New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-11
THE ONE WOMAN OFFICIAL AT PLATTSBURG

burger have had long experience in book
making.
For instance, Stuart Benson, formerly Of
Golfers" acts as art editor, and one Of the
contributors is Bud Fisher, the creator Of
Mutt and JEFF" And never has he done any
thing funnier than his "Plattsburger" pictures.
]. ]. Fitzgerald, wel-known advertising
man, has charge Of that part of the work, and
ne has been so successful that the advertising
will pay for the book. SO the receipts from
its sale will all be clear profit.
This is all very well, but here is the great
point of the whole idea and the thing in which
Miss Gunther has put her heart and soul. The
book is to sell for 81 a volume, and il stands
to reason that every last man in camp will
buy copy, which means $1,000 at least.
Now this $1,000 is to be made the beginning
of an endowment fund for a society which the
men of the two Plattsburg training camps are
about to found. This is to be known as "The
American Hero Fund" after the "French Hero
Fund" which has already been established.
The object Of The American Hero Fund" is
to educate the children of American army Off
GERS who are killed in the war-not only 20
educate them, but TO establish them in some
business; in short, to do for them what the
father would have done had he lived to fulfil
his obligations. Subscriptions will be solicited
as soon as the sale Of 1.-THE Plattsburger" is
assured.
So you see this is the beginning Of a pretty
big idea and pretty good one, don't you think
so? Miss Gunther's big brown eyes fairly
glow as she speaks of it.
81 believe this is your pet scheme" told
her.
Everything / am interested in is my pet
scheme" she replied-which is probably the
very reason that she does everything so well.
Miss Gunthers duties, as | have said, are
manifold and of such a wide diversity that it
takes woman of just exactly the right per-
sonality to fulfil them all.
They range from issuing her military orders
as the adjutants assistant TO chaperoning
score of chorus girls who come to Plattsburg
for the weekly theatrical performances. There
could be, as you can well imagine, no better
guide to the camp than she who Is Its god
mother. | have picture of her now in my
minds eye, sitting in the reglmental head
quarters, dugout way down under the ground,
explaining to me the whole system OF trench
warfare-to the great edifcation Of regular
army officer who accompanied US.
She follows the schedule Of the camp from
day to day and can tell you exactly what each
company is doing at given hour. She inter
cedes with the officers when candidate
wants q few hours leave or wishes TO be ex-
cused from conference. She visits the sick
in the camp hospital; she comforts the candi-
date who has had bad news from home. In
fact, there is only one thing, found, that she
will not do, and that is to condole with the, un'
fortunate candidates who after their three
months of terrifcally hard work do not re-
ceive their commissions. a
81 just have to duck that" she told me- Il
know what it means and I feel as if it were
myself" -
Do you wonder that civilian life seems
bare and Improbable to this woman? "Vtre
Parn,6ep is her watchword. One month more
and the second Plattsburg camp will be thing
of the past, and what of its one woman OFF,
Ger? Shl This is a state secret!
have heard it whispered that certain I'M
portant general at a certain important head,
auarters "Over There" is only waiting for that
month to elapse before making her his field
eecretarV"