Trench and camp. (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, February 27, 1918, Image 1

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SEND THIS PAPER HOME CAMP ® TRENCH# CAMP KT"/,|l I 1 PUBLISHED BY THE U fi Kl , WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE gwwf | THE AUGUSTA HERALD ftp NATIONAL VAR WORK COUNCIL ' ' AUGUSTA, GA. .OF THE Y. M. C. A. OF THE U. S. .r4*sSVA\\ a««T (n« . VOL. 1. DIVISION PARADE AND REVIEW BY GEN. MUIR Twenty-Eighth Division Passes Through Augusta Streets In Formal Parade. Thirty thousand strong, the khaki uniformed sons of Pennsylvania, the Twenty-eighth Division of the Army of the United States passed upon pa rade through the streets of Augusta in formal celebration of the anniversary of Washington’s birthday on Feb ruary 22 amid the resounding cheers of men, women and children. The most staid and practical observer, daily accustomed to restraining his feelings, could not but be thrilled through and through as the stirring bands with their martial music and the trampling thousands, guns at even angle, swept by. The sight will never be forgotten by anyone who saw it—those thirty thou sand Pennsylvanians marching through the streets of a southern city to the tune of Dixie and Onward Christian Soldier—thrilling all who saw it with the knowledge that there before them was unfaltering loyalty to the great American heart that embraces the east and the west and the north and the south, that there before them was consecration to the great American principles of liberty, justice and de mocracy. The parade of the division was or dered by General Chas. H. Muir in re sponse to the request of the citizens of Augusta. Promptly at 8:30 the parade left Camp Hancock and proceeded down the Wrightsboro Road out Glenn Ave nue to Walton Way, across Fifteenth street to Broad, down Broad to Sixth in the following order: First came the Military Police fol lowed by the men of the Officers’ Training Camp. Then came the 55th and 56th Brigade of Infantry, with the 108th and 109th Machine Gun Battal ion and then the 53rd Field Artillery Brigade. They were followed by the 103rd En gineers, the 103rd Field Signal Battal ion, 103rd Munition train, the 103rd Supply Train, 103rd Engineer Train and the 103rd Sanitary Trai. . General Muir and staff headed the parade and on the return he reviewed the division from a stand at the corner of Greene and Thirteenth street. Passing a Given Point. The parade took about two hours to pass any given point. All along the line of march men, women and children from Augusta and the surronding country, gazed with absorbed interest upon the soldiers. All of the school children were allowed to come out to view the parade, and many carried flags. There was enthusiasm everywhere, but especially among the crowds on the sidewalks, and in the windows of the 700 block of Broad street, and above all as the review passed the Confederate Monument with the bands playing “Dixie” “Onward Christian Soldier” was another thrilling sound, as the martial strains were played by the bands. This is proposed as the battle hymn of the Twenty-eighth Div ision. It is said that General Lee reviewed the Confederate army in 1863 when 60,000 soldiers passed in review. Yes terday half that number marched through the streets, and this is but one of the thirty-two divisions now in training in this country, which will give some idea of the size of the army being trained by Uncle Sam in the var ious cantonments of the country to day. It was a wonderful sight and the tramp of 30,000 khaki-uniformed boys of the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Division was a sound that will linger long in the ears of those who heard it. while the sight of thousands of enlisted men—many of them mere boys—and officers, all ready to give their lives in defense of their country, and for the cause of humanity, was a sight to arouse the patriotism, and thrill the hearts of every man, woman and child in Augusta yesterday. The men got back about noon and were allowed a holiday for the rest of the day in honor of the birthday of the Father of His Country. REVERIES PISTOL SHOTS. Before the War Americans shot the pistol so well that they killed the dueling habit before it was legislated out of existence. In a large proportion of the duels both men were hit. Let us get back the knack—Get your pistol and get ready to get your Boche before he | gets you in the trench. SLOW BUT SHOW. The snapping turtle walks slowly but he gets there! Thanr.s to the heavy shell he carries, he lives to a ripe old age. In our hikes we must carry a heavy load, but remember that like the turtle’s shell it is all life-saving apparatus. Even the weapon that gets the danger ous Boche in front of you is a life-saver. Learn to carry the load easier and get your Boche in a snappy way. BAD ACTORS. If you wish to hurt your comrades, as well as yourself, just do something underhanded or be absent without leave. You will impair the efficiency of your organization and help delay our going “over there.” Inspectors report unfavorably all organizations with long AWOL lists. It is up to the good soldiers, who are the vast majority, to keep these bad actors in shape and under control for their own sakes. CAPABILITY TESTS. It