Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 285, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1918 — Page 2

The Color Line

By ISOBEL HELD

of nwP&taM*'

Race prejudice is shifting from America over to the battlefields of France. As the pride of our negro soldier grows in this country a very violent dislike for him is spreading all along the German front In more than one place the color line and the front fine of battle merged into one —to the rage and dismay of the Hun. The Teuton prejudice against color would be even more intense if Germany could know what the American negroes are doing in every department of war work. Our enemies have fWt the force of negro valor as exemplified by Henry Johnston with his bolo knife and Needham Roberts with his stack of bombs; but there is more behind. . . . Of the stevedores, George Freeman, the American labor contractor (who took 1.500 of them to France), says: •They are the finest workers you ever saw. One negro can do four times as much work as any other man, and have fun doing ft. The French stevedores stand by and look on with amazement at my hustling gangs. The way they handle a 100-pound crate makes the Frenchmen’,B eyes bulge." In the shipbuilding yards the whirlwind methods of the negroes have caused a sensation both in this country and in England. Charles Knight, a colored man, won the prize for fast riveting—2s pounds in money—from Lord Northcliffe and a letter from that Englishman which says: “Your world’s record feat of driving 4,875 rivets on May 16th has set for American shipbuilders the fast pace that is necessary for carrying on the war successfully. Such an achievement as yours carries across the seas an inspiring message of American domination and ability.” Negro Women In France. Seven hundred volunteer negro women are in France working in the huts and canteens of the Y. M. C. A., and there are many colored secretaries in this same noble service abroad. The Red Cross is placing colored trained nurses in the base hospitals in this country, and is considering the plea of 3,000 graduate negro nurses for overseas service. All over the country 12,000,000 colored Americans are, loyally backing the government with their hard-earned money. Out of their wages and savings they invested $7,000,000 in three issues of the Liberty Loan bonds. They gave one million in the 'first Red Cross drive and two million In the second, be-

The Fighting Irish

By NORREYS JEPHSON O’CONOR

of Th* Vigilantes

Where ire the fighting Irish? This question has often been asked in the past few months by those who have continually wondered that Irishmen eouid traffic with Germans and, under the name of Sinn Fein, endanger civilization. Those who complain thus have forgotten that noble band of Irishmen and Irishwomen which has been supporting the war since August, 1914. Officers and men of the Irish Guards, the Connaught Rangers, the Munster and Dublin Fusiliers, and of other Irish regiments, have contributed some of the most distinguished pages of the history of the war by their deeds of valor, not to speak of tiie achievements of men of Irish birth and traditions in other regiments from Great Britain and from overseas. The name of the Irish Guards will ever be associated with the retreat from Mons, as the names of the Munster and Dublin Fusiliers will be associated with Gallipoli. It is not too much to say that the most noted Irishmen in every walk of life have been supporting the war and have not been connected with the plans and purposes of the Sinn Fein group. Lord Ardee, heir of the Earl of Meath, the famous commander of the Irish Guards, and the Earl of Kingston, who, though seriously wounded, returned to the trenches, are typical of the long list of gentlemen well-known in Irish society who in four years of war have found the frontiers of Ireland facing the German invader. Lord Dunsany, the most-talk-ed-of Irish writer today, has been with the Inniskilling Fusiliers since the outbreak of hostilities; his protege, Francis Ledwidge, the Meath peasant poet, who has won a permanent place in Irish letters, was a lance corporal in Lord Dunsany’s regiment and fell in action a year ago. Major William Redmond, member of parliament, and the witty Tom Kettle, professor of economics in the National university in Dublin, both gave their lives for the allied cause. Lieutenant Kettle In his posthumous volume, "Ways of War,” has given the Irish opinion of the burners of Louvain; and yet there are some people who assert that if Kettle were now alive he would side with the Sinn Fein party. The answer Is in Kettle’s volume. Among the women, the Countess of Kingston has given fame and energy to the Shamrock Funde for the assistance of Jrish soldiers disabled at the

