The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-08-18
But Sheer Is Sheer Of Unreason
and the German Officers
Know Il.
CLARKE Wipes OUT GRIN
1eutensnt by Remarkable Feat OF
Horsemanship. Teaches Kaiser
and His Officers to Respect
v. S. Regulars.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK.


WashingtOn.-The press In German
is printing Its daily sneer at the Anne
lean army. The sneer perhaps cover
rear. The Germans know more abor
our soldiers, our regular soldiers 8
any rate, than they care to put Int
print
The other day there came 10 wasi
ington 10 join the Aviation corps O
MS country, boy whose name (
Powhatan IL. Clarke. The elder
among the army officers who met hin
saw In him virtual reproduction o
his father, also Powhatan II. Clarke
VINO graduated from the United States
military academy in 1884 II was III,
senior Powhatan ii. Clarke. who dice
some years ago I'm the line of duty
who taught the German emperor, hi,
stan and the German people 10 have
respect for the regular officers OF the
United States army.
Within year Of The time that he
had graduated from the military acad-
envy Lieut.. POwhatan ii. Clarke OF
the cavalry was given medal of hon.
or by congress for conspicuous person
al gallantry. He had carried wound
ed sergeant Of his troop from the field
under rain Of Apache bullets fired
at point blank range. Today hanging
in the Army and Navy club In New
YORK city is painting by Frederick
Remington, showing Lieutenant Clarke
carrying the negro trooper on his
shoulder aloSg the pathway OF fire.
When Clarke graduated at the age
OF twenty-one he looked no older than
boy OF seventeen so far as his face
went However. he was big and ath-
letfc and was a pattern Of the Ameri-
can soldier. His heroism on the Ari-
iona battlefield had won him recog-
milton and soon he was sent to Berlin
as American military attache.
Why They sneered.
Lieutenant Clarke reached the Ger
man capital and was introduced TO the
of1cers attached to military headquar-
tiers and to the person Of Emperor Will
Ham. He found out instantly that
there was some joke on the American
army which was dwelling In the men,
Dries and showing itself In the laugh |
Ing faces and on the sneering lips of |
the kaiser's officers.
II did not take the American long
to discover where the trouble lay. A
FORMER military attache accredited |
from the American army had been
thrown from his horse In the presence
OF Emperor William and his stan. II
may have been that any rider, no mat
ter how expert, might have been
thrown In like circumstances, but the
Germans held that the American cav.
airy was composed OF men likely 10 be
ditched at the first jump.
The German maneuvers came on.
The emperor's army was assembled
and the American lieutenant was with
the personal STAFF of william. When
the Germans saw the " ikee cavalry
man on his horse they were compelled
TO admiration at his appearance, but
appearances did not necessarily imply
horsemanship.
In the field Of the maneuvers there
was huge ditch, partly natures work
and partly mans. II was considered
to be impossible of crossing by cav.
alrymen. 1t was fully half a mile in
length. and no German horse had ever
been put to the test of covering fits
breadth. for fall into II doubtless
meant death, for. at any rate, the Sc
verest injury.
, The emperor and his officers were
ABOUT half a mile from the ditch and
opposite . point between its two ex. ,
tremeties. A general of the forces had
ms headquarters about two miles from
tne position Of the emperor and ON the
Other side Of the obstruction.
william called one Of his aides n ,
man who had the reputation of being :
one OF the finest horsemen In the Ger a
man army. The emperor handed him :
q ORDER to be delivered to the subor- .
onate commander two miles away +
oser he neld. The German aide took
ne ORDER. rode. put. and started in the
direction Of the flank of the ditch. The :
American cavalryman rode to the EN-.
peror's ode. saluted and asked Der.
mission to carry duplicate OF the or
~ Ire emperor smiled a little and
.cquissced. handing q bit of paper to 4
Clarke.
opens kalssrs Eyes. 4
he American touched his horse and /
nade straight for the ditch which emf \
- ueao trnverseiy. His intention be-
- Known In an instant, and the &
- = Every olheer In the field were
u1neo on the young fellow riding q
!woy dad IN the uniform of the United
'eafea There was something of con- q
- yorhaps In the hearts of those q
'oon o0cer<. when Il became 4
uown dat tie boy lieutenant was 90 q
= - 5nnp The ditch or die. q
- - nDeunf1me the German aide n
nErylng ne nrst message. was strtk. "a
= ~ ~ faF vsse. There was to he Z
2 alta Jumping for him, but the arm e
noFoz4n ground q the plain was to q
~ chonsn pathway. n
3lor1e ~ ~ hoFse straight for the n
~ M ~ trsaeherous banks ana b
yourlrg 11v<hs. He had put his &
- ~ 1EIoyos IN the far West =
- utgo - 11u1161Ing a. was This
- - - n1nouvsring fseIds o. 1.