Newspaper Page Text
May 29.
To The Navy—An Appreciation
r
The following statement, by Cap
tain Kuhhretter, is reprinted from
the Berlin Lokal-Anaeiger:
“Hew is it that, despite our sub
marines’ work we hardly ever sink
an American troop transport, or
when we do sink one, we always find
that only (he ship is lost, whereas the
troops, whom we really went to de
stroy, are always saved?
"American transports travel in
convoys, well protected against at
tack, and are very fast. Thus the
submarines have a moat difficult and
dangerous task. This is particularly
true in the Channel, where the en
emy can choose the most favorable
hours of the day and ean protect him
self by all sorts of devices, mines,
nets, etc.
“To try to seize the bull by the
horns here would mean attacking a
powerful enemy front which can be
broken more cheaply in other ways.
“In other waters the enemy de
fense is not quite so easy, but here he
takes advantage of the great number
of avallalle liarbors of disembarka
tion.
"It is not possible for us to have
U-boats waiting off every enemy har
bor until the transport can con
veniently be destroyed. We have not
got so many submarines. It would
be wasting them and their precious
crews, especially if the ships were
torpedoed the troops themselves
would not be destroyed.
“It is not important for us to
destroy the American troops. Hin
denburg will take care of that. What
we must destroy is tonnage and car
goes. Besides, we do not always hear
of every transport we destroy. To
make it our only aim to sink Amer
ican transports would be sacrificing
77ie Democracy Os The Trenches
The finest kind of democracy is
that which makes fellows of all who
are engaged in a common undertak
ing.
Rudyard Kipling, in his Brush
wood Boy, tells the secret of it when
he says that the chief lesson the boy
learned through contact with other
boys in a great school was that there
were certain things no decent fellow
can do.
No decent fellow, for Instance, will
disregard the rights of his neighbor.
Recognizing the rights of a neighbor
is the beginning of government, for
a code of rules is sot up.
For the mobility of the army it is
necessary that there be government;
without it the army would be a vic
tim of Boishevikism run riot
There are two conceptions of army
government One is that which drives
men forward. Another is that which
leads them.
The commander who rules accor
ding to the first theory says, “Go on!”
and puts his pistol in the hollow of
another man’s back. The command
er who rules according to the second
theory says, “Come on!” and calls to
hts men to follow.
Such leadership as the second is
j” MILITARY ESSAYS
\ LINING UP ALPHABETICALLY
There are many cute diver
sions in the army, but none
quite so distracting as lining up
Alphabetically. This is not a
game, as some might suppose,
like Lotto and Authors, but a
method of making the Astors
and Biltmores extremely happy
and the Youngs and Woods very
discontented. No matter what
the occasion, if a soldier has
something coming from pay to
underwear, he lines up alphabet
ically. Thus it is that the An
sons are the best looking sol
diers while the Yortons look as
if they had tramped in all the
way from Plsagua, Chile. There
(is no cure for this performance
and it will remain unchanged as
long as the army holds together.
But—it has taught the value of
■ patience and will make the pur
chase of theater tickets a simple
matter later on. It has also made
a hero out of a private named
Zepka, who was four feet six
inches tall. Just once in his
military career did t.iey fail to
line up his company alphabet
ically. That time they did it
according to height.
C. S.
PATRIOTIC LEPERS
The lepers at Molokai, one of the
Hawaiian Islands, are doing their bit
for Uncle Sam. They have purchased
K 3.000 worth of Thrift Stamps.
TRENCH AND CAMP
(
too many U-boats without percep
tible results.”
The German mind has been the sub
ject of much enthusiastic comment in
this country. It was held to be an
efficient mind, as the German was held
to be efficient in everything he did.
But is this Captain the embodiment of
that German mmd?
First he says we hardly ever sink an
American transport. Then, on second
thought, he adds that if we do the troops
are saved.
This leads him to the sober conclu
sion that braving the enemy defences
would be wasting the submarines and
their precious crews. His considera
tion for the precious crews recalls the
crocodile tears of the Chief Hun as he
exclaimed, “IFhat have I not done to
overt all this?”!
But still the gallant Captain does not
feel that his explanation is explanatory
and he repeats that it would be useless
Io sink the ships if the troops were
saved.
In the next breath he soys: "It is not
important ■ for us to destroy the Amer
ican troops. Hindenburg will take care
of that. What we must destroy w ton
nage."
Evidently transports are not tonnage,
for the Captain concludes with: "To
make it our only aim to sink American
transports would be sacrificing too many
U-boats without perceptible results."
