I r . . - "' , ?J ' ?? ". V an wj-- t' ' u.i. i -i MM WMHVi a THE COURIER. a; I V- - i i.j- im v"! . i THE WIDOW IN ARMS. Town Topics War Correspondent. A senator one of the biggest of Vm came into one of the general de partments the other day with a civil ian captain that he had created.. He said: "General Blank?" "Yea sir," said the white-haired mil itary chief. "I want to introduce you to Cap tain , of your department," said the pleasant senator. "How do you do, sir," said ne gen eral. "Captain has not been as signed to duty as yet, General, and he would like to go to Porto Itico. The General listened respectfully in cold, military silence, which was em phasized with a colder bow as the sen ator paused. The great politician, a little disconcerted by the silence, but encouraged by the bow, went on: "The sails in two days, and if you will "Pardon me for interrupting," said the suave General, "but I hare not looked the matter up. I will sent Captain where he is most needed." "But he prefers Porto Bico," replied the Senator. "Pardon me again, "but I am in com mand of this department. Good morn ing." And the General turned to his desk. I had happened into this department just then to ask the General to tell me from his standpoint some differ ences between tht volunteer army and the regular army. I decided it was not a good time for the question. In stead, congratulated him on the -wonderful success his department had had in getting supplies to the front. Re replied: "Yes, there was never a war where there was such a luxury of expendi ture." "And never a war where there was more cry of distress in general, and of hunger in particular," I answered. He looked at me with his eyebrows knitting and waved his hand' in the direction of the departing senator and his political captain. Reallr, if it did not sound so un wanted time and climate, lest our men die, like dogs, in a foreign countrj. The clamoring public! have had the war. The military men have seen the slaughter. But the cities and public are clamoring still; they ask why our men are dead, dying, sick, hungry? The clamoring public, the critics, are a part of the mob pure and simple without knowledge, without system, without discipline, 'lney would give a typhoid fever patient a big meal because be said he was hungry. Yet system in the army medical depart ment, as in the department .of the family physician, tells them that to give a typhoid fever patient solid food' means death. They make a big howl because some regular army soldiers soldiers from the frontier who have slept on the ground for years, sleep one night more on the ground at Montauk. Then there come the parents, the women. I think I said before somewhere that women were "playing the deuce with this war." I said it, and then apologized for the word "deuce." I say it again- without apology. "My boy is hungry! My boy is hungry!" Of course, my dear moth er, your boy is hungry boys are al ways hungry. There was never a time at home when he could not eat a square meal just after he had one. T know boys. Unfortunately, while there are regi ments and regiment in our volunteer army, it is really full. of boys boys who need nursing (bottles instead' of Red Cross nurses. I sat down by the bedside of one baby-faced boy in the hospital, who said indignantly he was "seventeen years old! ' when I accused him of being nothing but a child. But the tears came to his eyes when he spoke of his mother. If parents allow these young boys to go to war, boys without physical endurance, and' with out teaching them the -ret principples of being a soldier which means, when summed up, knowing how, to take care of themselves physically then- the parents must come in for their share of criticism. I have seen some mighty hungry sol diers men since I started out on the warpath. I have fed them out of my own pocket. It was not their fault that they were -hungry. It was the !3W v u. f yw Columfcus discovered America but I have discovered BATTLE AX! There is a satisfied glad I fve gpt it 7 expression on the faces of all who discover the rich quality of ItatUftefc PLUG. It is an admirable chew fit for an Admiral. In no other way can you get as large a piece of as good .tobacco for JO cents. Pemember