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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1919)
THE SEMI WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. The Conscientious Objector; or, Coming Through Under Fire By Sergeant Arthur Guy Empcy Author ot "Over the Top," "First Call," Etc O-O-O Mr. Empey'9 Experi-encesDuringHisSeven-teenMonthsintheFirst Line Trenches of tho British Army in France ttVwjlllhU IMT.br Tim M"CIorNewp per Hindlcitt) 12 "What do I think of n bflnklit' con scientious objector?" answered Ikey (founcy from the corner of the firebny. Well, whnt with this hloomln wur cm mil blokes goln' west by the thou lands, a pacifist or conscientious objec tor Ib one of two tilings, he' either n bllnkln' coward or a bloody pro-(Jer-man. Hut It's funny the way some o' them blighters, with their West Knd Ideas back In Blighty, changes tjielr minds when they gets out here In the mud, nnd gets their first glimpse of n wooden cross. It's either n flrln' squad up against a wall, a hloomln' V. C. (Victoria Cross) or a 'rest in poaco' sign over their nnppurs for them. A strange thing It Ik. but true; those blokes never go through the trenches In an ordinary way like we do; It's a case of extremes, no ln-be-tween stuff. "Ncxt tlmo you're on a burlul party, tnko a look at the third cross from the left In the fourth row as you enter the cemetery. You know that path that leads through the orchard Just off the entrance of that big It. 10. (Itoyal Engineers) dugout; well, under that cross rests n bloko who back In Blighty professed to bo a pacifist. He wouldn't bllnkln' well volunteer, not likely; they lind to draft him, an' when they did bo refused to fight, so they stuck him in the N. 0. C. (noncomlmtant corps) nnd banded him a pick nnd shovel and put him to rcpalrtn' roads and dlggln' graves. Well, It didn't take long be fore ho wbb properly fed up with his Job, and ho threw down the pick and shovel and grabbed up u rifle an' bayo net. Oh, yes, ho clicked It all right and went west. In fact he was burled In one o' tho graves he helped to dig. I suppose some o' those college ofilcers called it the 'Iron of fate,' or somo oth er bllnkln' high-sounding phrase, but we knows that It was only common ordinary luck, 'cause we all knows that If you'ro going to get It, you'll get It, no matter If you're n gentleman's son or a hloomln' chimney sweep. "Tilts blighter I'm telling about wns In my platoon when I was In O com pany, an' ho used to give me the prop er pip with his arguments against fighting nnd the likes o' that. "The first time I met him was In St. Annand ; our 'bat' wns In the rest bil lets awaltln' a new draft before going up the lino again. You see wo had clicked it pretty rough at Fromelles, an' a platoon looked like a bllnkln' mpiad when it lined up for parade. I was playing 'house' In that estamlnct right across from that bashed-ln church on tho corner when his labor battalion came through and took aver billets Just opposite from tho cstn- tnlncL I was sitting near u window tend watched them pass. A sorrier hunch of specimens of men I never flaw; It turned my bllnkln' stomach to look at them, what wltjt their pasty faces, stooped-over shoulders anil Htraggllng gait. Right then and there I admired tho Germans for their sys tem of universal military training. If England had of had a little more of It there never would have been a war ml right now wo would be In mighty with our wives and nippers, Instead of flitting hero In these bloody ditches Kvnltln' for a Bhcll to come over with our namo nnd number on It. "After tho labor battalion took over iMllets several of them came luto the cBtumlnet nnd Bat nt u table near me. They started to discuss tho war nnd voice their opinions nbout tho 'top hats' nt homo. This bloko I'm a tnlkln' obout was tho loudest of tho bunch; ho soeined to have a grouch on every thing In general. I listened to him n few minutes chucking his weight about until It bloody well got on my nerves. Chucking up my game of house and I had paid half a franc for my board, too I leaned over to him and said: " 'You must bo ono of those hloomln' conscientious objectors we reads about In tho papers, ono o' those blighters who don't bellovo In flghtln' but is willing to sit back In mighty and let us blokes out hero do your bloody flghtln' for you, while- you gets n bllnk ln' good screw (salary) sitting on a high stool in some ofllce. "Ho turned to mo nnd answered,: It's the likes o' you who volunteered for this war what keeps It goln'. If you hnd nil refused to go ut first, thoro wouldn't bo nny war?' "I couldn't see It his way nt all, and went right