Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-09-10
90 RED mos GENERALs.


Evidently war is quite as peculiar
IN the making Of strange military Off
eers as politics IS in the making OF
strange bedfellows Truly the ways
OF Washington, like the wisdom of
Providence. al times passeth all un-
derstanding. Up TO now we had
thought this to be rather a serious
war. . conflict IN which bravery found
its place and untold suffering its re-
ward. the opportunity al least for a
new order OF things in which the red
blood and courage Of the private sol
der weighed in the scale with the
bravery and ability OF the army Off
Ger, each measured by accomplish
ment and on his merits the bloody
equalizer OF humanity. But, alas,
these thoughts are set aside that we
may inject an element Of humor into
the situation! We must have our Red
Cross generals. one partner in the
worlds greatest banking house, anoth-
err a former president, whose smile
hangs on so fine a spring we wonder
how he suppressed It when the exalted
military title OF general was offered to
him Was Il that We needed this IN
lection Of the lighter side Of thing 70
keep our spirits up, or Is this the first
sign OF eastern civilization making its
impress on our western thought in
our recognition OF the peacock feather
as the badge OF greatness?
The work OF the Red Cross is too
serious to make II the subject of such
manhandling The men on the firing
line who carry their crimson sign to
No Mans Land and face living hell
to save their fallen fellows are bound
TO feel sense OF keen disguest at this
rehabilitation of the marionette- To
be sure, every man cannot be at the
front. and we should find no fault with
fitting recognition of men and women
whose financial sacrifices have been
OF peculiar moment in helping the
work along. But, If financial sacrifice
Is to be the basis of empty military IL
tie. then, If our generals should be
generals, every publisher of country
newspaper should be at least a colo
mel and every printers devil at least
a corporal Country newspaper pub
fishers have done more in actual sery-
ice for the Red Cross and sacrificed
more in proportion TO their wealth
than any other class Of citizens. For
tunately Washington has been wise
enough not to offer such titles to the
publishers Of country newspapers in
return for the free space they have
given to the cause. Newspaper editors
are inclined to be caustic. and their
declination of such a proposal would
probably be as emphatic as it would
be prompt. Nevertheless when the
hurry burly's done and the battles lost
and won we shall have with US. as
central figures at our patriotic gather
ings. not the men who have lost their
arms and legs in Red Cross work, not
the men who have sacrificed their
legitimate incomes TO help the work
along. but. shining in their pristine
glory. our gold lace, uniformed, be-
decked Red Cross generals and posi-
bly, number of adjutants and
colonies whose chief accomplishment
will have been to get the other fell
low 10 do it, in helping the work of
the worlds great machine Of mercy.
We hope. so far as the country news
papers are concerned, that our new
military dignitaries will not have the
temerity to expect an additional batch
OF free advertising space in order that
perhaps another shoulder strap may
be added TO the glitter of their reward
for executive accomplishment and
leadership
As fact. the new order of things
military is burdened with possibilities.
While we are not the seventh son of a
seventh son gifted with second sight,
still we glimpse in the not far distant
future a possible clash as TO the pre-
cedence in rank 10 be observed when
a Red Cross adjutant general meets
salvation Army brigadier general.
particularly if the latter has seen ac-
tive service
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