Imperial Valley press., 1917-08-02

| songs OF IaIkS--dlWayS 70 GS fStstSfti'
bered by the soldiers on this front as
their ever-cheerful companions OF
trench and battle fields.
Trudging over some Of the older bat
tlefields of the Somme, walking
through the trenches and standing in
the higher places where the panorama
# battle spread below him, Sir Arthur
drank in the atmosphere of the war
the meaning of it all, He saw the
tanks" in repose and heard them at
drill; he stood outside a prison cage
and visualiZed the handicapped Ger
mans within the barber wire barriers.
lie asked a guard if any of the pris-
cners ever attempted to escape.
Escape, sir?" replied the old ser
Reant; "why, sir, you couldn't drive
EN- away. They likes being prisoners,
sin. they does
The ruined cites Of the Somme-Ba-
paume and Peronne-affected Sir Ar
thur deeply.
Il wish the whole world-all but the
Germans, who already know what they
Lave done-couid come and stand in
The grand squares of these cities as
did today" he exclaimed, "and see
and feel the desolation and the wanton
destruction. They are ghost-like, these
cities of the dead. | know them on
motor trips in other days, when they
were alive and ! could see, and
could picture the scene today as if
We're looking at painting. The
Germans will find, however, the day
Of reckoning is near at hand. | shall
take back words of great cheer to the
men at st. Dustan's."
Entertained by officers of all ranks.
Sir. Aurther declared his days and
nights at the front had been filled to
overflowing. No visitor ever followed
the workings of the vast British ar
my machine with quicker, keener ap-
pceciation and understanding than he.
He was gratified to find in the army
a similar interest and appreciation in
the work at St. Dunstan's for the bind
Cd soldiers and sailors.
Sir Arthur told Of the resentment
Re felt when unthinking people re-
ferred to st. DunStan's as "home"
for the blind, as if the blind were
!, be segregated there for the rest of
their days.
"It is not home orthe blind" he
protested, "and l do not believe in
homes for the blind ST. Dunstan's
IS an institution where those who can
); see are helped to equip themselves
to retake their places in the ordinary
walks and affairs of life. Often des-
pondent at first, they are set some
simple task and when they find how
easily it is done spirit Of regenera-
tion seems to come over them. They
catch the spirit of accomplishment and
thereafter nothing is too great for
them to attempt.
Cone of the most dcspondent men
with whom we have had to deal was
q blinded Tommy who had been q
sort of steamfitter or house heating
expert. None of the ordinary trades
.y,,ooo1ad +o him opJ Lo fo1+ ~ ;e bo
we're altogether done for. Suddenly
asked him how he would like to go
9ack to his old job. He shook his
lead sadly. 1t couldn't be DONE | told
lim we would see about them. | wrote
o his old firm and one of the part
lers came to see me. | asked if they
could like to take Tommy back. !
vas assured the firm would like to do
80, but they could not see how blind
nan could fill any post in their busi
less. | obtained promise, however,
hat if | could assist the soldier to
such an extent that felt he was en-
tiled to a trial, they would do so.
"I Immediately sent for all the avail
able text books on house heating
could find. even got two volumes
f ON America. The erd of the story
is very simple. / had letter from
the firm few days ago saying Tom
my was receiving nearly double his
cid salary, was of more value to them
than he had ever been, or, they be
lieved, ever would have been"