back at him with; 'Yes, and If It wusn't for us volunteering, tho tHMdy German flag would now bo lly tn over Ducktngluun palaco nnd King "doors would bo In tho Tower of Lon don.' : "JIo thought a mhiuto or two and Misweral:-'Well, what of It; ono ting's M good as nnothor, and ns for tho hloomln' Map trhat did ho ever do for rou byfc cyiiM you pay tuxes so ho could hloomln' well sit around doing nothln'?' "This was too much for me, that bllnkln' Jellyfish a slinging mud at our king, so I lost my temper, and taking my glass of vln rouge In my hand I leaned over close to him and said: 'When you mentions the king's name k Is customary to drink his health. I'orhaps ho never did anything spe cial for me, but I have never done anything special for him. and even nt that I've done a damned sight more than you have for him, so take this wine ntid drink Tils health, or I'll dent that napper of yours so you won't be ublo to wear that tin' hat of yours.' "He got kind of pale and answered: 'Drink to tho king's health; not like ly. It's through him and his bloody Top Hats In parliament that I'm out here. Why In the blinking hell don't he do Ids own fighting and let us poor bloken nlone?' "I saw red and was Just goln' to hit him, when a big Irishman out of the Itoyal Irish ItlfleH next to mo grabs the glass of wine from my hand, and looking tho blighter In tho face yells at him: "Well, if the king ain't done noth Ing for you Hngllsh, he's done less tor us Irish, but I volunteered to come out here for him, nnd here I am, nnd glad of It too, and hopes some day to get Into Berlin with the king's forces. You won't drink his health ; veil you can bathe his health.' With bat he threw the wine Into the blight er's face and smashed him In the nose with his fist. Th fellow went over like a log with the Irishman still agoin' for him. If we hadn't of pulled him off I think he would have killed that conscientious objector. The military police rame In to see what all tho row was nbout. I bail clicked three days C. II. (confined to barracks) and didn't wnnt to get arrested, so In tho confusion I made tracks for my billet. 'The next time I met tho bloke was when we burled old Smith out of tho Tenth plntoon In the cemetery at La Ilassee. He was one of tho grave dig gers. All during tho burial service lie stood looking .it the Union .Tack with a queer look on his face. When old Smith was lownred Into the ground and tho dirt was thrown on him the conscientious objector Watklns was his nnme came over to me and said: "'I hear he (pointing nt old Smith's grave) Is forty-eight years old and has left a wife and three nippers back In mighty. Ho was too old for the drnft, wasn't he? Then he must have vol unteered.' "I nnswered: 'Of courso he volun teered, and there ho lies, deader than h ; but I'll wager a quid his wlfo and kids will be proud of him nnd that's more than your kids will bo obout you.' "no sneaked off without answering. Three days later I nearly dropped dead when our lanco corporal came Into our Mllct with a bloody nose nnd u beau tifully trimmed lamp. When I asked him how ho got knocked about he told me that a fellow out of the non combatant corps named Watklns bad mussed him up Just because he hud called him n whlto-llvered coward. "Watklns ducked twenty-one dnys number one on tho wheel, nnd when his sentence was finished they trans ferred him to a fighting unit, and bnng! Into our plntoon he comes. "Many n talk I hnd with him about that pacifist stuff he hadn't chnnged n bit In his 'Ideas but he kept Ills mouth shut about tho king nnd tho Top lints nt home. "Then we went Into the trenches and I knew his finish was near. A firing squad or 'rest In pcaco wns to be his lot; they all get ono or tho other sooner or later. "After two days in, Fritz, got rough nnd opened up with a pretty stiff bom burdtnent. "Watklns was in tho fourth squad In a dugout In tho support trench when n 'Mlnnlo' registered n direct hit "You Must Be One of Them Bloomln Conscientious Objectors." on tho roof and owed her In. Every ono but Wutklna wns killed. How ho escaped was a marvel, tho rest of the s(;uih1 being smashed up something aw ful. Wo collected tho pieces nnd bur led them tho next day. Watklns holp- hi dig tno graves, "For two dnys Watklns scarcely spoko a word, Just went round with a faraway look on his face. "On tho third night after the burial volunteers were called for a bombing raid, and I could scarcely believe my ears when I henrd that Watklns hnd volunteered. "It wns tho truth all rlnht he went along. "We crawled out In No Man's lnnd under cover of our bnriiiiro mul w7i ' ed. Wutklna was next to me. Sad- denly