The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-23

the lnlttu StdtCS tItEC VIM
n temporary end to all pa
,,snce. TO all calculations Of prudence.
There was an end to everything ex-
ran, blind passion. The United States
xss not a patient nation. but no ma
Tim however patient. could have re-
NAMED so at such a time. No man.
however deeply admired. could have
oounselled wisdom then. No inter-
.s.s however great. could have con
trolled.
All the knowledge that had gone
10 the public about the utter un-
readiness Of the freshly enlisted vol
un,eers TO take the firing line. all the
Information that had been given to
tho peoplc about the condition Of
their army. all the proofs that the
foe had given with blood and fire
NJ his immense superiority-all these
we're as nothing. That the army II II
fought now must be destroyed was
as nothing. The cry was that the
army must fight!
Trusted leaders pointed In vain to
the history Of the United States to
proye that whenever its raw forces
had hurried into battle in obedience
10 popular demand the result had
been only to hurry disaster. In vain
they pointed to the civil war and the
hldeous death tolls paid by both sides
without military advantage to either.
Men would not listen. They would
not reason. They hated those who
remained cool enough to reason. 1t
was the human equation that at some
time or another defies all the COM
b~lnations OF mans intelligence.
No Administration. however deter
mined. could nave ignored 1t. Secretly
a special train was made ready in
Washington. Secretly, in the night,
the President Of the United States
with his advisers and stan boarded 1t
and were taken northward.
No dispatches went ahead Of It, ex-
cept railroad orders to clear tracks.
After passing Baltimore It went by
way of Harrisburg and Wilkesbarre.
avoiding Philadelphia and the city Of
New York, Through the sad. black
iron and coal country of Pennsylvania
it passed to the New York State line
without a welcome anywhere.
We might be fugitives," said the
President. looking out with sleepless
eyes.
At J fferson Junction an armored
train with machine guns and a three
inch rifle slid in ahead OF them from
a siding where it had been waiting.
An officer entered the Presidents
train and requested that all shades
be kept down. Thus, furtively, the
nations ruler entered Albany.
Army headquarters had been a tar
get, like the White House, for mes
sages that had shaken those to whom
they were addressed. More than once
the commanding General had felt that
Il was more than human men could
bear. More than once. In council.
officers, Infatuated by the yelled ac-
cusations of cowardice in the des-
patches. had spoken in favor of CIV
ing the army the fatal order to go
into action
The President, when he looked az
the Generals deeply lined features,
knew that the old soldier had more
to gain from a battle. however dis
astrous. than from life. "If he does
not interpose between the invader and
New York city" thought the Chief
Magistrate, "he will live only to see
his name blasted. There will be a
thousand tacticians in future years
who WI assert that ne was a blum
derer, il not a traitor"
'Tha 49, IArna-a h
know" The soldier laid before the
President a sheaf Of papers. Some
reports, sir, bearing on the matter"
The first sheet was a report from
brigade h"adquarters. Twenty bat
'eries Of II inch artillery moved vest
ward through New Haven last night"
II said. our spy reports that these
guns appear to be Of the type that is
known o. have a range OF seven miles,
Tar outrangng our field guns. Ac-
companiod by heavy conveys Of
shrapn'l and explosive shell."1
They are bringing up heavier guns
sun said the General, selecting an
other report. Between New London
and Sayhrook Junction fiat cars were
seen with ll,02 inch howitzers, which,
we presume, must be the type that
,hrows a $50 pound projectile. We
nave ny near that type In our ar
Nlery To oppose them. As they have
d range NJ . 1000 yards they can be
paced Wherever it may please the
enemy and We might as well bonn
uard them with roman candles as with
our gun
The l'r,Sident. without replying,
picked up o third report. 1t was from
d Major NJ the Medical Corps and
ran:
a Considerable proportion of mill
va !hfan'rE still suffers severely from
mustered feet after only a few miles
:" march over rough country. More
aeh are 'ng disabled from Ill fitting
onoes an! unsuitable socks (thread
Gnu co''"") than from all other
,Io combined. Habit Of pr~ophylac-
'ar' .. the feet almost wholly
m.N1mg' s." regimental or infirmary
supplies ir .l1e foot powders
al you Ike men from their office
lars n or I'm seats by the side Of
,h iva u shops growled one of
hm s sIaT '"l can't expect them to
mAe IN. twc day. Men who insist
"''hE or trolley cars, which Is a
20, Hh'f.'1n habit, must expect to
NH, sore '""t after walking three
es J. fifty mile march, sir. this
-"y IN present condition will lose
for. "a . nm statistics, gathered be-
arm m' pr "ft European par, Of tho
OH" '''i ot1ned by at Ieast four
= mr. H.t#. ,t..-