Death Rate An
Less Than A
So much has been written and said
about the death rate among soldiers
in training in the United States that
a little exact and authentic information
might not be amiss at this
juncture.
War Department records show that
from the middle of September to the
last of December the death' rate
among the soldiers in camps and cantonments
was 7.5 per thousand. In
other words, out of every 2,000 men,
15 died, while 1,985 lived. The
death rata nf 7 5 nar thousand in lann
1 DEFENSE COUNi
FRIENDS OF <
DISCONTINU
In the interest of conserving the
food supplies of the country and protecting
the health of tbw soldiers in
tho camps and. cantonments, the
Council of National Defense has issued
the following request, which
should be tantamount to an order:
"The Council of National Defense
asks the public to discontinue sending
food to camps, in the interest of
food conservation and health. The
waste referred to can be checked only
by getting each soldier's friends and
family to realize that they Individ-'
ually are the persons asked to stop.
"The Council of National Defense
desires to inform the people of the
| THK MAIL
O^HKHKHKKKHKHKHKHKHKHKJO^S^KKl
IN bim are met the hopes and fears,
If he brings good news there is i
brings bad news he is reviled like
/ of his plays who brought evil tidings,
ceiving them. The evil the messenger
the Mail Orderly brings no tidings ai
Gumbo. n
The Mafl Orderly gradually absoi
the burden he carries to his comrades
or Bill, the Mail Orderly experiences s
feels that they owe him all the gratil
swollen, pink missive to the Outfit's
intimate kinship with the lady who w
each parcel, each wrapped-up newspaj
.' personality all its own. Each item of r
and hope that has been pressed into
that gravity of the trust which Is re]
mission upon which he embarks with
As for the mail he takes from his
familiar to him, like the faces in a fa
handwriting and the weight of each let!
added by a too blissful bunkie, the M
faith with himself. It becomes an a
toward the office.
"What right has Steve got to be
crossed me!" The sense^pf unfairnef
slips in a letter out of iti^accustomed
"Here" Jim writing on Wedncsd;
That's his day."
The sting of such treacheries can
For, of course, the Mail Orderly occasi*
ger is inevitable, and sometimes even
BILLIONS WILL BE SPENT
BY AMERICA TO CONQUER
GERMANY THROUGH AIR
The determination of the United
States to "whip Germany through
the air" is indicated by the size of
appropriations already made for
aviation and those Congress has been
asked to make available. When the
aerial forces of America get Into action
during the coming months we
shall no longer hear of a "squadron
of airplanes," but units as large as
battalions and regiments will be reported
as participating lit air battles.
When Congress some months ago
appropriated $739,067,766 for aviation.
it was remarked that this sum
was three times as much as had been
appropriated for all military
branches of the nation in 1916, and
100 times as much as was ever made
available before for aviation.
Major General George Squier, head
of the Signal Corps, has just askea
Congress for an additional appropriation
of $1,138,240,314 for aviation I
nnrnnHRS. making a total of $1,877,- ;
308,080 for aerial equipment. More
billions will be appropriated if necessary.
PROVING IT
Jack: "So I dives under the submarine
wiv my litttle bradawl and
bores an 'ole an' sinks the blighter,
and 'ere's the bradawl to provo it!"
?Sketch. - - ?
~
TRENCH /
long Soldiers
mong Civilians
[than the rate would have been if all
the men in the camps had remained
at home in civilian clothes.
The death rate per thousand
among United States soldiers in 1898
was 20.14, or nearly three times as
[great.
I* In 1916 the death rate in the Army
was 5 per thousand.
But for the outbreak of measles
and its complications in the camps
| and cantonments, the death rate from
[September to December would have
been only two per thousand.
CIL WANTS
SOLDIERS TO
E "HAND OUTS"
country that abundant food is supplied
to soldiers and sailors in
camps and cantonments, and that the ;
sending of food to these men by their :
friends and families is not in arty ;
respect necessary; that the aggregate
quantity of food thus privately sent
is enormous, and that much of it,
having been conveyed long distances
in heated express or mail cars, is
more or less spoiled and consequently j
injurious to the health of the men.
Therefore, in the interest of the conservation
of food and also the health
of the men, the Council of National '
Defense requests the public to disAnnfinnn
Ihn innrlino nf rnnrietnffq tn *
the camps.",
<HKHWHKHKH34KKHHKHKKKH>GHKHKf
NT TYPES
ORDERLY
-OiKHKHKHKHKHKH>CHHHKHKKH3CHKJ
the blessings and curses of the Army,
'tone whose lot is pleasanter. If he
the lad Will Shakespeare lias in one
and was bawled out by the gent rebrought
was heaped on his head. If
t all, woe betide him. His name is
'bs all the importance wrapped up in If
a package comes to Alf or Bert i
i warm flush of self-satisfaction. He
tude for bringing it. If he brings a
Lady Killer, he has the sense of an
rrote it. Each letter, each postcard,
>er that he takes to his mates has a
nail lives, full of the love and longing
it. The Mail Orderly may well feci
posed in him, the sacredness of the
each trip to postal headquarters,
organization, that gradually becomes
.rally group. He comes to know the
ter. If an extra page or two has been
all Orderly regards It as a breach of
ggravation, with each step he takes
writing extra pages? He's doubleis
weighs heavily. And if some one
schedule, the Mail Orderly resents it.
ay. Why don't he wait till Friday.
only be removed by mall for himself,
anally gets a letter all his own. Hunlhe
chef eats his own food.
