Mexico weekly ledger., 1918-06-06
COL Jake" JOHNSON
INSPECTOR GENERAL
Audrsin Boy Chief Inspector Of the
First Army Corps Of the Ameri-
Can EKpcditiOnary FOrcos
WIFE TELLS OF TRAVELS
Sailed Through Gulf Of Mexico Under
Military Order to Watch For
German Raider.

bltu up the khtaN eANAN 1Ntpn VI
Clarence A. Barnes residence, and
vigorously poked at the door bell.
~Mrs. ]. c. johnson can give you a
bully good story Get il /" his edi-
tor had instructed a few minutes be-
fore, So. hot, and ignorant Of the ma
ture of the news which he sought, he
was ushered into the cool depths Of
the parlor; and there introduced to
Mrs. johnson, formerly Miss Frances
Howe of this city, now wife Of Colonel
TJake" johnson, U. S. A., West Point
graduate and a Benton City boy.
First Inspector in France.
And then, seated in a great arm
chair, she began to speak of her hus-
band and his romantic life in France.
Early in February General Perish
ing cabled to America for an Inspec-
tor for the First Army Corps of the
American Expeditionary Forces in
France; and Colonel Johnson was i'm,
m~ediately informed of his appoint.
ment to that responsible position, Feb
s, he sailed. A few weeks later wore
was received that, much to his disap.
pointment, he had had an uneventfu
voyage and had arrived in sunny
south France hale hearty. He ex.
pressed his regret at not having beer
able to use his life preserver which
he described as being a waterproof.
suit with chambers for provisions o.
food and drinking water so that ;
man could float for days and be res
cued dry and warm.
At - he was conducted 10 one o
those characteristicly massive Frencl
chateaux, which was to be his head
quarters for a few days. He sooi
learned that he was living just acros
the street from the building in whicl
King Louis XII was born; and inves
tigating farther, he discovered tina
the great ballroom of that famou
monarch was being used as a stop
over barracks for United States sol
diers en- route to the front.
But the Colonel was not obliged t
stay here long, and moving up towar
the front Of the Lorraine sector some
where near Toul, he was billeted i
the home of a patriotic French famil.
The government rents and pays fo
these lodgings by the week at a yer
low rate of three and a half or fou
dollars a month. The service, Colon,
Johnson states, is always ~excellen
The French are naturally very nes
housekeepers, and this with their pt
likeness and admiration for II
Americans makes living condition
back Of the line most enjoyable. 1t
) a custom in France that the ma.
: shine the gentlemen's boots each e'
ening, and the timid officer who nei
lects to leave his footwear out for d.
nestle inspection receives a poll
: calling-down the next morning at Il
! hands of the Madame. This frequel
scene is often rendered more anu
: ing by the Americans inability to e.
t press himself in the foreign tongu
But the French never allow their ne
allies to make a mistake; and it is
gross violation of convention to eve
n smile at the linguistic blunders of Il
boys in khaki.
From Panama to New York.
n About a year ago after four year
service in Panama as Chief Inspectc
= Colonel and Mrs. Johnson EMBARK
for New York. AS the big transpo
: glided out of Colon, the thousands
negro recruits, lined up on the doc
$ ready to sail for foreign battle field
sent the notes of "Onward, Christie
Soldiers" vibrating across the en-
less expanse of still Southern waite
and reaching high toward the Gle
blue sky of the tropics. at was touc
n ing" said Mrs. Johnson. Gust lit
n black men, but each making the S
preme sacrifice. What mor noble c.
n a mar do than give his life for /
n country?"
y Their travelling companions we
n interesting ones. Some m thor
n and seven hundred and fifty jana.
ans, recruited in Panama for servl
in the British Army were on boar
lie as well as t~wenty-four German ca
r, tains and senior officers who had be
10 informed there along with their VI
sells.
: In compliance with official inform
ton that there was a German rait
in the Gulf, the Captain steered
very erratic course which excit
y much comment of the German navis
n tors on board. Life-boats were flu
8: provisioned and on the side; no ligh
not even the striking Of a match
deck, were permitted; and arm
guards were stationed to see that
ders were obeyed. Bat the conN
reached Kingston. Jamaica, with,
having sighted the enemy craft, {
there the troops disembarked. 2
Colonel and his wife were met at
docks by the council, governor, 4
several British officers of high RAJ
and after a long drive over the
turesque Capital, they were ent
tanned at the British officers mess.
The remainder of the trip was
eventful; and they arrived in N
York harbor just as the first Am,
can convoy was sailing for France.
was an impressive sight," decla
Mrs. johnson. "The grey hulls of
mighty warriors stood out agains
background of massed buildings
were crowded with soldiers or S
plies" America was beginning
fight.
Guests in Foreign Lands.
Since leaving Mexico Mrs. John
has Travelled in China, Japan, Pa
ma, and the Philippine Islands;
to all but the first she was accom-
led by her only daughter, Man
who speaks, reads and writes the
pino language. She is nov ATTIC
ing boarding school near Conc
NJ LII rrhann IL l. nnnAnin ~ knAk