The Monticellonian., 1917-12-07

ed states army, here and abroad, seem to be entirely satisfied that the great American army of today in patriotism and in spirit of endeavor is as worthy as any of our armies of the past, and what this means all Americans know.
 There is something of the lightness of life in the letters of these American general officers. One of them who had seen thirty years service as a hard riding cavalryman, q man of many campaigns, Is II command of one of the great authorization posts, camp which has been described as "amphi- bi0us." This cavalryman has done a great service in his new work, a fact which is attested by war department records. From his quarters looking out over his post, half land and half water, he writes:
 'I have been on this job since July, when I was pulled out of the West and sent down here, thus spelling q perfectly good cayalryman to make a horse marine out of him.
 This general officer will have some trouble In making anybody believe that he has been spoiled as q cavalry man. The records, however. show that he has made of himself a most excellent "horse marine"
 There Is another letter which comes from one of the greatest of the mid dle western encampments. IL is writ ten by the major general command ing man who fought in the last great Indian uprising, in Cuba, in the Phil ippines and on the border, finding time between times" to go under or ders to Washington to lend his advice on machine-gun and other matters.
 He believes that no major genera; ever commanded finer body of troops than that which is serving under him today
 Women Part of America's Army.
 Washington thinks in different terms from the rest of the country "of the army of the United States The capital includes women of the coun- try when 1t speaks of the army, fer here at any rate women are working like soldiers for the cause of country.
 Officials here realize unquestionably that the women of the rest of the coun- try are working also, but in Washing ton. where so many thousands of sol diers, officers, and enlisted men, are stationed. the numbers of the army women are multiplied and every one of the members is laboring day and frequently by night for the service of Unele Sam.
 Take, for instance, what Is known as the Highlands Auxiliary of the Red Cross" This is an organization of 300 women, only one of many of like kind, which is presided over by the wife of the surgeon-general Of the United States army, Mrs. William c. Gorgas. Nearly every woman con nected with this auxiliary is an army woman. and in the case of this par tfeular organization nearly every wom. an who works has her thoughts lover there"
 In this army group of women there Is hardly one whose husband. father, son or brother is not already on or close to the battle line In France. It used to be said that in times of peace army women take things very easily In times of war they do not take things hard in the sense that they give way to fears for their dear ones, but they take life exceedingly serious ly. and they work from reveille to taps, and sometimes beyond.
 Scene of Many FareweIIs.
 Every day in Washington women must say "good-hv" to fighting mem bers of their families. Washington Is a rendezvous for officers and to some extent for enlisted men prior to leav- ing to take part In what Is life's great est adventure this side of death. An army order forbids the wives of American officers following their hus- bands abroad. The parting here there fore may he forever. but however great the sorrow, the army women bear up. They have traditions to sustain.
 So 1t is that in Washington the wom- on of the army who are left behind, work from the coming gray of the day to the passing gray of the day for the soldiers of the service, thinking of their own who are lover there." but willing if word comes, that their own have died, to continue the work un- daunted for the loved ones of others who still are fighting along the embat- tied lines.
 The regular army has its traditions. The new National army has few tradi- tionS back of 1t except American tradi- tions, which are of the high courage and patriotism of the people gen. erally. The wives, mothers and sisters of the men of the National army and of those of the National Guard as well are working In Washington side by side with their sisters of the regular service in the effort to provide all that is necessary for the comfort and the general we'll being of the soldiers in the field.
 One of the present examples of what women outside the families of the reg ular service are willing to do is shown by the fact that Mrs. Borden Harri- man is now in France in an endeavor to induce the authorities to allow hun dreds of American girls, anxious for tEe service, to go to France to drive ambulances from the very front of bat tie to the relieving stations and base hospitals. Service of this kind Is dan gerous in the highest degree, and 1t Is today performed exclusively, save per haps in one or two cases, by men.
 Figuratlvely Speaking.
 "I suppose the young men do not