The Washington herald., 1917-02-27
Interesting Chats
From Hotel Lobbies

What real preparedness and modern
military efficiency means, was told by e.
Alexander Powell. author and war-corre-
spondent, who has just returned from
the European battlefields, where he spent
nearly three years. In an interview In
the lobby Of The Raleigh.
when hostilities were declared" he
said, "a code word went throughout the
whole OF Germany. In an instant men
rushed to their armories, where each
had his locker holding a complete equip
ment. In each of the millions of these
lockers was a canteen filed with fresh
water This water had been changed
every "a hours since 1871.
when Germany's endless army
streamed through Belgium I noticed at
various cross roads men stationed with
electric clipping machines. AS the SOL
diers marched by, one after the other
was called from the ranks and in sew
eral seconds his hair was clipped.
Another illustration of the remarkable
efficiency and preparedness of Germany's
military organization came to my at
tention while accompanying troops over
one of Germany's many remarkable mil
itary roads.
French and British guns had been
trying to throw shells on the road all
day. Finally one of the shells hit square
in the middle of the roadway. killing sew
eral score of men and horses, and tear
ing a hole large enough to have placed
an ordinary house inside.
In not more than two minutes after
the shell exploded traffic had been di-
verted to one side by a thorough system
of signal men, which lined the road for
miles and miles.
I'm several more minutes hundreds of
men were at work making repairs. A
the road was again in shape.
''One day / had the privilege of look
ing over a stack OF photographs taken of
the enemys positions from an aeroplane
The commanding officer pointed out sew
eral small specks in a street Of a town,
saying one OF the specks was a man liv-
ing In the fourth house, over on an ad-
joining street. He pointed to another
speck which he said was a farmer liv-
ing in house, he indicated on the out
skirts Of the village.
II thought that was fine guess work,
but the officer told me his men never
guessed. To prove his assertion he show
ed a series of pictures which showed the
positions of the specks changing. one
going into the fourth house in the ad-
joining street, the other going to the
farmland so on.
This Is an illustration of the spying
done with the camera from the air.
While prices are exorbitant and the
food situation in New York City NAV be
acute. the food rioters are principally
ag1tators who appear to make a practice
or resorting to demonstrations on the
slightest occasion" said A. J. Gallien. of
New York City. representing r. Hoe &
Co. In an interview in the lobby of the
New Willard.
This cry OF starvation has been very
much exaggerated. There is no reason
why any one in New York City should be
facing starvation unless he Is too tired to
work. There are. perhaps. many men
without employment. But they need not
be! There is scarcity of labor and Jobs
can be had everywhere
Sometimes think the increased earn
ings OF the middle and higher class of
people are responsible for high prices,
The majority Of men are earning higher
salaries than they were a year or two
ago. with the result that they will live
better and spend more money. They will
demand better food and more attention.
There will be a greater consumption of
food. All of this no doubt has a tendency
to increase food prices"
Asked about the newsprint paper situa-
ton. Mr.. Gallien said: While the in
creased price of paper is having its effect
1t does not appear to be as disastrous as
it Is sometimes pictured.
MY business reflects such conditions.
and I can say that the company I repre-
sent is having the most prosperous year
in its history