The Dickinson press., 1917-12-15
own BOYS FIRST
By Anna Steese Richardson Of The
Vigilantes

never knit before, Sne cOulO
not sleep for the memories which be-
set her, memories of shivering figures
echoes of hacking coughs. And the
next morning she was at it before her
friends were Out. of bed, telephoning
them, imploring them to knit, knit,
and stand between the men she had
seen and that grim enemy, pneumonia.
Another friend served as waitress
in a Red Cross tea Don at a county
fair near one Of the northern canton
ments. When there were no patrons
to serve, the mattresses brought out
their knitting. Three young soldiers
from a western state, finding the
women thus occupied, asked in all
seriousness if a class in knitting
could not be started among the men
in the camp. They could knit before
taps, an hour or so, and it would be
jolly to have sweaters, mutflers ana
wristlets.
I listened specifically to these tales.
The uniform was working it's little
tricks on the emotionalism Of women,
I argued.
Then yesterday I saw the picture
with my W eyes. And l no longer
doubted.
I went. to a nearby encampment to
look up the son of an old friend who
lives in a distant state. Wherever l
turned, I saw half finished windows
through which the fall wind whistled
and shrieked bleakly. An all around
me were shivering men.
The half finished buildings are the
barracks which contractors have not
completed as promised for our newly
modified army. The shivering men
are your sons, the sons of your
friends, the boys from your town who
rode forth cheerily to make the great
fight for democracy.
The boy I went to see was not shlv-
ering. His mother, a young woman OF
means, had sent him forth with more
than her prayers-warm underwear, a
heavy %overcoat, knitted sweater, muf-
fer, wristlets and socks. Some of the
things he still has. The rest he has
given to. his pals.
I saw men in shoddy overcoats,
which were made to wear in crowded
trolleys and subways-not in the open,
men in leather coats which they wore
when riding motorcycles, men in pea
Jackets and slickers which had been
loaned to them by kindly fishermen
from nearby towns.
Uniforms?
Nothing doing in that line! The
contra ctors who are turning out uni
forms, shirts, overcoats and shoes
have not begun to catch up with the
4my which is rallying to the colors.
But winter is catching up with it
coming up hard and fast.
The boy tramping at my side ex-
planned the situation thus:
"You see, most Of these chaps come
from inside jobs, stores, factories, Of
fees, where there's steam-heat a.
plenty in cold weather. They don't
know what life in the open means.
They hadn't the clothes for this sort
of life. And most of them haven't
the money to- buy it with. Hundreds
of 'em, like the average American,
lived right up to the tip end of their
salary. If. they had anything. laid
away, it was left behind for the folks.
We haven't had any pay yet and when
it does come, 80 per cent of these men
will send the bulk of it home. Some
of them signed aIl-but money for.
smokes over to their folks before
they left. We didn't come out of a
Pullman car, camping-with-Indlan-
guide holiday, but gee whiz, if some OF
these fellows don't get something
warm on their backs soon, they'll be
whistling something besides Upper
ary' through their teeth, and it'll be
pleurisy or pneumonia"
+ It wasn't a cheerful line of CONVEX
sation. 1 hated the overheated atmos-
phere of the train on which l rode
back to New York.
Later in the afternoon, I stopped at
certain headquarters Of a great or
%ganization. 1t seemed to have been
knitters' day. Scores of women were
turning in finished garments, cumfy,
snugly WOODWORK sweaters, mutflers,
wristlets and socks in khaki and grey.
AS I watched the work, a nice warm
glow enveloped me. 1t wa like going
into your room from a snow storm
and finding that some thoughtful soul
had lighted the fire.
And then the cold died and left me
cold.
All those garments were going to
Europe. Nobody knew just. where i n
Europe, but the great boxes would go
Oh, I know our boys are in France
but the regulars went first, men
perfectly equipped to the last gar
ment. And 1 know our allies COM
mand our deepest s~ympathies, our
most generous impulses. But u
boys are our boys! And they are here
in America so easy to reach! NO
question of shipment, long journeys
over sea, MOI red tape in distribution.
Just a great box and express com
panies that give consignments for
cantonments the right way! And for
boys who shiver n~eedlessly.
All over America today, women are
knitting-without knowing where the
finished garments IN going. 1t is all
right in a. way. Some fighting man
viii get their gift some time, but why
not certain boys Snow-while they are
close at hand?
Here in New York, the knitting
committee of heqNational League for
Women's Service, 257 Madison Ave
nue., heard that the Rainbow Division;
consisting Of men from all over the
United States, training at Mlneola,
Long Island, was only half equipped
with warm garments. An emergency
call was issued. The entire basement
of the Madison avenue headquarters
was turned over to them. They urgeo
their friends and neighbors personally
TO come to headquarters n knit e
ular working hours. They ISSUED
statements IN the daily papers. Ihes
concentrated on the Rainbow DlylsloI
as business man concentrates on tn
weakness Of certain part of hi
plant. And they are equipping thls