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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1922)
22 TIIE SUNDAY OREGONIAW, PORTLAND, JULY 9, 1922 BY HARRY B. CRITCHLOW. n .HOUSAXDS of combat troops I were daily being moved into the port of St. Nazaire, there to divest themselves of the countless cooties the front line and the alleged "rest areas" had donated, to stand tiresome inspections and, at last, to sail for home. Time moved slowly in the camp and the men were, rest less and willing to complain at most . anything that came up. They want-! . . ! , j Jnl-i v 1 .ea to go nome anu aeoueu in embarking. One morning a buck private stood on one of the board walks leading dctwn a barracks-lined street. He was watching a number of his. com rades as they went through the morning' exercises, which he had successfully dodged. He glanced to one side and noted a trim-looking soldier in a neat tailor-made uni form. The "buck" started looking at the man's shoes. They were tan and handsomely shined. He com pared them to his own shoes, which were of the "hobbed-nail" variety and. bv the way. were not mates. He then noted the puttees of the. man. They were of tne Desi ma terial and were carefully wrapped, while his own were "issu'e" and were torn and soiled. The breeches the stranger wore were tight-fitting, carefully pressed and of "old issue" material. The 1 dirty and misshapen. He made "buck's" were Just what the supply every effort possible, after dls sergeant had chosen to give him. charge, to reach the city before the The stranger wore one of those! stores closed for the evening. He sleeveless leather jerkins, while the I arrived five minutes too late. i Prescotf Cookingrbam, state tl nnnre officer of the American Legion. "buck" was possessed of a coat that was several sizes too large for him and had one of those tails that flared out from all sides. "Say, Bud, where in the devil did you get all those swell clothes; you must have a stand in with the sup ply sergeant?" declared the "buck." He slapped the stranger on the back and, as he did so, to his amazement caught a glimpse of the letters "P. G." on the back of the leather jerkin. "What is this, anyway, a parade?" continued the "buck." "Do you think , you're fooling someone by going around here with a 'prisoner-of-war' sign on you? Are you try ing to go A. W. O. L? Where id you get those clothes?" "Ich kanne nicht Englisch sprechen." grunted the stranger as he turned his face towards the "buck." "Welt, I'll be damned! A Boche running: around here in clothes fit for a king and me with my pants just hangin' together," declared the 'American. "How come you with- a Yank uniform? Take them duds off or you'll never get back to your mamma! Take 'em off or I'll clean up on you!" The buck was just at the point of . knocking down the prisoner and ap propriating the fine clothes to his own use when an officer showed up. "Private Jones, leaves that Ger man alone and get out there on the drill field!" ordered the lieutenant. "Well, sir, how comes that Boche can wear our clothes?" returned the Yank. "Look at me and then look at him." "Get out there on that drill field or you'll not be going home for six months!" commanded the officer. The "buck" lost no time in com plying with orders, but, as he made his way towards his perspiring comrades he was muttering to him self and seeking to fathom prob lems that were continually bobbing up in his mind. Wherein was there justice in per mitting a German prisoner, a man 11. Vl n hn (lacnicsil .. J .l,nf .. t Americans at the front, to wear a Yank uniform? Had not men been taught to honor and respect that uniform? Had not it gone to the graves with thousands of heroes who had willingly sacrificed their lives at Chateau Thierry. Cantigny, Soissons, on the Marne, in Flanders, St. Mihiel and in the ArgonneJ But- Germans, as prisoners, did wear the American uniform in the rear areas where they were congre gated for labor. It aroused indig nation in the minds of every Yank who gazed upon a Boche thus clothed and marked with the "P. G." sign upon his back. While upon the subject of the uni form let it be said that, of all the types worn by -the various armies at war in Europe, the American olive drab was the most uncomfort able. Its high, stand-up collar made It a nuisance when men were under conditions where they were called upon to wear their uniforms where they slept. The collar fitted so tightly around the neck that men were almost in misery in attempting to sleep. If they unbuttoned the collar the cold air chilled them. The British, French, Belgia'ns and even the "Germans had blouses with roll collars and these aided in giv ing some degree of comfort to the wearers. The problem of fitting men- of abnormal size often became serious in the army. Breeches could usual ly be obtained, but the problem of the blouse was not so easy. In one