All of which leads to the following,
conclusion by the New York "World":
The German Capt. Kuhlwetler,
who, writing in the Lokal-Anseiger,
says "more American transports
would be sunk by U-boats if the
matter were not so hazardous" fit
tingly characterises submarine war
fare as at present conducted. Al
most all assassins by land or sea op
erate successfully only -when they be
lieve they are perfectly safe.
the leadership of democracy, that
makes the men love their leaders and
follow them with eagerness.
The officer who will lead his men,
taking them nowhere except where
he would go and sharing all their
dangers, Is the man who has learned
thoroughly the lesson of Kipling’s
Brushwood Boy.
When the engagements are over
and officers and men lie wounded to
gether the officer vzho has led his
men will not take advantage of his
rank and insist upon having his own
wounds treated first.
Charles M. Whitehair, in the
American Magazine, tells an instance
that came under the observation of
aY. M. C. A. secretary. Mr. White
hair says: "One of our secretaries
saw a wounded colonel sitting out in
front of a dressing station one day,
and asked him why he didn’t go in
and have his wounds attended to.
“ *Oh,’ he said, ‘it isn’t my turn
yot’.”
No decent fellow would take ad
vantage of another man because his
rank would entitle him to prefer
ence. As the record is being written
ft is being shown day by day that our
officers are decent fellows.
This is the democracy that counts.
NEW SOLDIERS HAVE 120
DAYS IN WHICH TO INSURE
One hundred and twenty days, or
four months, is the time limit al
lowed soldiers who have recently
joined the colors to take out govern
ment insurance.
The wise soldier will take out a
policy for as large an amount ‘as he
can at the earliest possible moment.
The sooner he takes out insurance,
the sooner he can feel that whatever
may betide him, the women and chil
dren dependent upon him will be
properly taken care of. In case he
does not come back the money will
be paid by the government to his de
pendents. In the event he is totally
disabled the amount of the policy
will be paid to him.
No soldier should let the one hun
dred and twenty day limit elapse
without taking out insurance. The
rates are unusually low for the sub
stantial amounts of insurance. In
each camp and cantonment there is
an ofiicer who will be glad to furnish
all desired information about govern
ment insurance for soldiers.
Latest figures announced by the
Bureau of War Risk Insurance of the
Treasury Department in Washington
showed that 1,7 00,000 soldiers, sail
ors and nurses had insured their lives
for a total of $14,000,000,000. The
average amount of the policies was
18,500.
8. O. 8,
Napoleon said, “An Army fights on
its belly.” Waste of food over here
will mean shorter rations over there.
“The Recruit Says”
By PRIVATE BILL MEAGHER
Battery F, 305th F. A., Camp Upton, N. Y.
DON*TS
FOR SUPPLY COMPANIES
Never collect garbage in fatigues. Use the receptacles provided for
that purpose.
Mules, like rookies, must be coaxed, not driven.
It is not necessary to salute an officer if your horse is running away.
If the Colonel's flivver runs into your wagon, don’t forget to get his
number.
The remark, “Smash into it” should never be used when instructing
drivers.
Most drivers have a good delivery.
FOR INFANTRY COMPANIES
The trench is not used to peel potatoes.
If you don’t do your “squads left” right, you’ll lie left.
Don’t feed or annoy the N. C. O’s.
Acting privates must not allow any familiarity by first-class private,
or N. C. O’S.
Don’t point your rifle at anyone—unless it is a sergeant.
Missing a formation does not matter—unless you are missed.
Don’t start anything you can’t finish. This does not refer to hikes,
hash or Hun hunting.
FOR AMMUNITION TRAINS
Use notiiing but smokeless tobacco.
Don’t make light of your job.
Don’t get hot tempered while carrying ammunition.
FOR THE MEDICAL CORPS
Don't use pills.
Don’t say' Infirm Mary. •
Don’t park your cars in the orderly room.
Don’t spit on the ceiling.
Don't nurse a grudge.
BUSINESS MEN'S FORECAST
Five years’ more war, perhaps ten,
was the forecast of American busi
ness from all parts of the country
who recently assembled in Chicago to
attend the sessions of the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States.
The business men are planning ac
cordingly.
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GENERAL
PRISONER.
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MAY USE “CHAIN SHOT”
Because of the difficulty of hittinj
airplanes on the wing and becaus
direct hits are rare, in proportion ti
the number of shots fired, the use c
“chain shot”—two cannon balls a(
tached to either end of a long chai
shot from a mortar—is being consii
ered by America and her allies.
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