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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1919)
k: jr a , jm m m m wmr r n as - . w j ha .i .m m - n i xi it : w jh vi is o . SOLDIERS CLAIM MASCOTS SAVED HA U ULM V LIYLU U IV I Ill-Ill t ' Seven Out of 10 Men Carried Good Luck Pieces Which They Prized Above Everything Else. COAL CHUNK WRAPPED IN SILK One Company Believes Numbers 13 and 5 Are the Lucky Ones for Thetn in Trenches. By Forbes W. Fairbairn London, Sept. 2. (I. N. S.) Just how far did the soldier's mascot go toward saving his life? Did the boy mho came through the thickest of the fray unscathed owe his good fortune to the good-luck piece he carried on his person, or is the popu lar superstition which held sway in all armies a mere fallacy? These questions are dlucuBsed by Ed ward Lovett. honorable curator of the Folk-Lore section of the Imperial muj ileum, in a series of articles written for a London publication. He makes no direct comment on the value of the mascot, but details some or "the curious beliefs held by the fighters and the almost .religious awe with which they regard their luck pieces? COAL WRAPEED IX SILK A piece of coal, wrapped in a small silken bag. given tc.an Australian offi cer, by his sweetheart before he left home was one of the curious "finds'" made by Mr. Lovett during a lecture tour he mae among the British and Dominion troops in France. This offi I never have This is m . jj 3sK3 cer firmly believed he owed hla life to this bit of coal, and told of several miraculous escapes he bad during the war. Another officer in the same regi ment was so superstitious about his mascot that he refused to even tell what it was. "I won't show It to you and I won't even tell you what it is. because' it will spoil mx luck." he toJd Mr. Lovett. and the latter had . to be con tent with that answer. Another Aus tralian carried a Swastika, and a foutrh had a small grotesque cross on his per son to guard him against enemy shells and bayonets. One of the most curious examples of superstition among troops was discov ered by Mr. Lovett In the person of an Australian private he met in London. "This man wore the figure 5 on the collar of his tunic." explained Mr. Lovett. "I asked him if he knew the legend that had grown up around that figure in the continental armies. He was rather Inclined to sneer at luck In general, but he told me that his company, which was the Fifth, was very lucky, and day after day the men had many narrow escapes from death or wounds. The company, in fapt. had lost only 15 men out of 180. while the Second company had lost a much larger pro portion. He also told me that the figure 13 was considered by them a lucky number, and that most of the men in, the Fifth coiipany, curiously enough, had 13 in their regimental numbers, his own number being 1,327. "But I think the most euperstitious case of all was that of the officer who would not tell me what his mascot was. Nothing I could say would induce him to alter his decision. LUCKY FIFTH KEGI.MEXT "Referring to the figure 5, it is known on the continent as Pentad, and,- the Belgian soldiers, consider the Fifth regiment the luckiest one of the division. The logic of the Pentad is exceedingly curious and is explained in the follow ing manner : "Figure 1 stands for Ood. absolutely alone : figure 2 is the mind of Ood in operation, as shown by the works of nature ; figure 3 represents man at the highest work of God. Taking, therefore, figure 1 as being unique, the figures 2 and 3 that is, God's work in- the hands of man equal 5. and this S is said to represent everything. In England we do not fully appreciate the meaning of the figure 6." The Maoris, New Zealand colored troops who fought in France, furnished the investigator with quantities of ma yes . They Stive Me Atoneyi to buy new utensils now that I have a complete 'Wear - The modem equipment for the modern kitchen ia Aluminum Cooking Utensils They do not crack, chip or break. They save fuel because they take the heat quickly and retain it. They look better, wear better and last longer than other utensils. Even the food cooked in 'WcaEver', uten sils seems to taste better they are so bright and clean. You can cook a whole meal at one time in the Roaster. Start the beef in a hot oven and gradually reduce the heat. Prepare the apples and macaroni as usual. Put each in a baking dish and set in the Roaster at the proper place. Pare the potatoes and lay them around the roast beef. You will have a deli cious dinner, cooked m an incredibly short time, with little labor and expense. Replace utensils that wear out with utensils that "Wear-Ever V?k for "Wear-Ever" trade-mark en the bottom of every vtc. siL H tt is not there, it is not "Wear-Ever." Refuse substitutes I THE ALUMINUM COOKING UTENSIL CO. DpC OOOO r-. v d- what you get by investing only 50 inWearrEver" terial on the subject of roaacota. They didn't object at all to telling- all tney knew about their charms, and the in formation gleaned waa very Interesting. "The great mascot of the Maorta ia a quaint, contorted, greenstone figure which is known to be of enormous an tiquity," writes Mr. Lovett. 