will make you live longer to train moderately. Get yourself in shape to make a showing at the physical capability test : 'the faster you can run (towards the enemy) the shorter time you will be a tar get. Jumping is sometimes the quickest and safest way to get around a four-foot obstacle. The reputation of the Fortune-Teller reading palms in the 28th Division is improved when she says, “You are about to take a long voyage over-seas.” It is the callous spots from the shovel and the pick in the palms of vour hands and the strong muscles that pull the trigger slowly that will hurry on this day, and the wise palmist notes them. HIKES. A divisional hike is a big undertaking but a few days’ walking around over Georgia and a few nights under a “pup” tent will bring the division back with more confidence in itself and in better form. I - - - — —. ——— CURRENT EVENTS > .in . Russia Signs German Peace-Ration Cards—Drafts By Frederick B. Heitkamp THE SECOND DRAFT will be called in June. The number of men to be called at that time is as yet undecided. Word from Washington states that “unless some great emergency arises no nation-wide calls for men will be made under the second draft. The present plan calls for a continuous stream of men moving from civilian life to army camps and from the camps to France’’ and from France, let us hope, to the last line of German defense. RUSSIA is suffering the effects of her recent revolution. The present government is apparently unable to cope with the difficulties which have pre sented themselves during the last few months. Fox awhile after Lenine and Trotsky assumed control of the Bolshevik! government there was a bit of quiet; then came the unrest, the counter revolutions, which were put down. Then came the cry for a cessation of the war—Russia declared that she had stopped her war with Germany and her allied nations. But Germany did not recognize Russia’s action, for no peace treaty had been signed nor any agree ment reached. So this past week has seen a compulsory signing of a peace treaty by Russia —but still the Germans came into the country—farther and farther they went, gathering supplies and provisions, meeting no opposition, on into the very heart of the Russian territory. No nation could stand such treatment. Russia came forward with a call for defense. With the country disorganized as it was little opposition could be given; but the spirit of defense was there and Russia tried to rally her dis organized and discouraged forces to withstand this latest of Hun invasions. But it was in vain. With the advancing German armies sweeping down on the country, with power to withstand the advance exhausted, there was but one alternative left —Russia signed the dictated peace terms of Germany. POWER TO RUN the nation’s railroads for eighteen months after the cessation of hostilities was given the President by Congress this past week. Power is now given President Wilson, through Director General McAdoo to set aside laws, initiate rates, lend money, buy securities —in fact do anything he deems necessary to make the government control of the railroads a suc cess. AS AN EMERGENCY ACTION to increase the planting of wheat by our farmers, President Wilson has fixed the price of the 1918 crop. It was found necessary to do this to stimulate production and to prevent’ speculation. The price guaranteed varies in different parts of the country. In this proclamation President Wilson praised the farmers highly. They, just as surely as the men in the ranks, are doing the country a real service. Many have been called for the draft, causing a serious shortage of labor. In the drawing of men in the June draft care is to be exercised in not taking essential labor from the farms. Both the Department of Agriculture and the Food Administration will continue to give ail possible aid to the farmers of the country. RATION CARDS are now being used in London for the purchasing of meat and oleomargerine. The plan of volunteer rationing was not successful. This plan extends to all subjects of Britain; even the King having his meat card. As yet it has not been thought necessary to adopt any such system in America; rather our people are expected to recognize the many ’less days which are proclaimed, without having to resort to the card system. A DRAFT TREATY with Great Britain provides for the drafting of Brit ish subjects between the ages of twenty and forty years. In return the citi zens of the United States may bo subject to the draft law in England the age limit being from twenty-one- to thirty-one. BROWNING GUN ON EXHIBITION Washington.—The Browning machine rifle, adopted for the American army in France, and declared by ordnance experts to be the greatest weapon of its kind yet developed, is now being turned out in three factories, Secretary Baker an nounced today and more than 100 already have been delivered. The gun will be put to an exhibition demonstration on a range here tomorrow. FEBRUARY 27, 1918. CRANE'S OPINION OF BOLSHEVIKI Washington.