company there was a long and rangy corporal who found It almost impossible to obtain a proper fitting blouse. When going through his service in France he had clung to a coat which he had had tailored be fore he left the States. Finally, when preparing to go home, this blouse was lost. The supply ser geant went to every extreme to find a coat that would have sleeves long enough to reach more than half way down between the elbows and the wrists. The search had been suc cessful and at last the corporal was given a blouse that had rubber buttons. When the company arrived at the port of embarkation there were sieges in the "cootie mill." The corporal's blouse was placed in the hot sterilizer for its purification. When it came out and was handed back to him he immediately put it on and stated to button it. He was dismayed to find that the ter rific heat of the sterilizer had melted the rubber buttons to the extent that the rubber had pene trated all through the coat. The garment was a ruin. ' It was only through red tape, many explanations and a special dispensation that he was allowed to return to the United States coatless. What a wonderful concession it was on the part of the military au thorities when they agreed to give the soldier his uniform when he was discharged from service? The men who came home from overseas were, in most cases, clothed in gar ments that had been worn by others, second-hand ones, in other words. Their old uniforms would be turned In, sent to a renovating plant, where they were made over and then Is sued to the men at random. As a consequence there was little that attached a man to the uniform he wore back home. It helped him to hide his nakedness until a suit of "civies" could be obtained and that Is about all. The uniforms of the veterans of the A. E. F. today are not those that they can point to with pride. Few man can say: '"There is the uniform I . wore through the Argonne." An enlisted man had just received his discharge from one of the de mobilization camps of the east and was proparing to go to a big city. He-was clothed In a uniform that, in addition to being too large, was Though he had many friends in the city he refrained from visiting them. He did not want them to see the typeof uniform he was wearing, so contented himself by" retiring early to his hotel room. The next morning he arose early and went immediately to a store. There he purchased an entire outfit and hur ried back to the room with it. He soon lost his identity as a sol dier and found himself fack in civilian clothes after a period of two years. He took the belt from the breeches of the uniform, unscrewed the collar ornaments, removed the service stripes, placed them all with the overseas cap and Identification tags and mailed them home to his mother. "And you." he remarked as he gazed at the coat and breeches which he had hung in the closet, "will be little donations on my part to that great benefactor of transient man kind, the hotel bell-hop." The next meeting of the American Women's Overseas league will be held at the home of Mrs. C. C. Meyer at houseboat 6, near Cemetery sta tion on the Southern Pacific electric line. Members have been requested to take bathing suits, for Mrs. Meyer's- backyard is a swimming pool. It is important that every eligible- woman join the "A. W. O. L." before July 11, which is the date set for the closing of the charter. Women who served with the army, navy, Y. M. C. A., Red Cross or any of the welfare organizations in France are entitled to membership in the league.. Veterans of the 364th field hos pital company will hold their an nual reunion and banquet in the Benson hotel next Saturday night. Invitations have been sent out to the 100 or more men of Oregon who served with the unit while at Camp Lewis and in France. Harry Car roll, John Helmer and James Vran zian are among those who are pro moting the affair. The organiza tion almost a year ago completed the publication of its history. Copies of the book were sent to .General Pershing, General William H. Johns ton and other war leaders. Letters from these men will be read at the reunion. In order that newsboys as well as the more fortunate sons of the well-to-do may enjoy the advantages of membership in tne boy scout or ganization, a movement has been started by the Detroit American Le gion to make it possible for lads who earn their livelihood on the street to become full-fledged scouts. The plan as set forth by Dr. Frank B. Broderick, the Legion's state wel fare officer, provides that posts of the service men's organization in each city and town organize the newsboys into scout troops, buying their uniforms and furnishing them wun an .necessary equipment. The movement will not be limited to take in only newsboys but will In clude all boys wno are anxious to become boy scouts but because of a lack of money cannot join. "We believe that