The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-07-21
Uncle, Sans Battle Robe is
Musty and Wrinkled, But
Made Of Good
Stuff.
THE AMERICAN MILITIA
Polish Company and Negro Com.
pAny From Chicago Are Among
the Members Of Ma
tlonal Guard.

[By VIM. G. Shepherd, Staff Cores
pondent OF the United Press.]
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, July FL
Uncle Sam has dug his ancient storm
coat-the militia-out OF the attic OF
peace.
On tha.hot ironing board OF Texas
sand, he is spreading 1t out for ex-
animation. and under the hot iron OF
discipline he is trying to make 1t
war-proof.
It is musty, wrinkled, creased with
seams, ripped here and there. pue
the material is superfine.
True enough, the material doesn't
like the operation. 1t would rather
be out in - storm dong its work II
aalasss every renerter, or otAars sup
lposedly wise man It sees, aren't we
going to have war with McNco!
But storm coats must be over
hauled whether the coat likes 1t or
not. It's all according to the man
who has to depend on 1t in rough
weather. The texture Of the garment
lis as varied as Joseph's coat That
yargated army which I saw at Sal
onika few months ago consisting OF
French, English, Serbian, Hdndoos,
Australians, Cochin -Chinans and Mon
tenegrIns, looked like q mass OF
blood brothers compared with the
middle western militia
Having the enemy before them
gave the Salonican troops one COM
mon thought. But here with no en-
emy in sight, the militia is extremely
Joseph pattern.
There's Polish Company X, OF
Milwaukee, First Wisconsin for in
stance. It was organized fifty years
ago by Theodore Rosinski. Il Is
known as Kosciusko's company. Forty
per cent of it's 120 members were
born in Poland. sat in the tent OF
the chaplain, Henry Piasech, ana
tried to imagine I was back Of the
British. French or Austrian front and
talking with an officer of one of those
armies as he said it was an ancient
custom of his company not to permit
any but Poles to join and that they
kept up the custom out OF Difference
to hundreds OF previous members
now dead.
80 many Poles try to join now,
we are full and turn them over to
other companies of the regiment,
said the chaplain. They are scat
tered through the Wisconsin troops
We found Polish church in San
Antonio and the church folks are
getting together autos, buggies,, wag-
ons and all kinds Of rigs to take US
IN to church next Sunday"
But / couldn't imagine I was any
where but in the American army.
such a thing couldn't happen in any
other army in the world, or in any
other place than America Wiscon-
stnians claim the American govern
ment has declared the Wisconsin
militia to be the model for the coun-
try. This Polish company for three
years in succession has taken the
| first Wisconsin prize for field work.
Splendid soldiers, thoroughly Amer
ican, but adding varigation to Uncle
Sans storm coat.
! Chicago's colored regiment, the
Eighth, adds variety and even snap
piness. It is hard enough for Chi.
cago's colored troops to ride in the
Jim Crow section of the street cars,
San Antonio, southern style, but
while Investigating various textures
today encountered Colonel +. "A.
| Denison. colored, chief Of the negro
regiment, who said:
"I think we have the only dead
saire American regiment in the entire
| lot. The other regiments have got
all kinds of folks in them, but were
all the same We are so American
that we obey the San Antonio laws
and ride in separate compartments
! of the street cars, but the other day
when the army Y. M. G. A. put UP
that big frame building right on the
edge of the camp and arranged for a
| white Y. NJ. c. A. club to which col
ored men were not admitted. L told
the Y. M. c.. A. authorities couldn {
youch for the safety OF the building.
J IL my men got at 1t, couldn't Keep
them from tearing 1t down, ana
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