a stur shell went up and wd crouched down in its light. I was lay ing so that I could seo Watklns bllme me he had no rlfie or bayonet I whispered over to him: 'Where's your rlfie?' Ho nnswered: 'I threw It nwny.' llefore I had time to reply, the signal to rush the Herman trench Kim given nnd I lost sight of him. "It was rough going In the Gormnn trench, nnd we had quite a little of hund-to-liniid fighting. Star shells wcro going up all around us. One of our blokes In front of me was Just go ing nround the corner of n traverso when a big Gorman got him through the throat with his bayonet and ho went down. Something sprang past me like n wildcat and clod with tho Fritz. They both went down to gether. Just then another German came at me from the entrance of n dugout and I was busy. I managed to get him. Then our lieutenant nnd two men came round and gave the order to get .back to our trenches. Tho lieutenant stumbled over the thrco bodies in front of us. One of them groaned. It was Watklns all right. Unarmed he had sprang nt the German and with his bure bands had choked him to death, but he bad u nasty Jag ged bayonet wound In hu right side. We managed to get him back to our And Then He Died. trenches, but he died on the fircstep. Before cashing in be looked up at the lieutenant and with a grin on his fnco said: Tell the hloomln king nnd the Top Hats nt 'ome that I died for England, and I hope that like old Smith, my nippers will be proud ol their father) God save the king,' ana then he died. "We burled hi in next morning. No, my opinion of conscientious objectors and pacifists has not chnnged. They arc either cowards or pro-Germans. "You see Watklns wnsn't either; he was a soldier of the king, and a damned good one, too." THE END. SINCERIJY SHOWN I'd LIFE Venerable Declaration That Faith Without Works Is of No Avail Remains True. An author tells us that sincerity le tho supremo virtue; but that slncerttj Is not expressed In words only Id renl life. Tho venerable declaration that faith without works Is dead 1: true. And one will see nu Illustra tion of tho fact on evory side overs day. Tho fact 18 tho world docs uot live what It believes. Wo noted in a book the other day that there would bo little, If any, controversy If men said what thoy thought and felt Thli Is surely true. Men differ ns soon as they appeal from the spirit to the Intellect. This Is because tho splrll deals with tho fundamentals and the Intellect with the details. Sincerity belong to tho former. It Is more than nn opinion. It Is bigger than n stand- point. It Is where sincerity gets Its Influence, which Is the stilt, small volco that comeB out of tho whirlwind that roars around every man's life. But we should remember that sin cerity Is not n concoction, but a vir tue, as real as u mother's love. And don't mistake sincerity for consis tency. They may bo acquainted, bul they nro not related. Ohio State Journal. "Hello Girls" In France. Two little paragraphs taken from Hnmtlton nolt's study In the Inde pendent (New York) concerning the vnst activities behind tho American front In France convey volumes of In nrmntlon to thoso who would realize the scopo of the organization nt n cer tain American bnso port. "Not tho least Amerlcnn thing in thlB Franco-American city." writes Mr, Holt, "was a completely equipped American flro engine house with n crew Imported from as far distant a city as Portland, Ore. And you should have seen tho boys slldo down tho pol ished brass' polo, Just ns thoy do at home, when tho captain sounded tho gong. "I forget how many hundreds of telephono wlro wo had installed in our special American telephone circuit But, best of all, you could say 'Hello.' Just ns you do at home and back would come tho responso from a real American exported hello girl: 'Num ber, please?'" Their Need for Safety Pino. An nrcheologlst recently dug up n snfety pin from tho ruins of ancient Babylon. Judging from tho pictures In tho Uubylonlan section of tho histories, however, it seems that safety pins wcro worn mostly by tho grownups In thoso times. Coming Silks Cast Their Shimmer Before We shall have plenty of chances to run after strange new gods in silk weaves; some of them glorious prod ucts of looms set to new tasks. ' There are wonderful silks among the novel ties for spring; knitted-looking fab rics and familiar silks woven In an amazing variety of new patterns. Printed silks are slated for the new season nnd foulards In lovely. colors arc figured with (lowers and leaves and made up orten with plain georg ette. In such lovely frocks that there are not two opinions as to their suc cess. Their triumph is assured. Even