the name I when vnii hn again. pardonably slangy, I would say that this present end of the war criticisms, fault of ;neffic;ent quartermasters this shifting 01 oiame irom oue i "- subsistence captains and volunteer other makes me tired! Why ask questions? Why criticise? It is all as plain as day. When you have -made all deduction, where things have eon officers -who knew no more about tak ing care of men than the men individ ually knew how to take care of them selves. I have seen soldiers volunteer son, their present sufferings can be remedied and we could not have war without some, homes being broken. We must bear it. wrong, one of the greatest causes for goidiers give away their rations for it are these sons of political some- souvenirs. I have seen officers vol bodys who wanted, and' still want. unteer officers to save the trouble of something for themselves out of this going daily, draw ten days' ration war instead of wanting something for ahead and allow their men to live on soldiers, something for the country, hard tack, canned meat and coffee, stand something for humanity. and go without the fresh bread and pMpif n war witllout faultfinding or And now these people-I will not fresh meat and bacon lying exposed criticisnit they would sav, "Have in call them soldiers-these undisciplined to sun and flies-the one becoming the field 1Uics xational men who were not fitted for the posi- tainted, the other melting, Ibecause no GuanL Have military discipline tions they filled, assisted by a howl- one had the thrift to protect by cover- to out e tema wWch have ing priblie, are the first to cr.fac.se ,ng, and no officer of the day called tte stnd wofk of ma the heads of departments here m around to see that ,t was done. And all wars of Washington for the conditions, many this time our men in the army-our the worfd to Qt . H lighters, rolling seas, no piers who deaths have been merciful in compari- shal be blamed? Certainly not heads of departments, who, it sems to me judging from the two sides from which I am viewing today have been the victims of this public of ours, poli tics, and the ignorance of some of the National Guard. If I were to ask today, -here in Washington, the heads of oui great military system the irenerals who at the helm how to have a cam- ooooooooooooooooeoooooooi 4 CYCLE PHOTOGRAPHS ATHLETIC PHOTOGRAPHS' HOTOO APHS OFB ABIES PHOTOGRAPHS OF GROUPS EXTERIOR VIEWS s&u&n&ijbl 'boys" were hungry. I nave eaten with colonels and staffs one army; an army of men who recog nize instantly that the first duty of a of which they have themselves created. When one sits down to write "be- . 1 : i4am A11 tpltna 41a 4b11.a wa. n.JXi !.. A tween tfte two s,a - ...., , ..c " w soldier,, in his duty to himself, is to know every story has two sides then ble cloths, where there where bjue obey... In mJdag for fo make comes the "tug 01 ,ar " fc" .""" "-?" m "eni s what was meant, some criticising-.f telling facts wh.tfh mache, attendants to brush away flies, 0ur volunteer army, who came at the THE PHOTOGRAPHER 129 South Eleventh Sttett 0000000000000000 fin exist is to criticise. I have not, how- and where clean napkins were a part president's call so grandly, could not -. ift mv facts floundering. I of the regulation as much as the ttoetA v --.. . .,. v'" " -L . , a t -1 1. u , .7. j jiat au 01 -oeing a soldier meant. have then and there found causes, and food. I also have "messed" with a It felt itfielf u her up -m soc1a, t 1 -.. .i;.nrr that T WSS trOOD of cavalrv mmnanr -n-fcot , ... .. " r i ia7 jv . r - v" scale tftan the recular armr. I full X sif toKlA bo ennMliAil. wiik 4f.J3t A.1 .. w ---- in dig- 1 408-7 wrong in my deductions. A clamoring table was supplied- with food that am- far Mow in man6 instanceV Our war is ended in 113 days. Our UN VlflVI Brace Bk. ISABEL! A. PlCKLEK. Proprietor. Office hours 9 to 5. Wednes day evenine 7 to 9. Rmlon.. tions and Health Book free. t WMiiiiinumy public wanted war, a short war. a sue- passed the table of its colonel's staff. qUv . a r;i; 111 .xi; - cessful war, and war at once, am- ah uw means simpiy a ainerence in -a 3 A. Jl ' 3. .. itrrirm MJtrr SLS-s-i-rs ssssiss:st& zsxzzrzzziz KJt'SHtsss Ksrcbisraf SRSasS - --U,t . iit n ijt fr S .