this is a real Americanization movement," said Dr. Broderick, who is fostering the idea in Michigan. "Many newsboys and other lads who are emploved in street occupations are the sons of aliens and they orfer a fertile field for the teaching of American Ideals. "It Is proposed that the members of the Legion in each locality take the boys Into their confidence, meet with them and discuss business af fecting the organisation. We ex pect, of course. Legionnaires to act as scout masters." The step that Field Marshal Earl Haig has taken" in his recent an nouncement that the remainder of his life shall be devoted to the in terests of the men who fought un der his command during the war is one commendable in the eyes of all former service men. The noted mili tary leader is now the president of the British Legion and is devoting his entire time to the strengthening of this organization in England. Marshal Haig knows the problems that are confronting the veterans in England. He realizes, through memories of bitter days at the front, the causes that have brought men to the point where they must depend upon their governments for compensation and aid. In those days of war the enlisted man quite nat urally could not come in close con tact with the field marshal, but now that he is discharged and back in civilian life the barrier has been re moved and he realizes that the man who once commanded armies is now endeavoring to make the British government realize his needs. Following the war a number xf organizations of veterans came into existence in England. They . were all formed with the Idea of perpet uating the memories of the war and binding the veterans together for the mutual good of all. There was an overlapping of effort and little good was accomplished in bringing before the government the real needs of the veterans. The British Legion, which Is . similar tq the American Legion, was an outgrowth of all of these organizations and to day its work Is being felt through out the empire. The olive drab Wallingfords who went A. W. O. L. and sold shares In the Eiffel tower or a half Interest In the. Paris subway system to trust ing Frenchmen apparently are back In business in America. Their dis honesty not demobilized, they are resorting to new get-rich-quick methods 4b an effort to swindle not oly world war veterans but also the surviving relatives of those who lost their lives in the war. A mail ing list of the beneficiaries of war risk insurance policies made up of the names of widows, and bereft fathers and mothers of deceased soldiers and sailors is now being circularized extensively, and is be' lieved to be in the hands of several promoters of dubious undertakings. In any event the surviving relatives of those who died in the war are re ceiving letters and literature from all sorts of investment enterprises which do not stand investigation. The Bource of the insurance bene ficiaries' mailing, list has not yet. been learned. Whether it was ob tained surreptitiously from govern ment records is one question being investigated. An organization in Washington has been soliciting $10 subscriptions from insurance benefi ciaries who receive installment payments, on the promise that a bill will be introduced in congress to enable them to get new bonds for the full amount of their policies. These bonds, the Washington or ganization says in its letters, would have coupons attacned and would be salable, presumably at face value. The operations of this organization are assumed to be wholly honest J aitnougn tne aavisaouity or oenen ciarles contributing to the fund is open to a difference of opinion. The American Legion has never consid ered such a bill necessary. Comparable to persons who mis use the mailing list of the insurance bureaus is another class of after-the-war exploiters of ex-service men ' specializing in attempts to swindle veterans who insert adver tisements or notices in publications in an effort to get in touch with former buddies. Many men who have sought to find their old com rades in this manner have received letters from writers who say they are former army nurses, themselves trying to get in communication with men whom they had attended in hospitals. If the recipients of the letters send an encouraging reply, the "nurse" who is in reality a man, judging from the evidence in most cases becomes exceedingly friendly in later letters, suggests exchange of photographs and finally discusses marriage. She will be glad to join her mail-order dupe if he will only send her money for car fare and traveling expenses, she writes. It is hardly necessary to add that if a veteran does send money, the rest is silence and the case is one for the postoffice inspec tors. - t - During the four years that the Germans occupied the Belgian city of Roulers one of thefcchool build ings was used as a barracks and clubroom for the men. When the enemy