tricot is shown In printed patterns nnd various tricot weaves proclaim that manufacturers foresee a vogue for this material greater than that It has al ready had. In cross bars of contrast ing colors it Is best adapted to sport wear, but In plnln colors It mnkes a handsome dress for the street. In the vanguard of silk frocks foi spring there are the taffetas that wom en watch for and In which they have an nbldlng interest. Nothing so far has supplanted the taffeta frock. It holds Its own because It Is so wear able; that is, It Is a versatile gown suited to many of the goings on that occupy the time of the women of to day. The two-pleeo dress or suit mouses of georgette erepe are at least as numerous as any other kind, und become soiled as quickly. Hut they require special, but not difficult, treatment In washing and Ironing. This Is a work that women do for themselves, nnd It Is worth while to do this work for chiffon, light weight silk, satin and lace blouses. Nearly everyone has learned something of the art of tinting or dyeing blouses, when time nnd wear fade those that are col ored or yellow those that were white. Women who have learned how to lnun dor their own fine blouses turn them out ns good as new nfter unnumbered washings, or tint them Into first one color nnd then nnother, according to their fancy. The various manufacturers of dyes have placed on the market many colors that may be used for tinting by mix ing with water. Colored crepe papers, soaked In water, yield several lovely tints. But one may get almost any color desired or match any hue by us ing tube pnlnts and gasoline as a tint ing medium. Tho washing of crepe nnd other sheer fabrics Is simply a matter of handling them gently. Make a warm suds of water and white sonp and dip the blouse repeatedly In this, squeez ing the soiled portions In the hand or nibbing them very gently. If much soiled wash through a second suds and rlnso In clear, tepid wnter. Do not twist or wring to dry, but lny In a towel nnd run through a wringer. Do not nllow to dry before Ironing, but fold In a turklsh towel for awhile and Iron while damp. Use a moder ately hot Iron nnd Iron on the wrong side, stretching tho material to Its proper shape otherwise It will shrink. Do not allow any part of the waist to become dry before Ironing. If It Is necessary to Iron part of a crepe or silk waist on the right side, owing to the way In which It Is made, place a thin muslin between the Iron nnd tho fnbrlc. When n crepe waist Is to be tinted It Is first washed and rinsed. After that It is rinsed In a water to which color has been ndded. This color can be bought In drug stores nnd sometimes In other shops. For pink very pretty tlnw can he got from red tissue paper, end lovely vellow hues are obtained In shown in tin- picture reveals' as prac tical and pretty a frock as ever greet ed a spring day. This new model embodies some verj interesting details in Its makeup. Firs) the skirt narrows toward thy. bottotr and has a wide hem. Jtows of lonr running stitches, arranged In 11 vt groups, run around the skirt, begin nlng with a group of three, uppermost and adding one row to each group un til that above the hem numbers seven These long stitches of heavy silk con stitute one variety of the "thread em broidery" that plays u prominent part In the season's styles. . The Jackot or short coat widens at tho hips a departure from the straight silhouette that Is noteworthy It may be the forerunner wf more curved lines to follow and welcome for variety's sake. A panel set In the front of the jacket Is embellished with this thead embroidery and U double row of small buttons.. Hovers that widen toward the bottom and 'a neck finish in a fold of white georgette are pretty and the girdle formed by three cords run In the silk Is new. A buckle and three loops of silk-covered cord at carh sl(h finish it off. The cuffs com mand attention. Thoy are made ol deep plaits of the silk fastened down with little buttons. this way, using much deeper shades of yellow paper to make them. To got Just the right tint It may be neces sary i experiment by first tinting small pieces of erepe or a portion of the waist that Is covered by the skirt. The blouse will look lighter when It Is dry than when It Is wet. It Is better to deepen the tint by redipplng than to make It too strong at first. The method of tinting with gasoline will be given In nnother article. Dainty Quilts. Scraps from old dancing frocks of taffeta or satin In pastel shades mnke very dainty quilts for the bou doir. One charming quilt of this kind wns evolved from a cast-off evening coat of pale pink silk In a morning