'This greenstone a kind of Jade is extremely hard in fact, it is almost as hard as corundum or thj diamond. , FEW ABE HAAD MADE "The ordinary-sired Jade tlkj, or club, would take a native of New Sealant several months or even years, to ruk down ; and it has been stated that some of the large clubs of pure Jade takes the lives of three menssat constant work, to make. There are, however, a large number of machine made tikis in the market I was told that when a Maori dies his tiki is always buried with him." But the commonest among the sol diers of France and Belgium are made of aluminum and copper fragments of German sheh. It was considered that' if you wore a piece of the enemy's pro Jectile ft inoculated you against future danger from such sources. This is sim ilar tc the Irish superstition. Every Irl&u cottage l.as it "thunderbolt," which Is supposed to protect the home from being struck by lightning. Instances of this doctrine exist practically through out Europe. SHELL FEAGME5TS PRIZED The iFrench soldier was very keen on fragments of shells, which he carefully wrapped in cloth and secreted about his person. Aluminum and copper frag ments were prized most highly. They were fashioned into crosses, anchors, stars, diamonds, shields, finger ringrs and even into model flying machines by clever soldier-artisans. They were car ried as amulets by thousands of fight ing men. Italian troops wore charm3 that have-beeen common in that country for centuries. They were generally phal lic emblems such as may be seen by the thousands in the streets of Rome and Naples. The Italian soldier usually wears some religious emblem. Tho "doughboy" amulets consisted of a mixture of all the ones worn by the ! European soldier and scores of his own particular fancy. Ilaboits feet were ,.-t-merous among the American division.-, especially the colored troops, and other curious, essentially American charms were carried. . The Yankee soldier, it seems, was just as superstitious as the others when it came to good-luck pieces. Mr. Lovett has a number of German charms, most of which were taken from mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm A, German Df lsoners. Tbeey are of a char acter onf might expect from such a people, hoV says, and consist largely of pigs, manjt of which are grossly inde cent and vulgar. . . "Moreover," he says, the pig Is not a lucky charm, as we might regard it. It simply implies wealth, and that is not much use in actual fighting. Another German charm Is a small model of a fungus which s of natural blood red color. This is really a phallic emblem. A third kind is 'the teetotum, meaning 'chance.' "Oft the other hand, in the German navy, or what remains of " it, they have rather a pretty .harm. It consists of a mall, cheap medal, bearing the figure of Christ tilling the tempest with the mottq 'safety in storms.' "Despite the wide prevelence of the charm and the care with which the trinket was guarded the Invariable rule for the soldier was to deny all knowl edge whatever of such superstitions. Just the same, it has been estimated- that seven out of every 10 soldiers in the war carried some sprt of good luck piece, which they treasured above all else." ' . Anti-Home Rule Is Carson's One Aim London, Sept. 2. Sir Edward Carson has gone to Belfast, where he will at once launch an anti-home rule campaign in line with his speech of September 28, 1914, when he said: "When the war is over we shall call our volunteers to gether and we shall repeal the home rule bill, so far as.it concerns us, in 10 min utes." Commander Dodson Blew Up Red Fleet London, Sept. 2. The Daily Express i reveals today the identity of the British ! naval officer responsible for the recent I destruction of Lenin's Russian Bolshe- ist fleet. He is Commander Dobson, i D. S. O., who captured a number of guns and 600 prisoners. A law to make strikes criminal of fenses is being urged at Boston before the conference of commissioners on uni form state laws. Ever outfit" I mu CAPTURE OF OLD RUSSIAN CAPITAL IS IIP TO ALLIES Cooperation by Strong Force Is Needed by Anti-Red Factions, Whose Leaders Are Discordant GERMANY IS TAKING HAND News' of Recruiting Is Openly Published; Czaristic Groups May Be Given Reinforcements. By Bassett Pigby Special Cable to The Journal and The Chicafo Daily News. (Copyright. 