Series 1 Oliver McNaughton

3.

With the arrival of so many American troops in France there is naturally a game of baseball arranged whenever Canadians & American troops come in contact. It is not only in sports that rivalry takes place, but in shooting, appearance on parade, and in field manouvres, either in defense or attact, (mostly the latter for that is what we are training for), beyond fighting, [??] gun work, etc. This rivalry spreads, also from companies to battalions and the same brigade, etc. All this has the term as its ultimate sin, and when the right moment comes to strike he will think the world has come to an end. That right moment may not be for sometime yet; it is not now, anyway.

4.

Well, Sis, I guess you have heard enough about military methods. To tell the truth, is so so hard to write from this country, as i have mentioned before. It is also a fact that the longer we are in France the more difficult letter writing becomes. We would like to write, but hate to write because we do not know what to write about. I received, this evening, a letter from Mabel & Norman dated June 1st. That letter sure came through on schedule. Norman made me acquainted with the condition of the crops, etc. I was sorry to learn that the wheat crop was a failure. Well Sis, I am going to be interrupted, night here for an indefinate period.

June 23rd It was an indefinite period, indeed. Since I last wrote, Mabel's Birthday has passed and I received a letter from Jessie dated May. 30th, and one from Percy Foster who is now at the Base in France. On the evening of the 21st, I was writing in a Y.M.C.A (an imperial "Y") and there was a lecture and sing song that evening; the lecture by Captain Skeys, a Canadian chaplain. That is what stopped my letter writing. I enjoyed the 'service', the topic of the lecture was that in making gifts or sacrifices, they availed nothing unless the proper motive is behind them. For example, if a soldier got killed in action, while he was offering his services begrudgingly he has omitted the greater part of its gift. I am reminded here of the apparent attitude of the Methodists

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in Granton towards Church Union, by trying to get rid of Mr. Robinson. It is, to say the least, a mean, small, selfish attitude. How the church is going to please Almighty God, and serve man by such an adherence to factions and dogmas is more than I can see. When I am face to face with death, and I am only one of thousands of us here, the last thoughts on earth is not doctrine. Religion does not consist of Doctrine; it consists of unselfish service to man, done in the name of Jesus Christ. If I be on sentry when my time comes, I want to be doing my duty with all my heart and with all my might. Duty is the watch word, and every man has a sense of his duty in this world.

I might mention our sing song in this building on Friday evening. The most of the sing song was conducted

by Lieut. Glenn. Now Lieut. Glenn is a Roman Catholic; in fact, he was studying for the priesthood when he enlisted. The hymns were Y.M.C.A hymns, chosen from the Methodist, Presbytarian and Episcopalian hymn books. Lieut. Glenn is a good singer himself and as a conductor can sure make the rest of us sing and get the expression out of the selection. [crossed out word] I went on Pass to Paris with a French-Canadian Roman Catholic. I remember, one evening, we had quite a religious discussion, and there was no argument, whatsoever. We perfectly agreed as to how one should serve our fellow man; as to the differences in religious doctrine which worked towards the same end, we admitted the differences, as well as the similarities, passing