sides Investing four million in Thrift stamps. This fine record cannot be told in terms of money alone, for It Is the spirit that counts, and the spirit of the colored Americans is lassionaiely loyal. Now, when a new loan is to be launched the negroes will be found well prepared to meet it. They have learned more about their government in the last year than they ever knew in their lives before. The growing sympathy and! appreciation of their patriotic efforts by the white people have given them confidence. The success of the colored troops abroad have thrilled them with a pride that will express itself in renewed efforts. During the last year many new societies have been formed among the colored people and these, with the old established ones, have been actively and intelligently engaged In war work. Doing Great Service. They have formed committees to sell Liberty bonds and Thrift stamps; they have helped the two Red Cross drives; they care for the dependents of negro soldiers; they send comforts to their troops abroad; they have opened their canteens In several large cities for the benefit of negro soldiers on leave, and they meet to knit, sew and roll bandages. All this work has been so well organized that the varlrious societies are now civic centers wdll prepared to launch any patriotic service with every appearance of success. * In the magazines and many newspapers published by the negroes every effort is being made to encourage their readers to the utmost. Race troubles: the ignominy of “Jim Crow” cars in the South; the delay of the Red Cross In sending trained colored nurses abroad; the antinegro riots in Philadelphia, have all been passed over with the urgent plea that personal grievances be forgotten In the one great unanimous aim—-to win the war. With such a spirit animating our colored Americans the government may rest assured that Liberty loans, like the black troops at the front, will go “over the top” with enthusiasm. Well may Germany wish to draw the color line!

KAISER AND HIS FOOTSTOOL

By EDITH M. THOMAS

of the Vigilantes. A German woman, arraigned as “ene-my-alien,” is reported to have said, “X would kiss the kaiser’s feet.” Here’s a talking footstool—on my word! I, who thought a footstool dumb, have heard How one “made in Germany” can talk— Better yet, I hold, to see it-walk! You would “kiss the kaiser’s feet,” you say; It were best to let you have your way; Here you are but out of place—and so, Straight to Wilheimstrasse you should go!

front. Miss W. M. Letts has been working in a -hospital ever since the war begae, but has not been top busy to write in “The Spires of Oxford” some of the most beautiful poems of the war; while Katharine Tynan has published three books of war poetry. These are only a few representative names takers from a large number. To this number belongs the future of Ireland; their voices will speak with authority at the peace conference, and with them will rest the successful settlement of the Irish question. The fighting Irish are in this war where they have been in every war, battling for liberty and supporting the cause of civilization.

THE APPEAL TO FEAR

By RAYMOND S. SPEARS

of the Vigilantes. Nothing is more astonishing than the Prussian belief in the efficacy of fear, of the value of frightening the English, the French, the Americans and the othfer races with horrors twice confounded. To find - Its analogy it Is necessary to turn to the savage races of men, to Indians with their horrid medicine men masks, to the dancing and howling idol votaries of the African tribes, and to the grotesque images of the island peoples of the Pacific ocean. It is most extraordinary that the Prussians should try with science and mechanical ingenuities and splrit-con-jurings to do by complications what the simplicity of the savage tribes tried to do by red and blue paint, the carved heads of dream-land brutes and waving snakes around their heads. We see the wireless used to spread rumors of disasters that never happened, just as the wild men used to shriek of death or torture. The Prussians report horrific engines of death, which are but the same as the ancient poisoned arrows and medicines to make men under test sick and pale. What is the meaning of the* belief that frightening people can serve against the allies? A German professor, with his myopic spectacles and ‘ long discourses on psychology, does de- ! clare that when men are afraid they are easily whipped in a fight. The Teutohs believe the professor, who has advanced no further than the medii cine man of old-who faced strangers with painted masks and incoherent I shriekings. The fact seems to be that away down in the Prussian heart there is a cer--tninty that fear is efficient; knowing what a gripping, cold-sweating thing terror is, he believes the other fellow must be afraid, too, and the great problem of life is to scare the other fellow more than oneself. A bully, believing himself Invincible, does often present a “strong” front, but his appeal is 1 to fear, since he does not himself know real courage.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