1919. by Chicacc Daily Newi Co.) Stockholm, Sept. 2. News of the recent formation of a West Russian government in the Baltic region and Corbett the arrival of lone deferred ship ments of munitions and tanks for General Yudenitch. together with announcements . - of the impending renewal of military activities may have caused people In America to think that something big was afoot. Despite all this superficial bustle and apparent optimism that deceives nobody with inside knowledge. It Is safe to aay that all the real .ndicatlons are strongly against -a successful march on Petro grad by the anti-3olsheviki, unless per haps, the British fleet is permitted to cover the advance Of the Russian troops into the capital. HAKXOXT IS ABSENT The Issuance of a list giving the names of the members of the so-called West Russian government does not mean that hamnonious and strong direct ing bodies are In existence. The con trary is the case. All the leaders in the Baltic area are working at cross purposes. There has been serious fric tion between the Russian Northwest army and the Esthonlan army and now relations are extremely strained between General Laidoner, the Esthonlan com mander in chief, and the Esthonian gov ernment in which radical tendencies pre ponderate. General Laidoner signed an agreement to advance toward Petrograd against the desires of his government, and now he says that he will clear out these Socialists and run the country as a military dictator after the style of General Mannerheim jn Finland, if they run counter to his wishes. The entente has been trying to re shape the cabinet and eliminate the rad ical elements, but the chief minister. Fail Hat Show Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is the big hat event at Mathis. Every show window will be given over entirely to displaying our . New Fall Hats for Men We have assembled from New York, Paris and London a showing of Hats which we believe to be as fine arid com plete as can be found anywhere. The great variety of new shapes and materials here displayed shows you what is correct for this season. The Price Range is $S to $ Exclusive Representative for DOBBS & CO., New York Mossant, Paris Tress & Co., London MENS Building, . Pet, has stubbornly restated and In agreement fiifallylhad to be signed with General Laidoner.. i. GERVA5T 8TEFS 15 j' Meanwhile Germany quietly but ener getically has come upon the ccene, equipped with what we most obviously do not have, namely, a clear idea of what she wants and how she is most likely to get It. The former foreign minister, von Hlntxe, tiaa Just appeared in Stockholm on his return from a visit to Finland. There is every reason to dismiss his nat ural assertion that he has been there only as an humble and Insignificant tour ist, the more so ' as the German news papers are widely declaring that prepar ations are afoot, for German military cooperation with the czaristic Russians. Recently the Frelhelt has been publishing one document after another on this sub ject and now the Vorwaerts itself comes out with a sensational document re vealing comprehensive recruiting .In Gejr many. For this purpose M. Cutchkoff and several other leading Russians are now In Berlin. . ESTHOXIAKS ISO AID The morale of the Eethonian troops points to their being no likely tool for forcing Petrograd. Additional witness is given by the leading; anti-Bolshevist Finnish newspaper, the Helslngfors Ban omat, which announces that from per sonal investigation' these troops ase a hopeless body of men for a successful campaign in Russia. They are war weary, like most of the soldiers on whom, in the last analysis, rather than on the political leaders will devolve the test of smashing he Bolshevlki. Still another established fact is that i WEAR Fifth and Morrison Germany ia already providing- trained j artillery officer who are- making the-i Red army batteries very effective. Ger many clearly It pUylng both side. Does history of warfare present any replica of this extraortilni.-y chaos of schemes, i counter schemes, half meatures and mu- -tual distrust? Possibly Its counterpart f may be found In Liberia. ' German Communists Plan New Uprising! In Munich District! . i: i -a Munich. Sept. 2. (U. P.) Communiat) forces are planning fresh uprisings lh , Munich and the surrounding country. It was reported here Monday. This re port follows recent evidence that tha Spartacans are organising for a new;i demonstration of strength. . In communist circles, It was denied today that any new movement was s planned, but the government has taken measures to prevent disorder. The au- -thoritles believed the government would be able to. check any troubles which might arise; owing to the postponement until spring of complete deinobollsa tion of the army. This was done with the consent of the allies. Vhe strikers at Ludwlgshaven. In Ba- ; varla, will resume work tomorrow. B. ft H. Grass ntamai for cash. TIol man Fuel Co., Main 853. A-336S. Block -wood, short slabwood. Rock Sprpings and Utah coal, sawdust. Adv. V--",-: