Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-08

wards, while he is the commander of
a great army division and a soldier
, tried and not found wanting, is a man
and a father with all the human emo
tions Of both. He is man in whom
burns strong the flame of love of
country and of kindred and of his fell
low man and withal a man with an
unmstaKahle will of iron.
During the weeks that General Ed
wards, as commander of the Depart
ment of the Northeast, has been in
Boston. those who have been with him
most and known him best have more
than once seen his emotions Of SYM
pathy as the sad story Of some per
picked wife or mother was unfolded
for his ears. He has been inconcciv-
ably busy, but never busy enough to
deny n hearing to these worrying
ones. and it has been common sight
during these weeks to see >"Author-
ity," resplendent in gold braid and
brass buttons, cooling it's impatient
heels at the door Of his department Of
fee while he explained at length the
things that an anxious mother had not
been made clearly to understand. And
the same ones who have seen the
ready tears Of sympathy in his eyes
have, an instant later, seen the same
eyes as cold as steel and lips closed
with frmness that bespoke power.
General Edwards is a man of light
rninglike perception and action. He
seldom makes an error in his daduc
ton Of character. He calls a spade n
SPADE, and wastes no time in doing it.
| He inspires confidence in his asso
ciates, whatever their rank, equalled
BY that Of but few men.
Perhaps no incident among the many
similar ones which have Character
! lied this mans career as leader of
men better serves TO illustrate his de-
| cisive nature and uncrrinG instinct. as
well as his innate hatred of injustice
and oppression than that attendant
upon his clearing mp of the affairs Of
the guardlOuse Of the 10lst Regiment
at Framingham a few days since.
During tho course Of regular depart
mental routine it came to General Ed
wards notice that an unusual number
Of men were confined in the quarters
referred to. and 10 his mind. trained
to be ever alort 10 danger. was AT once
flashed the question Why" The re-
port from which he incident ally
cleaned his knowledge was not laid
aside for subsequent inquiry. This
man with 10000 trained mon waiting
to carry out his orders did not refer
the matter to subordinate for in
Nestigation and report: neither did he
dispatch an orderly for additional in
formal ton concerning the state Of af-
| fairs. What he did do was to reach
for his hat and with the terse order
Fra mingEam" to his driver, droI e
over the road to that town at four
o'clock in the afternoon. straight to
the Army encampment and thence to
the guardhouse of the 101st Regiment.
Having reached It the 100 or more men
therein were brought out and one af-
ter another questioned as to the ma
ture of the offense he had committed
and the duration of his punishment
With a word of advice to this one, a
reprimand to another and a slap on
the shoulder and a word Of encour-
agement to third, the end Of the long
line was soon reached-a week Of too
long delayed court martial work done
in an hour, the guard house emptied
and hundred undisciplined, careless
boys made into soldiers who will here
after do their duty and do it faith
fully, not so much because it is their
duty as because IL is "for the Gener-
al"
One IT tho number Of offenders or
6ercd discharged was a youth ;mpris-
oned for breaking arrest" a rather
serious offence from military point