The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-10-09

!; A vICTRoLA OF
war stories. We think and feel in
new perspective, and we realize that
our war has come to us. No longer
do writer's describe gorgeous ban
quets, they talk about Hooverizing.
We begin to realize that we must
economize to the last ditch to help
win the war. We are told that trains
may be run only on certain schedules,
and that we must curtail our supply
Of clothing, because wool is scarce.
We talk war, and we see war, and we
want it in our literature. That is
one reason why Over the Top" is
selling four times as good as our
latest best sellers in the line OF regu-
lar novels"
Mr.. Hughes spoke Of his latest
novel. during the interview. and said
that it was being laid in Belgium. He
is taking the most scrupulous care to
have details exact, and he is securing
data and description from persons
who have been in Belgium and who
have been through some of the ex-
periences. One of his friends who
was with Hoover is furnishing much
of the data. II cannot just write
along like some authors" he said,
"and have my scenes laid heller skel-
ter l must know if this street opens
into this, or if that road goes straight
and then turns alongside a river. In
other words have to make my geog-
raphy fit my plot"
Mr.. Hughes holds a contract with
Hearst's for a series. of short stories.
This is said to be one Of the biggest
contracts of this sort made, and the
first story was completed and deliv-
cred about the time OF the declaration
of war. The stories were to be OF
New York society, but Mr.. Hughes
wrote the editor that he thought Ear
stories We're wanted now, and he Is 60
ing to write some stories of the ma
tional guardsman and similar yarns.
Just Waiting Knockout.
"The war is practically over, save
for the knockout punch" said Mr.
Hughes. 81 remember a friend told
me of the F'itzsimmons-Jeffrie fight.
Fitz was in pain ard in the clinches
kept whispering to S>-ffries to put him
out Jeff couldn't bear to hurt the
old man that way-you're old at thlr-
ty in the prize ring, you know-until
finally Fitz begged in utter misery
and Jeff sent him through. Now, OF
course, l don't mean that the kaiser
is going around begging anyone to
put him out, but you Nnow you can
always tell when a fighter is groggy,
and won't last much longer. They
long ago exhausted their money, and
Germany is bankrupt, !
And the kaiser in his message to Won
on his birthday said a
queer thing for kaiser to say. He
spoke of Hindenburg's being relied
upon to defend the frontiers of our
Now can you imagine what
that means, Germany needing to have /
it's frontiers defended, instead OF
tammering at some other nations.
'The great trouble with peace, and
an adjustment, as I see it. VIII be in !
the division Of spoils. 1t will be hard |
to please England. France. America, ;
Italy, Russia and Japan and the 9TH
ers. Italy especially may be hard to
deal with because of her wants in the |
believe"
y. S. Miracle Nation.
The accomplishments of the United
States since its entrance into the
world war are nothing short or
Mr.. Hughes said in dis
the steps we have taken to-
wards getting our, men into the
trenches. Especially is this so with
he leaders who were avowed paclfsts
i year or so ago. Mr.. Hughes Is an
admirer of President Wilson, and
considers him one of the biggest fig
,res in the international horizon to-
lay. He spoke of Wilson's too proud
% fight notcS, and the fact that "he
Kept us out of war" idea almost de-
'eated him last November. Now he
him as warrior will
ne to fight for what he considers the
right course, and the most powerful
ruler in the world today
The president is not the only paci
list who has been converted, there is
shall have the greatest navy
has been of a pacific turn of mind,
and Secretary Baker, likewise pacl-
fist, who has been raising armies by
the score for this country Now
these men are all aligned on the side
Of war, and putting every energy in
to winning it.
1--WE nave made great strides since |
our entrance into the war; Mr.
Hughes said. From the inside per
haps, where you see the mistakes |
and realize just how slow everything |
Is, it seems much longer than to
those on the outside But considering
everything, it is little short Of mir
scle what we have accomplished |
since April. Here we have conscrip-
ton, the very thing the national
y,ordo have heen fighting for for