was driven from the town the building was left much the same as it had been during its days of occupation. Long lirs of bunks were left in tire basements ano. boche equipment was scattered all over. , When the 316 th sanitary train moved into the city the building was assigned to the 364th field hos pital pompany. The men of this outfit had made their beds upon the ground for so many days that the? welcomed such rare sleeping ac commodations as the basement af forded. Leonard Kaufman, James Carroli, John Helmer. Jim Vran zian, Findley MacNaughtOn, Harold Hershner and others were not slow in picking out bunks. ," The .first night passed without much disturbance, due to the fact that ail of the men were exceed ingly tired Upon awakening in the morning all eyes fell upon Leonard KaufmaW, who' was com pletely cohered with welts. An in vestigation was conducted to de termine what was the cause ot Leonard's condition. His pulse and his temperature were taken and both were found normal. Then someone accidently slapped the bed where Leonard had spent the night and a swarnf of fleas, the like of which had never before been seen by the men. jumped up. While the other bunks were as badly infested with the fleas as was Leonard's their occupants hfed not suffered so much from their at tacks. Kaufman, being fat, and the fleas being hungry on account of having been deserted by the Ger mans, they chose Leonard as a choice morsel and almost made away with him. He moved his blankets to an other section of the building that night. ' An American Legion post at El lensburg. Wash., during the past week went on record as opposing the move on the part of Jack Demp. sey to wear an American flag on his trunks when he fights his ring battles. The vast majority of the members of the American Legion stand behind the Ellensburg men in their act. - , A ' fllM,,., Ttf nan. reamVioa Legion of Tillamook netted 46 new to Dr. J. E. Shearer, commander, who paid state headquarters a visit last week. A. E. Cato, prominent member of the American Legion In Bend, was in Portland last week and spent a short time at state head-quarters be fore going to Vancouver, B. C. Mr. Cato is a member of the "wrecking crew" of Bend voiture of les so- cietie des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux. The July 4 celebration held at Estacada was under the direction of the American Legion of that town. The legionnaires had charge of the programme of games, races and sneaking which was held in the park. Members of the American. Legion of Astoria are trying to prevail upon Hanford MacNider, national commander, to pay a visit to" their city while he is in the state attend ing the convention at The Dalles. C. A. Murphy, post commander, has extended an Invitation to the na tional executive. Hanford MacNider, national com mander of the American Legion, w-ill attend the state convention at The Dalles the last of this month. An invitation was extended to him some time ago and he notified the state officials that he would make all plans to be on hand. Henry A. Wise, adjutant of the state depart ment of Washington, also has sig nified his intentions of attending. . An important meeting of Over the Top post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars will be held tomorrow night in the courthouse. Officers of the or ganization have requested all mem bers to be present. Thej claim that there is a surprise in store for the veterans. . ' Under the direction of The Dalles "Wrecking Crew" a new voiture of Lea Societie des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux was established in Heppner. The officers chosen for the new voiture of the sunshine order of the American Legion are as follows: Harold Cohn,.chef de gare; Dr. Clyde R. Walker, chef de train; Fred E. Farrior, correspondent, and John Hlgley, commlssalre intendant. . As a means of fostering greater patriotism among the younger gen eration, the American Legion is starting a national , essay contest. The subject will be "How the Amer ican Legion Can Best Serve the Na tion." Prizes to winners will be given as follows: First $750, second J500 and third $250. Any boy or girl between the ages of 12 and 18 may enter the contest. Essays will be limited to 500 words. American Legion posts of the state have been supplied with rules regarding the contest. ' A modern hotel on wheels with a capacity of 14,000 guests will be op erated by four large railroads dur ing the national convention of the American Legion in New Orleans October 16 to 21. The rolling hos telry will be 4C5 Pullman cars parked in four large railroad yards. Equipped with electric lights, shower baths and all facilities of .a hotel, the cars will be the homes of thousands of visitors during the five days of the convention. One of the largest parking yards is only four blocks from Legion national head quarters hotel, while the others are