Tells How U. S. Marines Held the Road to Paris

Major Denig Paints Thrilling Picture of the Battle of July 18. THREE FRIENDS ARE KILLED • Battalion of 800 Men Cut to Piece* In • Two Days' Fighting, but Held Foe In Check—. Describes Paralyzing Horrors of the Battlefield. Washington.—Details of the participation of the United States marines in the counter-attack against the German forces on the Marne on July 18 are given in a letter written shortly afterward by Maj. Robert L. Denig of the United States marines to his wife, who lives at 2131 Porter street, Philadelphia,'and which has been forwarded to Washington for the historic files of the marine corps. In addition to giving a graphic picture of modern war, the letter cites •an instance of German treachery in using airplanes painted with the allied colors In their unfair methods of aerial warfare. The letter also establishes the fact that the marines who helped to stop the German drive on Paris at Belleau wood early in June were honored by being brought forward from this wood to Vierzy and Tigny, near Soissons, for participation with a crack French division in the great counter-attack which started the disintegration of the German front in the west. Names that became- familiar through the fighting in Belleau wood are mentioned in Major Denig’s letter as being prominent in the allied counter-attack — Lieut. Col. Thomas Holcomb, LieutCol. Benton W. Sibley, Lieut. Col. John A. Hughes, Capt. Pere Wilmer, and others who took a prominent part in the fighting, when the Hun was blocked in his drive on Paris. The letter follows: “The any before we left for this big push we had a most interesting fight between a fleet of German planes and a French observation balloon right over our heads. We saw five planes circle over our town, then put on, what we thought afterward, a sham fight. One of them, after many fancy stunts, headed right for the balloon. They. were all painted with our colors except one. This one went hear the balloon. One kept right on. The other four shot the balloon up with incendiary bullets. The observers jumped into their parachutes just as the outfit went up in a mass of flames. “The next day we took our positions at various places to wait for camions that were to take us in France, when or for what purpose we did not know. Wass passed me at the head of his company—we made a date for a party on our next leave. He was looking fine and was as happy as could be. Then Hunt, Keyser, and a heap of others went by. I have the battalion and Holcomb the regional. Our turn to embark did not come till near midnight Big Shelia Falling Fast - "We at last got under way after a few big sea bags had hit near by. Wilmer and I led in a touring car. We went at a good clip and nearly got ditched in a couple of new shell holes. Shells were falling fast by now, and as the tenth truck went under the bridge a big one landed near by with a crash and wounded the two drivers, killed two marines, and wounded five more. We did not know it at the time and did not notice anything wrong till we came to a crossroad, when we found we had only 11 cars, all told. We found the rest of the convoy after a hunt, but even then were not told of the loss, and did not find it out until the next day. “We Were finally, after 12 hours’ ride, dumped in a Mg field and after a few hours’ rest started our march. It was hot’ as hades and we had had nothing to eat since the day before. We at last entered a forest; troops seemed to converge on -it from all points. We marched some six miles

YANK AMMUNITION DEPOT BLOWN UP

This photograph shows the explosion of an American ammunition depot behind the lines. With his camera adjusted to photograph the depot the operator stood ready to “shoot” when a German shell struck the depot The, photographer released as the budding was blown to atoms. 1

L " -J. 1 . 1 ..r \ in the forest; a finer one I havenever seen—deer would, scamper ahead and we could have eaten one raw. At ten o’clock that night, without food, we lay down In appearing rain to sleep. Troops of all kinds passed up in the night—a shadowy stream, over a half million men. Some French^ officers told us that they had never seen such concentration since Verdun, If then. “The next day, the 18th of July, we marched ahead through a jam of troops, trucks, etc., and came at last to a ration dump Where we fell to and ate our heads off for the first time In hearty two days. When we left there the men had bread stuck on their bayonets. I lugged a ham; All were loaded down. Here I passed one of Wass’ lieutenants with his hand wounded, fie was pleased as Punch and told us the drive was on—the first we knew of it. I then passed a few men of Hunt’s company bringing prisoners to the rear. They had a cffionel and his staff. They were well dressed, dean and polished, but mighty .glum looking. “We finally stopped at the far end of the forest near a dressing station, where Holcomb again took commartd. This station had been a big, fine stone farmhouse, but was now a complete ruin—wounded and dead lay all about. Joe Murray came by with his head all done up; his helmet had saved him. The lines had gone ok ahead, so we were quite safe. Had a fine aero battle right over us. The stunts that those planes did cannot be described by me. z . , Field Covered With Dead. "Late in the afternoon we advanced again. Our route lay over an open field covered with dead. We lay down on a hillside for the night, near some captured German guns, and until dark I watched the cavalry, some 4,000, come up and take positions. “At 3:30 the next morning Sitz woke me up and said we were to attack. The regiment was soon under way, and we picked our way under cover of a gasinfested valley to a town, where we got our final instructions, and left our packs. I wished Sumner good luck, 'and we parted. ‘-‘We formed up in a sunken road oh two sides of a vdlley that was perpendicular to the enemy’s front; Hughes right, Holcomb left, Sibley support. We now began to get a few wounded; one man, with ashen face, came charging to the rear with shell shock. He shook all over, foamed at the mouth, could not speak. I put him under a tent, and he acted as if he had a fit. “I heard Lieutenant Overton call to one of his friends to send a certain pin to his mother if he should get hit. “At 8:30 we jumped off with a line of tanks in the lead. For two kilos the four lines of marines were as straight as a die, and their advance over the open plain in the bright sunlight was a picture I shall never forget. The fire got hotter and hotter, men fell, bullets sung, shells whizzedbanged, and the dust of battle got thick. Overton was hit by a big piece of shell and fell. Afterward I heard he was hit in the heart, so his death was without pain. He was buried that night and the pin found. Lost 17 Out of 20 Officers. “At 10:30 we dug in; the attack just died out. I found a hole or old trench, and when I was flat on my back I got some protection. Holcomb was next me; Wilmer some way off. We then tried to get reports. Two companies we neger could get in touch with. Lloyd came in and reported’ he was holding some trenches near a mill with six men. Cates, with his trousers blown off, said he had 16 men' of various companies; another officer on the right reported he had and could see some 40 men, all told. That, with the headquarters, was all we could find out about the battalion of nearly BQO. Of the 20 company officers who went in, three came out, and one, Cates, was slightly wounded* “From then on to about 8 p. m. life was a chance, and mighty uncomfortable. It was hot as a furnace, no water, and they had our range to a ‘T.’ We had a machine gun officer with

