Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-17
JUST GOSSIP ABOUT PEOPLE
VIM. Howard Taft Speaks at Bellevue-Stratford
for Y. M. c. A-Pickering Club Holds Meet
for Members-What Uniform Will Do

WHEN IL isn't ono thlng lts another
w one night you go to hear pleadings
for smokes and comfort bags for the SOL
a,ers and another to the Y. NJ. G. A.
meeting to hear William Howard Taft
tall how much good work has been done
nj the Y. NJ. c. A. shacks, as he did last
night at the Bellevue, together with
Major General Kennedy, U. S. A.. Rear
Rufus Reynolds, of the Forty eighth Bat
talon Canadian Infantry. who was
wounded in the battle Of the Ypres My.
but wasn't 1t interesting?
THE meeting opened with the Canadian
i scotties band; they marched around
the. ballroom playing the usual Scotch
air one always hears played on bagpipes,
and then mounted the stage and played
yankee Doodle"
Mr.. Stotesbury greeted the people, and,
let mo tell you. that ballroom was
-iammed and then the whole bunch stood
up and sang the Battle Hymn Of the Re.
public" and they sang it to the good old
tune they have been singing it to for
many IL year INtdi fNuIlllTdl 1dDDHn,
commandant of the Navy Yard, spoke
first, and was followed by Major General
Kennedy, of Camp Dix. Then came Pri-
yate Reynolds, who rested his cute leg
on a table and, standing on the other leg.
talked for some twenty minutes of what
the huts built back of the trenches meant
TO the unwounded man. He told of how
he had received his wound. How he had
had his leg shattered and had lain on the
field for fourteen hours before they could
pick him up. They took him to the first
hospital. where the doctors said they
could do nothing: then he was put with,
two other wounded men in one ambu-
lance and taken to another hospital.
where his leg was cut off. He was trans.
ferred an hour later to one of the big
hospitals, where $500 men were being
treated. He had not been in bed more
than three hours when the German air.
planes arrived, and though the hospital
was plainly marked with huge red
many were wounded.
After that talk there was collection
taken up by a number Of young girls in
white, who were led up the aisle by the
"kilties." And then former President Taft
was introduced. He simply took that
audience into his hands and held them
for the rest of the evening. 1t was the
fourth speech he had made yesterday.
but 1t certainly was a great one. He was
so strongly American through everything
He said, We are not Democrats or Re-
publicans these days; we are Americans"
He stated that the Kings of England and
Italy did not interfere with the democ.
,acy of their countries; they were simply
matters of fuss and feathers" Then he
giggled delightfully."- and said, "Why, the
Kings of England and Italy have no
more to say about the government of the
people than an ex-President of the United
States" Needless to say that brought
the house down.
His explanation of the train of thought
of the German mind was splendidly clear.
He said the Germans are a logical peo.
pie, the only trouble is that some of their
premises get mixed up with facts now
and again, and it's so much the worse
for the facts" A lady sitting next to me
whispered to another, What does he
mean by premises?" (Perhaps she
thought there might be some trespassing
on premises which would be against the
law
To show that II things did not happen
the way the Germans thought they
should, they just simply weren't. Mr..
Taft told the story of the German who
had met a man in New York and then
some few weeks later in California. 1t
was in the days of gold.digging and the
German only knew Of four ways to get
to California. He greeted his friend and
said. "Ah, you come the prairies. over"
No" replied the Yankee. "Ach. I see
you come the Straits of Magellan,
through" "Oh! no." said the New
Yorker 80? You come the Isthmus,
across?" mo, did not" replied Mr..
American. "Ach sure you come the horn,
around?" mo" said our friend. "Ach,"
said Mr.. German, then you have not ar.
rived"
90 MANY of the Pickering members are
~ away at camp training or "over there"
that the club decided not to hold its an
nual breakfast and meet, but It is giving
some sort of a shindig this afternoon and
every member who can will be there.
In fact. they are. to have a drop hunt and
luncheon. The beautiful little clubhouse.
hidden away In the Pickering Valley and
surrounded by some Of the most beau
utui rolling country in the State, has
certainly given fine men to the service.
Andy Porter is a CAPTAIN in the cavalry,
you kr ow. and Flo Rivinus, another men,
per- is now at an officers camp. Buck
morris, who married pretty Julia Lewis,
- an artillery captain now stationed at
camp Meade, and Hunter Lucas Is