The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-07-19

mothers of officers of the army have
been notified by the war department
that they will not be permitted to go
to France to be near them. The veto
has been inexorable and absolute. 1t
is declared that the scene of the war
is no place for women. The men are
there to fight and to look after the
interests of their country, and cannot
be allowed to be bothered with do
nestle arrangements. 1t is believed
that the presence in France of their
women folk would be too discomfort
ing. Then, too, they would have to
eat, and food is scarce in France.
And to high degree they would
bother. Women are bundle of
nerves, and it can well be imagined
how these would be affected in them
in the cry and clash of war with all
its terrors and the sights of the
wounded and the dead. The men
would have to be in the field looking
after the direction Of the war, and
most of the women would be having
need of someone to look after them
in France. The anxiety of the officer
can easily be imagined. His efficien-
cy would begreatly impaired
The war department, furthermore,
says that, anyway, France is no place
for an American woman alone, and
especially just now, even if the To-
cality be gay Paris.
Some of the women have tried to
circumvent the departments regula-
tons by offering to become Red Cross
nurses. But there, too, they are not
wanted unless they volunteer for Red
Cross work anywhere but outside of
the United States. The department
in the first place knows why the wom-
en- want to go to France as nurses.
They would manage to find their dear
ones and could be depended upon not
to leave them. Besides, the war de-
partment says such Red Cross nurses
as shall be needed abroad are real
nurses, having no other object than
service
Navy Men Sad
The officers of the navy of every
degree have been ordered to wear
none but their uniforms now, and the
capital is therefore additionally gay
in SO far as the uniforms can add
gayety to the appearance of things
here, but the navy men are sad For
several months the officers of the
army have come out logged in the
khaki by special order, and there has
been some surprise that the navy has
continued not to do so until the pres
ent time.
The order to put on uniforms, it is
understood, was much opposed in the
department, and was given with great
reluctance by Secretary Daniels, and
it is whispered it was given only on
threat of some kind of action on the |
part of Congress. Why Congress |
should have anything to do with such |
an order it is not easy to grasp; for
the wearing Of uniforms is a matter
within the direction of the comman-
der-i-nchief of the navy, but probably
a brainstorm of some kind was feared
in Congress, and the department
thinks it has had about enough of
these.
There is considerable anti.iquor
sentiment in Congress, and there is
a law that no saloon shall serve liQ-
uor to United States naval or mil
itary man in uniform. In citizen
dress, the navy officers have had an
advantage. The point alluded to
elaboration
This advantage has now been
equalized, and a storm of criticism
from Congress has been forestalled,
but the summer garb ordered is costly
to the men. They must be arrayed
in pure white, even to the shoes, and
now anything white in a city is apt
soon to lose its spotlessness even in
clean Washington, and a navy officer
must ever be spotless. So he accu-
mulates great laundry bill 1922 a
month";, which he has to pay. Con-
gress has not given him any extra
salary to meet this increase in the
cost of living of the men.
The hardship can be understood
and appreciated. And this raiment
will have to be worn far into October
for the weather remains hot in Wash
lngton until then. The winter wool
en- uniform, dark blue in hue and
having stiff standing collar, is tor
ture in summer time.
Not a Handsome Cut
The cut of the white duck uniforms
is not handsome. All told the men
look as if they had gone to bed with
their clothes on. The texture of the