LUNATIC AND IDIOT—KAISER AND SON?

Cleveland, p.—Frank L Hogan, a former clerk in the court of appeals here,, was attending a law class here when the instructor asked the class to define lunacy and idiocy and give an example of a lunatic and an idiot “The kaiser and the crown .prince,” was Hogan’s answer.

us and tft*stt a runner Came up and reported that Sumner was killed. He commanded the machine gun company with us. He was hit early in the fight by a bullet I hear. lean get no details. At the start he remarked i This looks easy—they do not seem to have much art* Hughes’ headquarters were all shot .up. Turner lost a leg. * “Well, we just lay there all through the hot afternoon. It was great—a shell would land near by and you would bounce in your hole. “As twilight came we sent our war , ter parties for the relief .of the wounded. Then we wondered if we would get ’relieved. At nine o’clock we got a message congratulating us, and saying the Algerians would take over at midnight. We then began to collect our wounded. Algerians Badly “Shot Up.” "The Algerians came up at midnight and we pushed out. They went over at daybreak and got all-shot up. We made the relief under German flares and the light from a burning town. “'fhat night the Germans shelled us, and got three killed and 17 wounded. We moved a bit further back to lhe crossroads, and after burying a few Germans, some of whom showed signs of having been wounded before, we settled down for a short stay. “It looked like rain, and so Wilmer and I went to an old dressing station to salvage some cover. We collected a lot of bloody shelter halves and ponchos that had been tied to poles to make stretchers, and. Were about to go when we stopped to look at a new grave. A rude cross made of two slats from a box had written on it: “ ‘Lester S. Wgss, Captain U. S. Marines, July 18, 1918.’ “The old crowd at St. Nazarine and Bordeaux—-Wass and Sumner killed, Baston and Hunt wounded, the latter on the 18th, a clean wound, I hear, through the left shoulder. We then moved farther to the rear and camped for the night- Dunlap came to look us over; his car was driven by a sailor, who got out to talk to a few of the marines, when one of the latter yelled out: ‘Hey, fellows I Anyone want to see a real live gob—right this way.’ The gob held a regular reception. A carrier pigeon perched on a tree with a message. We decided to shoot him. It was then quite dark, so the shot missed. I then beard the following remarks as I tried to sleep: ‘Hell; he only turned around;’ ‘Send up a flare;’ ‘Call for a barrage,’ etc. The next day further to the rear still, a Ford was towed by with its front wheels on a truck. “We are now back in a town for some rest and to lick our wounds. As I rode down the battalion where, once companies 250 strong used to march, now you see 50 men with ‘a kid second lieutenant in command; one company commander is not yet twenty-one. First Robbed, Then Burled. “After the last attack I cashed in the gold you gave me and sent it bomd along with my back pay. I have no idea of being ‘bumped off* with money on my, person, as If you fell into the enemy’s hands you are first robbed, then butted perhaps, but the first is sure. “Baston, the lieutenant that went to Quantico with father and myself, and of whom father took some pictures, was wounded in both legs in- the Bots de Belleau. It was some time before he was evacuated and gas gangrene set in. He nearly lost his legs, I am told, but is coming out O. K. Hunt was wounded in the last attack, got his wounds fixed up and went back again till he had to be sent out. Coffenburg was hit in the hand —all near him were killed. Talbot was hit twice but is about again. That accounts for all the officers in the company that I brought over. In the first fight 103 of the men in that Outfit were killed or wounded. The second fight must have about cleaned out the old crowd.

