verbally gave us an order to vacate our happy home to make room for French troops about to arrive. Smithy gave him an argument. Then Burt came to Smithy’s assistance and they both put up a fight.
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| Arthur C. Burt |
“My orders come from the billeting mayor of Mainz. Are you going to obey them and move within the next half hour or not?” was asked Burt after the argument had provoked him.
“We receive our orders from our lieutenant.” replied Burt.
“Where is your lieutenant?”
“In his room in Mainz.”
“Where is the sergeant in charge?”
“Gone to church.”
“Then you won’t move according to order?”
“No sir.”
In the meantime the (our) lieutenant had been sent for. Before he arrived, however, a telephone message came from the billeting mayor (a French colonel) saying that if we were not out within half an hour we would be put under arrest and a squad detailed to move our possessions for us. Our lieutenant arrived and stirred up more words. He had it hot and heavy with the billeting lieutenant and the infantry commandant. There was no written order and it hadn’t come to us through the D.S.A., the proper channel. Furthermore the D.S.A. had told us that we would not be moved from our comfortable quarters. So our lieutenant stuck it out, refusing to move, but went right down and reported the whole rumpus to the D.S.A.
In the meantime, at the expiration of half an hour, armed, mounted guards arrived with orders to keep us in our barracks--we were under arrest. Captain Bacheleur arrived from the D.S.A. and the argument started afresh. The D.S.A. supported us. The conclusion was that no order had been issued for our vacating. That had such an order been issued the D.S.A could have canceled it because it hadn’t come through the proper sources. We were merely requested to move by an infantry commandant who had tried to bulldoze us into believing it was an order. The billeting mayor had backed him up. So as a request on the part of the infantry commandant in order that he may not be compelled to split a company the matter rested between himself and our lieutenant. The logic of the situation was evident. 35 Americans vacated to barracks just as good as those formerly occupied in order to make way for 150 French infantrymen to occupy the same space in a building large enough to hold their whole regiment. We are a little more crowded in our new barracks but we will be quite comfortable once we are straightened around. At any rate we had the satisfaction of “calling” an awful big bluff on the part of a French commandant and a billeting mayor. They are quite apt to play us, Americans, for suckers. And I don’t think we will be asked to move again. We have a larger room than before with more light and plenty of heat. Dirk, Johnny, Fratz and I are together again and have taken Hap in with us making five altogether. Some of the boys, however, are a bit sore because their accommodations are not quite as nice as before, but I’m sure all will be smoothed over in a day or two.
Tomorrow a.m. at 6:30 nine cars with the staff car and camionette leave for Giessen and and Swain and myself for Wetzlar for prisoners of war.
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