—Charles R. Crane, of Chi cago, member of the American mission to Russia, a White House caller today, characterized the collapse of Russia as a catastrophe, but pronounced the peace agreement with Germany as wholly inef fective. “Trotsky and Lenine,” said Mr. Crane, “have shown the world that six months’ practice on a soap box on the east side of New York does not fit one to govern an empire. The peace agreement might as well have been signed in New York in so far as its effectiveness is concerned.” WHAT THE WAR MEANS TO ARMENIA By George Magarian Day after day as I come in touch with hundreds of soldiers in Camp Hancock, I am asked this question: “Where is Ar menia and what kind of people are the Armenians?” And so I have been asked to give you an idea as to what that nation is doing has done and may do in the future. We all know the simple law of nature, that every creature is born to live and die, that the length of every person’s life depends upon how clean he keeps, both morally and physically, that holy temple of GOd, which is the best gift nature ever presented to any person. As it is with individuals so it is with nations. They are dependent upon clean living, upon right eousness, and honor. It is because of her splendid record, her national spirit, and her steadfast de votion to ideals that Armen/ is recorded as one of the oldest nations, having ex isted from before the time of the Romans and the time of Babylon and Assyria to the present day. These nations have •meant nothing to us—tljey are matters of history only—but Armenia is both a mat ter of history and a live and still existing nation. She ahd her church still exist. With regard to the location of the coun try a few words might not be amiss. Ar menia on the modern map is located geo graphically by the Black sea and Rus sian-Caucasia on the north, Caspian sea and Persia on the east, Mesopotamia, Sy ria and Mediterranean sea from the south, and Natolia Turkey from the west. The country has been the highway between Asia and Europe for centuries and has frequently served as a barrier wall for Europe, protecting her civilization from the inroads of Asiatic barbarism. The Garden of Eden is in Armenia, and she is also the Mother of the two rich rivers, Tigris and Euphrates. Before the present war her population was considered as about four millions, but in the Golden Age of her history her population has run as high as forty-five millions. Armenia is the first nation that ever ac cepted Christianity as a national religion. Many times has she painted the battle fields with her rich red blood for the pro tection of the cross. She even lost het kingdom, about four hundred years ago, for the same cross. She has suffered, she has been tortured, and she has seen many a massacre, but none of them has devastated her more than the cruelties forced upon her by this great war. When Turkey declared war in the au tumn of 1914, it seems that she did not only want the world to know that a state of war existed between Turkey and the Allies, but she openly meant to declare to the whole Christian world that while Christian nations of Europe were busy slaughtering each other she would be busy exterminating the Christians —the Armenians—in Turkey. The drafting of every able-bodied man of Armenia between the ages of twenty and forty-five followed the declaration of war, and soon the final signal for the ex termination of the Armenian nation by deportation was telegraphed throughout the entire Ottoman Empire. This order was carried out very system atically and with remarkable exactitude by all local authorities. In some places the Armenians were given immediate no tice of the deportation within a fixe/ time —five days or perhaps a week—but in many cases people were literally dragged from their beds at midnight and carried off. Women were compelled to leave their occupations dressed as they were and take to the road under severe hardships. Mothers did not have time to get word to children at school; husbands and fathers were torn from their wives and children; and children were taken to the outskirts of the town and butchered. The prettiest of the girls were taken into harems; the rest were exiled to an unknown destiny. They had to travel days and weeks un der the burning sun, spending the nights on the hillside without shelter or food. They did not spend two nights in the same place and wdierever they went the surrounding Turks, Kurds and Arabs of the vicinity attacked them. The govern ment had given the Moslems free . hand. They killed the men and robbed th’em of everything that this unfortunate people had managed to bring along with them. They outraged the women and took the young girls away with them. Those who had passed safely through the terror of the night did no t consider themselves fortunate; they knew that they had to take the road early in the morning and journey on foot until sunset —and they knew that the night to come would be similar to the one just passed. From one district four to five thousand were gathered by the Gendarmes and or dered to take the road to find their graves in Mesopotamia or Anatolia deserts. When but a few hours’ distant from the town the caravans were surroounded by bands of- Turkish criminals who were just released from the jails by official orders for that purpose. Turkish peasants also came at them with axes and clubs. Plundering was first in order, then the searching of the young children. After Continued on page fourteen Bjlv. /r I xw I v ci I V MF* T SI II E No. 21