AMERICANS MUST SUBMIT
TO ARBITRARY MILITARY
RIJI.FS m RF.A T C.FRMANY ,
Apropos of the recent protests I
against the shutting down of indus- (
tries in the Eastern States for five i
days to save coal, the words of M. 1
Hovelaque, Minister of Education in t
France, who accompanied Marshal t
Joffre to this country last spring, <
might be recalled. Among other 1
things he said: c
"Since the outbreak of the war the 1
German people have been practicing
the most heroic self-denial the world 3
has ever seen. They have willingly 3
and uncomplainingly complied with
the most rigorous arbitrary military
laws and regulations ever promulgated.
They have not questioned the c
orders from the military authorities, s
but have obeyed without protest. !
This is the strength of Germany and 1
will be her strength until the end. J
"No nation whose people do not 8
practice the same self-denial and bow r
resignedly to arbitrary rules and reg- v
ulations will defeat Germany, nor
will that nation deserve to defeat
Germany."
President Wilson's explanation of c
the coal oraer was mat coai was
needed to fill the bunkers of ships in t
American harbors loaded with food e
and military supplies and equipment a
for United States soldiers ''over i
there "
lND camp
/im Was 1 oo Ale
BY OUR OWN RING
CtCCK>OCKH>DQOOaOOOOOOOaOOaOOODOC
twell al this lete
be as mutch of a 1
becaus 1 of ben wha
pull as it Is speld bi
theys a leek in the
sleep necks to it all
will be grate for yo
sleep in the saim r
know its excaped yt
by these gass attacta
you know al it
trenchus & gas & 1
think just the saim
wear thev is revull f
Meggzept for leafs o>
these trenchus hear
gass masx so as to h
get to frantz & you
old can Tonement 1
venyunt as they was
will be at home al v.
them germ mans ime
germman barber ou
me you know me al.
this isent telling you though al why 1
wile we were out in the trenchus 1 day she
Sivillain close who were important enur to
ime a member of was sealectit to put on th>
lookt on of coarse ime in the rumpny as i c
pickt us out from the hole camp you know
trenchus wateing for the cumand gass alurl
that yr gass outfit hangs by so as to inaik I
to a just masx.
well al 1 was reddy for ennytbing bele
ilnne the line eass alurt i was rite on the !
:he word3 was scarcely uttord. i was so qt
nead & the tube ajustit & everything that
hollered at me & of coarse i took off the mi
fc saloot him but wile i was handing him
was off i-.vent to pick it up from wear it
stuff like smoak theyd sent at us got betw?
sumthing raoar then gass ime quiet sure a!
)wen & they say this gass we got is noth
wattcr in frantz. well al i had to sneeze
when a corprall & sargint & loot init are a
you think a sneaze wood be the wickedest
the place wear i dident care who saw it & i
running up & down my cheaks & nio blowi
full.
Finely i got the mask on agen but it v
& everybody was pulling theres off agen so i
seam as though i was contrairy so i took
sverybuddy hollowed & yelld looking at n
know how i am at maiklng things intresti
was a greate thing because i know better i
they wont none of them maik me sneaze i <1
self sneazes. but this gass is bad stuff to m
mask on & i know that to. hopping you wc
from me.
War Department Disc
Keeping Uf Uia
'there you are in the front-line| then
rcnches, with the shrapnel and high-1 tell
lowered explosive shells hurtling the I
iver your head. You are carrying a'regir
ninlmura of baggage and. let us sup- moth
lose, a maximum load of courage. I of gi
Imong your handy hit of toilet arti- wlilc
:les is the dainty, leather-bound j Ti
liary your sister, your mother orlartle
'the girl back home" gave you for neve
Christmas. When you are relieved j the <
Totaf the firing-line, you fall in a: this
leap in a shelter and try to write a; all.
etter. When your letter is finished, j cour.
ou turn to the faithful diary and you beca
:ommence relating to it, without! trutl
lesilation. without stint, the man:-ichor
old, soul-stirring things you have to y<
jone through and seen. It is and A
ias been your never-failing confidant tion
md you have pledged to tell it every- allie:
:hing. And indeed you do. pers<
Then suppose?the Germans sud- Perh
lenly storm your sector of the bat- the <
ilefleld?your trench! Their nura- as h:
lers are overwhelming and their Fren
Irumfire and machine-gun pelting must
rresistible. You and your comrades man:
Ight bravely, but the odds are too dent
jreat. The enemy captures your who
rench and eventually you. An offi- keep
:er later searches you and your ef- At
'ect8 and at last seizes the dainty diari
liary which was perhaps "her" kept
nemorable gift to you. not
The Germans read it and laugh at men!
rour naivete, your secret confessions, ever;
rour seances with your soul?and cour;
"LET'S GO" ^ j COL"
t\ queouuuimuc .cm. J L
ertain exemption board not a thou- ig d(
;ands miles from the state capital
vith these words written across the "sne
ace of it in red ink: "I am fit as a comr
iddle, sound as a bullet, ready to Of tl
Igbt at the drop of a hat and will tered
tart on a moment's notice. Cut the eight
ed tape and wire me when and ty-ei|
vhere to report." men.
boan
GLOOMY GERMAN GKK.M vice.
