The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-08-07
CopyFszgsA RIA by = W. NuHler.
An rights reserved.

While the futile dollars were being
flung to the government for new ar
mics the army that was already In the
field was counting its small arms and
artillery ammunition, knowing that it
did not possess enough for two days
battle.
From ocean to ocean men with naked
hands were crowding TO enlist. The
generous nation that never Jet had de-
MED need when the need was made
apparent was as generous with it's lives
as with it's dollars. For two and three
blocks around the recruiting stations
OF regular army and militia the streets
were packed with men. They had
come from work and pleasure. They
had come home from far places. They
had dropped shovels and tennis rack
cts, pens and picks. They stood shout
der to shoulder in fne stuffs and In
rags. made equal by one loyal purpose.
And they were as futile as the dollars.
| One million men. 1t was computed
| afterward, had offered themselves In
| America in that one day. But there
were no weapons for them. There
were not enough rifles. There were no
uniforms. There were no tents. There
i were no shoes.
Keen eyed men OF trails and wilder
ness offered themselves for the signal
corps. There were no signal corps sup
plies. Telegraphers were there, but all
the field telegraph outfits that the
| country had were with the army.
| Transfers volunteered, but there was
no reserve Of army wagons. Men
trained in bridge building and engi-
neering were turned away because
there was no equipment to fit out sore
" needed companies Of miners and
sappers.
Cavalry was needed urgently, and
| men who could ride tried to enlist, but
| there were no mounts for them. Army
| officers in Texas and New Mexico and
Oklahoma were buying. at unheard of
prices, rough horses wild from the
range. while in Connecticut were regi-
| ments of regular cavalry whose troops
were only three-quarters filed with
either men or horses.
| Money, money, money! Men, men.
l men! 1t was too late.
In a village north Of New Bedford
stood a little crowd Of farmers, gath
cred around the general store and lis
tening to the sheriff ETe was warn
ing them that they must not attempt
to resist the invading troops when they
came.
II know that you-and you" said he.
! pointing to men as he spoke, brought
arms with you. You'd better give them
up to me-" And you an Americana"
| growled one of the men. The sheriff
did not retort He was scarcely past
middle age, but there was great. slow
| patience in his face that made him
| look old.
He shook his head and said. Its
only for your own sake
| "Lookr' cried a farmer. ''Who Is
coming hereY'
The man who was coming was a
| man on a motorcycle Man and ma
| chine were so coated with dust, were
speeding so q, arateiy that even with
out war in the land one would stare at
this flying ching, one would wait with
eyes and lips open to learn what star
Ting message it was carrying. Man.
| roaring motor and their brother pillar
of dust crashed by. They had disap-
| peared before the breathless watchers
realized that the man had waved an
arm at them and had screamed. SOL
diersP'
A farmer ran to his wagon and pull
ed out rifle from its hiding place I'M
der the wagon seat. Come on, boysp'
he said. Listen! LISTEN The sher-
iff shouldered forward. "l6en, neigh
bors. old friendsl For Gods sake, lis
tenl You have no right to hghtF'
"WhatY' The sherff's young brother,
sturdy. handsome, suddenly ferocious.
brought his face close to him mo right
to defend our country? Are you crazy,
Jim?"
The patient man shook his head
again. st is against the rules OF war"
Then curse the rules Of war;" shouted
the younger. "Are you a coward? 2"
The sheriff reached out ard touched
his brothers arm. 1t was a secret, al
most a timid, act. The brother threw
or the appealing hand
Don't touch mel He spolse through
set teeth. If you are coward and
traitor may you be damned through all
eternity! Again, for the last time. VIII
you fight?
The sheriff raised his hands dumbly.
The men went to their wagons and re-
turned with arms.
ITO that stone wall yonderw Gaid
one.
! He pointed into field with a rough
stone wall dividing its center 800 or 400
yards from the road. This man was
an old hunter. and the others had fol-