Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-12-04
IRISH STEW FOR SOLDIERS
American Agent Lands Large Con-
tract Because Tin Cans Make
Good Hand Grenades.
statesmen swARMING IN EUROPE


and the other war capitals Of Europe.
lie is taking the place OF the American
pleasure tourist. who has almost disap-
peared from the scene, and the channel
boats. the great hotels AID the boule-
wards now have a goodly quota Of Amer
leans telling their stories and relating
their latest experiences in dealing with
officials over war supplies. They are OF
the audacious and adventurous type and
prepared on short notice to talk in round
millions on contract for horses, guns,
munitions or supplies of any kind
Two OF the new type of war contractors
CHANGED to meet at the Grand hotel the
other day. and after the usual greetings
and inquiries about home, one Of them
asked the other:
What is your line?"
Canned goods"
Doing any business?''
Fine; just closed big contract with
the military people for a war ration"
What kind of a war raton?"
We'll, we call it Irish stew in America,
but over here, since the war began, I am
calling 1t war ration, and it has caught
on fine We take a certain portion of
meat-good first-class meat and no poor
stuff-and add portion of rice a portion
of onions, portion of carrots with sea-
soning, that. you see. makes a fine Irish
stew, but, as I say, over here we call it
a war ration"
And what do you think" he went on
I'VE put up that stew in one-pound tin
cans, and after they cat the Irish stew
they're going to use the tin cans Tor
hand grenades. Now. that's a fact, and
that's where our goods appealed to these
military people the most-the double use
they could get out of them-first as a
war ration and then as a hand grenade,
and that's what closed the contract"
This was told in all seriousness and was
not story OF 1.-THE road" so that there
is every reason TO expect that Irish stew
made in America will soon be nourishing
allied troops and afterward serving them
as a receptacle for explosives to offset
liquid fire, asphyXiating gas and other
deadly contrivances.
The group of American travelling men
had considerably enlarged while this talk
was going on, and one of the newcomers
remarked:
1--WE got something that beats your
Irish stow, but those people at the Lon
don war office wouldn't adopt it."
Would Sell Steel Gloves.
He drew from his pocket a wad of pill
able metal that gradually unfolded itself
into the form of perfect glove. 1t was
made of minute links of STEEL much as a
woman's link purse is made, so that the
linked steel glove fitted to the hand and
was flexible to all its movements.
Have you noticed" he explained,
that the wounded India troops in the
streets of London invariably have their
right hand in sling? That is because
the Indian fighter when he rushes a
German trench. grabs the German bayo-
nets they're thrust at him, and when
the bayont is jerked back it cuts an
ugly doube-edged wound in the Indian
hand. That's why half the Indian troops
are in hospital with wounded hands
Now it was to meet just such a con
dition and keep the Indian on the fir
ing line that we got up this steel-linked
glove. With that on his hand an Indian
can jump in trench and grab a bayo-
net, with no danger of a wounded hand.
But somehow those war office people
woundnt see 1t; they're standing in theii
own light, for every one of those gloves
would have kept an Indian soldier at the
'front.'"
Hard to Reach Right Man.
1t appears to be the concensus of opin.
ion among the commercial men that il
is very hard to do business with the
average European official. First the
bureau systems make an endless amount
of circumlocution and red tapc, and i
is difficult to find out who is the Of
fetal who has the real decision Ant
after that the travellers say that hide
bound conservatism stands in the way
of the adoption of anything outside o
old, MISUNDERSTOOD models, many o
which are out Of date. They tell many
strange experiences in their efforts t
reach the right people.
81 was told," said one of the travellers
that an introduction from prominen
people was necessary to get you an!
attention. one firm advertised in Lon
don that they could furnish the RICH
kind of introductions. l looked them vi
and found they were house agents. Thel
] heard that the Duke of -- coul'
give the sort of letter required. so
managed to see him. and told him tina
i'm America we were able TO tell custo
mer when we saw one, and l was s.
anxious to see what British custome
looked like that / would be willing I
spend 81 600 dollars to have one intro
duced to me- The duke said he woul
be glad to introduce the very man VIII
had the final signing of contracts 70
my line of goods, and would bring hir
TO me In two days. I waited anXiOusl
the second day, but he did not come, an
l have been waiting ever since. But tn
duke can do It if he wants to, there
no doubt"
wanted 10 Be Overcharged.
Another representative of an extensiy
American Industry related the followin
experience.
"An artillery harness for six horses
being furnished to one Of the belligei
ont governments for 1856. The contra'
was first let as a whole to an America
agent at that net price. But as N
agent was not in the harness business
this being only one OF many war con
tracts-he sublet II to another contracto
who made a speciality in horses but NJ
in harness, so that he in turn subj
the contract to us. Now | was able
90 to these government people and ga
TO them that l would furnish this ST.
horse artillery harness at S8ls instea
OF 1856 and also would give them o.
first prade of harness IL stca Oui Il