located at distances necessitating only a short street-car ride. The railroads have established a rental and parking charge which will enable the legionnaire to obtain his "bunk" for about $2 a day, in cluding Pullman charges en, route. The Pullman hotel project has ap pealed to legion men in many parts of the country. One of the largest railroads has announced that its res ervations for cars have ftlled park ing space available. Minneapolis le gion men have reserved space for 25 cars, Louisville 15, Washington 10, Cleveland 7, and other reservations are on file from Detroit, Atlanta, Birmingham and Pittsburg. : "Forty Femimes and 8 Chapeaux" is the name given a fun-making, pure ly social organization, formed( by members of the national executive committee of the American Legion auxiliary during its closing session at national head quart eo-s. The new club corresponds to the legion's "40 Hommes and 8 Chevaux" or ganized some months ago, which now has local chapters in aft parts of the United States. AH members of the auxiliary's executive committee were made charter members of the new organi zation. Membership will be open to auxiliary women who have been ac tive m the work of that organiza tion, it was announced. The next meeting of "40 Femmes, 8 Chapeaux" will be held in New Orleans, La., following the national convention of the legion and the auxiliary, in October. Mrs. Ada C. Sangster of Sheboygan, Mich., was made grand chapeau (president); Mrs. Lowell F. Hobart, Cincinnati, O., bon chapeau (vice-president): Mrs. Eu gene Arbona Jr., Bogalusa, La., sec retary, and Mrs. Edward F. Burt. Salisbury. N. C, treasurer. Plans for the care of orphans of service men now in orphanages throughout the country were, an nounced at the final meeting of the executive commifTee of the auxiliary. "The mother's touch which the or phanages cannot give, will be sup plied by the women of the American Legion auxiliary." said Mrs. Donald Macrea of Council Eluffs, la., chair man of a committee for the care of orphans. Scholarships will be ar ranged for those who will take ad vantage of them. En route back from San Fran cisco, where he attended the con vention of the Mystic Shrine, Uriel B. Davis, department commander of the American Legion in Oklahoma, has remained long enough in Port land to visit state headquarters and see the sights. Harry N. Nelson, state adjutant, piloted him through out the city and J. H. McClelland of Bend took the visitor on a trip over the Columbia river highway. While in the west Mr. Davis will visit all of the states and call upon the leaders of the American Legion. He then will return to his home in Duncan, Okla., where he is super intendent of schools. : .NEW YORK, July 8. A pil grimage to the battlefields on which they fought four years ago has been arranged . for . several hundred former service men by the American Legioji. The tour is open to members of the Legion and its auxiliaries, which comprise the wives, mothers, daughters and" sis ters of the men who served in the world war. The party will sail for France on the President Pierce August 5; will land at Cherbourg, and go directly to Paris, where it will be officially welcomed by the French gqvern rflent. During the stay in Paris trips will be taken to the French battlefields and other points of in terest. According to the itinerary of the Legion the party will reach Brus sels August 30. From Brussels it will go to Ostend and tour the battlefields of Flanders. From Belgium the Legionnaires will go to London, where they will be the guests of the London post of the American Legion and the British Legion. The party will re turn on the steamship Metagama, arriving at Montreal September 16. Arrangements for the tour are in charge of John J. Wicker Jr. of Richmond, Va., who as tour di ector has headquarters at the of fice of the American Legion AVeekly, New York. ' J. Harold Beytlen. ex-member of the 361st ambulance company, and now one of the leaders of the Amer ican Legion in Eugene, passed through Portland a few days ago en route home after a honeymoon trip that took him to Minneapolis, Minn. Gadsbys July Sale Here is the opportunity of a lifetime to buy high-grade Willow, Reed and Fiber Furniture" for living room or porch at 20 discount. You owe it to yourself to come and inspect the remarkable values now on display at 20' discount if you are planning on buying anything new during the balance of the year. No exceptions; over 400 pieces on display. Cash or Credit. SIX-PIECE WILLIAM AND MARY DINING SET $64.75 The Movies' Warning l THAT THE "MOVIES" IN jure eyesight is an exploded theory, declares an eminent spe cialist of New York city. BUT IP YOUR SIGHT IS imperfect the ailment will be more quickly discovered at the motion picture theater than anywhere else. . IF, AFTER WATCHING THE pictures your eyes smart and burn or you, have an uncomfort able feeling about