"What's the matter, little mi- 100
robe?" inquired the typhoid germ. were
"I'm utterly discouraged," replied four
he anthrax-bacillus. "Here 1 am chari
mployed in ihe military service oiiciuz<
i great emperor. Even if I earn the|were
ron cross I'm not big enough lo ty-flv
wear it." char,
ttHKHKHWKHWKHKHKHKHWHKHg .
rt, As Usual f ig J
W. LARDNER | B 1
ir i am riteing to you now will not rrr: =
as the leters i of ritten befoar ~
t they call gast & It is not as sim- s=
it feels like your head does when
1 ruber hoes conneckshun & you = =
1 nite. in fack al this armie life = ==.
u when you get out of it you can == ^
00m with excaping gass & never 7^ =;
?u will of became carelessed to it ? ~
1 these can Tonemcnts they have ~ Hrl
boms and nomens land & every- rz ~ I
as tney or tixi tncm up in iraniz ?
itemg alltho their isont none hear = ~
,-er the weak end. but they get
& all those other things sutch as ? pr
ave you feyull at home when you n ~
wont wisht you was back at the ; ;
>ecaus everything is just as con- ~ ? =
i their trenchus & all the rest, i ~ ^ :
earever i get a chantz at some of S z ; :
i soar at those ginks ever since a ^ r
t me onct wile he wa3 shaveing ^ c
got to be east it was this weigh X 7 ?"
twing off befoar some vlssitors in -/j:
he with the Jenrill. the cusnpny
ere gass masx wile these big boys
e<? if you shood wonder why they
me. well al we was their In the
i witch nienes fassen up the strap
t handy when you gel commandit
ev me so when i herd the hollow
job & had my mask all on befoar
lick in getting the thing over my \/ ?-W
it made the loot init soar & ho \ y
isk so I cood look at the loot init /
my complements after the mask _ y /yi
had dropt on the ground & the ~'i
en me & the mask, this gass is
I because it has a smell all of its
ink to what wee! get acrost the **?l *
but it isent an ezie tiling to do
U looking at it & trying to rr.aik /\ ,
thing you cood pull off. i got to
let go with a big 1 with the teres /"!??
ng 6c kaychcwing sumlhing awe
tras to late as the attest was over
of coarse i riident want to maik it yTwxffiff.
mine oft' & we walked off wile
ne most of the time well al \ou
ng wearever i happen to be. it
6 when we get into the trenchus
lont care if jenrill perishing himteat
with when you havent got no y////i^nm
:ar vrs when you get these letters
YR PAL PRYVATR JIM.
:ourages '
ries By Soldiers (:Mm
they come to the part where you
of the troops behind the line::. m.hJV//XL
Huge preparations, the names cf yl'l/ji/yfo
nents, lii<ir equipments, their
ioiIb of transportation, the types
ins in us-- and a welter of rumor l^'/iV/oKjf,
i is half truth, and half fiction MrfnufyW
ic enemy proceeds to devour your
ss notes. You meant well, you ^9
r dreamed of being raptured, but H
is on>' of the likeliest of them J9
You are giving, unconsciously of
if;il *.vith yourself and wills your ?-S. "
ished diary which was "h -r" gift
311.
good deal of valuable iuformaalready
lias been obtained l;y the
3 from the diaries seized on tli"
jus of the Ger.nan prisoners j?\ <r~
aps it has been unwise to print \
contents of some of these diaries. vV*"u'; ll
is been done in both English and Vffij.V/y ?
ich press, because that speedily Vk f
: have given the rue to the Gcr- Y\ /
3. It was one of the things evi- Xli
ly overlooked by the Germans.
are, even more than we, a diary- i
ing nation. I ;) \JJ
. all events, the compilation of 1 ^
es. which must of necessity be
on the person of the author, is /&?7\
desirable and the War Depart- aK \
: has served official notice thai PmeUp
ything should be done lo dis- J
age this practice.
OltKI) MKN DOING THKIlt lil'l
lat America's colored citizenry /y^y\.
dug its bit in the war is estab- /J \
d by statistics culled from the- A
died figures on the first draft. &
ie total of 9.586.508 men regis- **5?
1 last June, 737.628, or nearly W/Fj
. per cent., were colored. Twcn- jf//
or 208,953. were called by draft f
is and 75,697 certified for ser- [/ I
This means that out of every 1 -t
colored men called, thirty-six ^^1 y
certified for service and sixty- 3
rejected, exempted or disged.
In the cases of the white
ms. twenty-five out of every 100 tT-__
certified for service and seven- SjSggSS
'e rejected, exempted or disgod.