The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-10
REAL ARMY MESS
Topeka Press Club Ate Beans
and Had a Great Time.
Gen. Martin and Other Army
Officers ON the Program.

straps in charge OF the oratory. The
dinner was the newspaper gangs OFF,
cial recognition of the nations in
evitable entrance in the European con-
flict. 1t was arranged by Quarter
master" Howes Ind was the idea of
Private Pink" Wingart.
Army men talked before a changed
Press club. Veterans told of other
wars. army officers of rank told II
the issues in the present conflict-with
regard for military secrets. Some of
these men would have been glad to
have left the dinner without calling
an ambulance had the dinner been
given under ordinary circumstances.
But the grave issues of world con-
f1ict caused the news writer's to change
their established plan. There was no
hurlesque. There was no gr1dlron. In
stead the newspaper men sang patrl-
otto songs, waved flags, and nearly
tore the boards from the rough army
tables when Henry Bennett spoke for
red blooded American patriotism and
loyalty.
Table linens and waiter service were
not for the news men who sat at the
utensils that looked like pancake
moulders and held a mans ration of
meat, potatoes, gravy and beans
heavy on the beans. The recruits also
carried awkward-bean shaped-uten-
sis which held a half quart of coffee.
ate their meal and meditated as to the
probable joys of weeks and months in
the trenches.
General Martin a Speaker.
Hugh McVey, a Spanish-American
war veteran, presided at the dinner
Charles /. Martin, adjutant general.
told of his recent trip to New YORK
mad, he declared On the other
hand pacifists sent to Washington to
block the war move, were as fanatlcal
and extreme in demands for peace.
Precautions and safeguards in FEDERAL
departments were described by Cen
eral Martin. who himself waited sew
eral hours in hurried effort to visit
the war department.
Captain w. P. MacLean, with
modest pride, praised the boys of
Battery A. II am proud to night with
those boys, to be a part of their Or
ganiZation,'' said Captain MacLean-
ut isn't as thorough an organization
as some of the regulars. But 1t Is
Just as good as a lot of them and the
personnel and the spirit as good
as any"
John NJ. Padgett, a member of the
club and president of the Spanish
American war veterans organization in
this state, put little real humor in
the meeting. He recited number of
Col Ed c. Titles humorous army
stories ana DurIeSQueO the Idle PAlS-
Gen. Frederick Funston's crossing of
the Bag Bag river.
Major A NJ. Fuller, detailed from
the regular army with the Kansas
National Guards, told stories of the
days when regular army service was
number of the Indian battles and re-
counted frontier experiences.
Bennett Aroused Hearers.
Henry Bennett, member of the
Loyal Legion, brought the newspaper
men to their feet with display of
patriotism when he declared the de-
mands of the nation in the present
spirit of the people. There is no such
thing as humane war, he said. He
spoke in full as follows:
patriotism and love of our country.
THE man or woman who has never
felt the inspiration of patriotism and
love of country, has lost one of Gods
greatest gifts to mankind.
81 have often wondered if true red
blooded patriotism could be acquired,
or whether it must be born and bred
in the soul and heart at our inception.
1 have thought of this many times
in the two and a half years of the
present war, because we have in our
country so many foreign born people.
I'm connection with this thought 1
look back to the four years of Civil
war in America, and can feel the
loyal touch on the battle fields of for
eigners from every land. whose valor
and patriotic efforts to maintain our
country against all our enemies had
no superiors. While thus engaged, I
look at the battle lines of our enemies
confronting us, and these foreigners
from the same countries as those be-
side us are battling with all their
might for their adopted country with
an enthusiasm and valor equal to
those beside US. So 1 say, when l look
back on the conditions of that period
1 am forced to believe that patriotism
and sentiment may be acquired. In
view of this fact, may we not expect
the same conditions to prevail in the
struggle before US!
Punish the DisIoyal.
should conditions that we are now
i getting in touch with prove otherwise,
then am 1 in favor of interning all
that give US trouble in any way, in
camps, to be held in this country,
until the close of the war and then
returned to the country from whence
they shall never again be permitted
to put foot on American soil.
I'VE hear much talk at times about
humane war. There are no such
things as humane wars, but on the
contrary, all wars are inhuman and
destructive of every obstacle that
stands in it's purposes. Death and de-
| Struction ever follows in all of its eff
forts. War adds TO our destructive
organs until we reach the point that
we are not content in time of war I'M
less we are destroying our enemies
and all that give them comfort and
assistance. This is war, as experienced
in the past, and confronting us today
knowing these facts. We now con-
front a condition that calls on all OF
US to put forth the best in US, to create
an army and navy that shall be equip
ped with the best and most destructive
Implements of war, in sufficien!
amounts to meet whatever comes be-
fore US. To attain this state of eff
! cheney. / am for universal military
| training now, of all our men from 16
to 40 years of age. They should be
| differed by men that know how to
! d,-ilI