your head and eyes, have your eyes exam ined and find out the reason, PERFECT FITTING glasses, completely finished in my own laboratory, will pre vent a recurrence of the trouble. For Appointment Telephone MAIN 4300 Dr. Wheat OPTOMETRIST Eysfght Specialist SUITE 207, MORGAN BLDG. - Pay $7.50 Cash, Then $1.50 Weekly. Even those who know Gadsbys' reputation for low prices will be surprised at this splendid value. A 45-inch Round Dining Table, in oak or walnut, with five genuine brown leather seat Chairs to match (all quite like one pictured, but table has no center leg). This outfit would cost much more elsewhere than CM 7K Gadsbys' special price of vD'ti I 0 An Arm Chair Blay Be Added for $i).75. Magnificent Craftsman Leather Rockers Just $19.75 places cne of these wonderful rocker values in your home tomorrow at a special saving! They are luxuriously upholstered with coil spring seats, heavy roll arms and wing backs as pictured. The Craftsman leather is an extra choice grade, soft and durable. Easy Terms J1.00 Week. The latest wholesale quotations on rugs show no reductions in price. In fact, there is a tendency. n certain qualities toward higher prices and we would .urge you to buy your rugs this spring if you would buy them at a real saving. All rugs in our large stock are marked at prices based on the old low cost. For instance, quality 9x12 Axminster rugs are only. . vO'il 3 Other splendid rugs, at equally large savings. A COLONIAL BED FOR THE HOME This is a stately, dignified design, with tall posts and graceful head panel. The posts are handsomely turned. Such a bed will grace your guest chamber or add distinction to your ' own sleeping quarters. The same design may be had in a pair of twin beds if preferred. The finish is a soft, warn mahogany brown. Gadsbys' sell them for less. Three-Piece Suite $72 if,! nffS m LIBERTY RANGE $54.75 The three pieces, just as pictured above; ivory enamel, hand-decorated, consisting of Dresser, Full Panel Bed and Triple Mirror Dressing Table, sells regularly 070 flfl at 90.00. Gadsbys' July sale price OltiUU Every Living Room Suite Included m 40-Lb. Cotton Felt Mattress $10.75 :W -i Here Is a mattress sensation! Made of pui;e clean cotton, carefully felted layer upon layer, 40-lbs. in weight, with a beautiful floral art ticking, roll edge type. Extra 91(1 7R special at vl Uil w Davenport Tables 10 Off The Liberty Range on sale this week needs no introduction. We have been selling them for 10 years. Has six 8-lnch covers, sectional plate, top polished, large Oregon fire box;' plenty of room for wood and coal. This range is fully guar- CC 7C anteed by Gadsbys1. Special 'POtil O Never before in years has it been possible to buy fine grade, luxuriously made upholstered living room furniture at such a startling saving! Included in our vast display at this discount are splendid two and three-piece suites upholstered in tapestry, velour aa well as combinations. The suite pictured above with loose spring cushions, spring arms, spring back and spring edge construction upholstered in tapestry and velour combination is a typical example of the extraordinary values in the sale. . All at 20 Off. Easy Terms. WEDGEW00D GAS STOVES Touch a match to the Gas Kindler in the kitchen heater, the coal or wood heater that is built eight into "Wedgewood Gas Ranges. Keep right on cooking with gas all winter. Breakfast in a hurry in a warm kitchen or breakfast room. Same kitchen heater will heat a 30-gallon water tank. This range does the duty of two and costs less. It's easy to pay the Gadsby way. NOTICE: We will take your old cook stove or range in exchange on one of these new Wedgewood Ranges and allow you all it ia worth. yT;;tiiiiiliiiJliiiiiiltMi!iiihi!'ii;i:liiitiliUli1.if . "sfjyVpnf i No $ 50.00 WORTH OF FURNITURE, $5.00 CASH, $1.00 WEEK v. Interest $ 75.00 WORTH OF FURNITURE, $7.50 CASH. $1.50 WEEK Tnf Charged $100.00 WORTH OF FURNITURE, $10.00 CASH, $2.00 WEEK rona at $125.00- WORTH OF FURNITURE. $12.50 CASH, $2.25 WEEK Qlc Gadsbys $150.00 WORTH OF FURNITURE, $15.00 CASH, $2.50 WEEK &UDurDS Wm. GADSEY & SON CORNER SECOND AND MORRISON STREETS s To find such an exquisitely designed mahogany davenport table as this at so low a price is good fortune indeed. Be early because there are only a few of them at this low price. End Tables You may also buy the foeatt f ul end table to match, em pictured, at an equally big saving. They are extra spe cial at 10 off. Use Our Exchange Department If yon have furniture that doesn't Bait-- want omething more ap-txv-date and better phone us and well end a competent man to see It and arrange to take it as part payment on the kind you want the Gadsby kind. We'll make yon a liberal allowance for your foods and will sell you new furniture at low price. The new furniture will be promptly delivered. Exchange poods can be bought at our First and Y ashing ton store. T 4