"To picture a fight mix up a lot of hungry, dirty, tired, and bloody men with dust, noise, and smoke. Forget the clean swords, prancing horses, and flapping flags. At night, a gas-filled woods, falling trees and bright, blinding flashes—you can’t see’ your neighbor—that is war. In the rear it Is all confusion. The general told me ‘Hurry I to such a place, all goes well, we are , advancing!’ His staff, miles away, al! I clean —one was shaving, another eating hot cakes—we had not had a hoi bite for two days. As I reached mj Jumping-off place, wounded men killed men, horses blown to bits —th<> contrast I “We advanced ten kilometers, wltl prisoners.find guns, and the bells rang in New York for the victory, while well-dressed girls and white-shirted men, no doubt, drank our health Id I many a lobster palace."

Home Town Helps

■ - ■ Liberal Use of Paint la True Economy Greater Value. **• y ■ .*.• The best way to sell a house is to paint It first. You can get higher' rent for a house by painting it The banker will lend nftre money on a weir-painted house. These are suggestions made in connection with a clean-up—paint-up campaign that have arrested a great deal of attention. A prominent banker said: “Of course, it is easier to get a loan on a well-painted house. This is not merely because the house is in better repair and holding its value, but because the very fact that a man takes good care of his property is proof to us that he is not shiftless, that he is provident and that.we have a reasonably certain prospect of getting the loan paid back. "A well-painted house carries its own recommendation, even as a man who is careful about the neatness of his appearance makes a much more favorable impression than one who is careless.” When nature takes on a new dress, why not be in harmony? is a suggestion for “clean-up—paint-up” that carries an appeal to most folks. It is; also pointed out that woodwork kilndried by furnace fire, in spring is actually parching and famishing* for refreshing paint. _ Again the suggestion is made?that when the east winds are high it is dangerous not to have your windows carefully puttied.

EASY TO HAVE ATMOSPHERE

Matter That Should Have Careful Thought When On? Is Contemplating Building a Home. Many factors enter into the work of building a home that are not concerned, simply, with the work of designing or the mechanical processes that go into the building of the house, and We soon discover and realize that the designing and building of a house Is, after all, but the first Tweliminary step in the establishment of a home. The house is impdrtant, of aourse, and If it is not just as it ought to be in every particular, the operation will be a complete failure. ~ ? And 4t is of spacial importance before you build, that ydu know just what you want your house to suggest In the way of newness or old-fash-ionedness or an atmosphere of historic association, and you should also know how the result you wish can be secured. / Tour house need not be old to possess what seems to be an atmosphere redolent with memories of the good old days, and if you will but choose your architect with proper care, he will know .how to give to your new home that atmosphere which one wfllknown designer of colonial houses— Joy Wheeler Dow—calls the dramatic quality in architecture. Rawson Woodman Haddon, in House Beautiful. *

Ornamental Lamp Posts.

There is no feature of municipal equipment that adds more to the attractiveness of a city’s appearance than do ornamental street lamp posts of artistic and appropriate design. Just as the effectiveness of Interior decorations and furnishings depend in a large measure upon lighting fixtures, so the beauty of the street can be enhanced or marred by its lights. In each case a satisfactory solution of the lighting problem consists not only in supplying sufficient Illumination but also in providing lighting equipment that harmonizes with its surroundings and possesses ■ a beauty of its own. The old-time lamp post in vogue before the days of electricity fulfilled the second of these conditions but not the first; for, although the post Itself was often a work of art, its feeble oil or gas flame seldom was equal, to the task of Illuminating the street. On the other hand, the modern overhead arc lamp gives a fairly satisfactory tight, but the 'unsightly poles, ropes, wires and other equipment for raising and lowering the lamp can scarcely be called beautiful. Now comes the ornamental street lamp post which combines the beauty of ope of its predecessors and the utility of the other. - Thomas J. Davis, in the House Bqputiful.

Panoramic Object Lesson.

• Two and a half miles of corridors la the state, war and navy building at Washington are a panoramic object lesson in the use of tinted walls to reflect the tight. - This is a really economic experiment that has been proved a great saving in the cost of lighting. The light-reflect-ing values of the various tints of paints are now understood by the skillful painter. Many industrial establishments, schools, hospitals and office buildings in the capital have reduced their lighting costs to a marked extent through application of the proper types and tints of Interiorpaints. By making the Interiors brighter they have saved a number of accidents and have contributed to a more cheerful feeling among ths occupants.