glory shade and a discarded dance frock of rose flowered white pussy wil low tnffeta. The pattern was done In blocks, (lowered and plnln silks cut In triangles, and the blocks Joined by strips of pink satin ribbon. It was linen witn plain thin silk with a sheet of cotton wadding laid between. Veiled 8houlders. The overdress of one cvonlnir inmiel Is made high In the back and low In the front, as It Is now considered more becoming to veil the shoulders. Tim girdle of sapphires gives the Iliilhhliii- touch of richness. Sneh n iIi-kIimi would bo effective If carried out In a white satin with an overdress or black lace and a girdle of Jet. Furs and Velvets. Taupe velvet Is popular, hccitiiMc n Is so soft In slinde und so lovely with moleskin. Moleskin or beaver com bines perfectly with shades of taupe. Frmlne Is used with best effect on black velvet, though IIiIh color In beautifully combined with i.iin.i,.. on account of (he black marking wmcn run through tho brown hairs. Hat of Black Satin. An unusual hat Is u Nun,,!,.,,,,!,, model of black satin, the entire shape covered with an allover pattern of i-wuroiuery one In gold thread. TILTING TABLE FRAME COMPLETE WITH SAW inch .24 $23.90 26 24.90 28 25.90 i30 26.90 SAWS 24 inch $5.40 26 " 6.40 28 " 7.40 30 " 8.40 MANDRELS S4.00 AND W S4.00 AND UP AMERICAN SAW A TOO I WODK1 Mth 6T. & WESTERN AVE., CHICAGO Every Woman Knows that clean, snow-white clothes are a constant source of pleasure. Red Cross Ball Blue if used each week pre serves the clothes and makes them look like new. Try it and see for yourself. All eood grocers sell it; 5 cents a pack age. The Spread of Ideas. A Czech soldier at Mount Vernon was seen to fill a little bor with earth from the tomb of Washington. "I am taking this home," he said, to sprinkle It on the soil of Bo hemia." The Incident may be symbolic of tho general spread of American Ideals. The salt of freedom In these days Is sprinkled the world over. David Starr Jdan In Sunset Magazine. WHY DRUGGISTS RECOMMEND SWAMP-ROOT For many years druggist hare watched with much interest the remarkable record maintained by Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root, the great kidney, liver and bladder medi cine. It is a physician's prescription. Swamp-Root is a strengthening medi cine. It helps the kidneys, liver and blad der do the work nature intended they should do. Swamp-Root has stood the test of years. It is sold by all druggists on its merit and it should help you. No other kidney medicine has so many friends. Be sure to get Swamp-Root and start treatment at once. However, if you wish first to tst this treat preparation send ten cents to Dr. Kilmer & Co., Binghamton, N. Y., for sample bottle. When writing be sure and mention this paper. Adr. People Heeded Appeal. More than one hundred carloads ot fruit pits and nut shells had been ro teived nt, and were on the way ta government plants for use In making enrbon for gas masks when the nrmls tlco was declnred. This statement wns made on the authority of the secretary of war, In n letter to the secretary of agikulture, thanking him for tho ac tivities of his department In appeal ing to the public for these materials. State of Ohio, City of Toledo, Lucas County ns. Frank J. Chsney makes oath that he Is ssntor partner of the firm of F. J. Chentr ft Co., doing- business In the City of To ledo, County and State aforesaid, and that said firm will pay the sum of ONE HUN DRED DOLLARS for any case of Catarrh that cannot be cured by the use ot HALL'S CATARRH MEDICINE!. FRANK J. CHENBJT. Bworn to before m and subscribed In my presence, this 6th day of December, A. r. list (Beat) A. W. flleason. Notary Public. HALL'S CATARRH MEDICINE la tak n Internally and acts through the nioc en the Mucous Hurfacs of the Ryatstn. Druggists, 78c. Testimonials fre. r. J. Chsner 4k Co., Toledo. Ohio. Oood in Discontent A lot Is mi hi about contentment, tint discontent linn It" value, too. II Is the mainspring of pmgnnm, mnn must be discontented with what ho him ho fore ho will try to bolter his dram aUinrn. To Ipptlri ()ltim have found rttady tiiin oi (isrlWId Tt-u a pleasant mmiii of imsliiliitf Ifulth. Whv not your M of iiiim have so much genius thnt ll.ey nro unable to do anything but nit In tho shade and think nbout It. Dr. rltro's rtriMSt Ptltrti pat to tod U Irk t4 lilllotu hMdichM, constlpttloo, dlnj. 4 UdliMtloa. "Clem houne." Adr. Borne men nro troubled with taxes and others are taxed with troubles. When Your Eyes Need Care Try Murine Eye Remedy Ho 8mrtlnf Jon Mjo Comfort, eo cent at proifliu or diIL Writ for FrM Dt Jlook. iaUtUK YK IUCMKDX 0O.,GUICLa,aO POND ICE 6AWS 1
