davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-03-14
WASHINGTON, d. c.

Editor Washington read about composed entirely
Ny dear Mr. brisbane: Of soldiers
your edition.
began to horses q
sticks" Belgian rapid transportation pur
Wiped British Bomb Of cutting Of supplies
Town. the back page In those days only the knights
cartoons
Front" rup How curious s il is tina. tn.
didn't Won take that little
squib of 50 slowly accepted Our flyers
write editorial it? If now must be college and hold
they bomb munOn commissions! chauffeur
they bomb and if ny arpaHe easily col
bomb ge professor, the
hundred they destroy just many trains
dred and often enough much track, just fine
viii be bridges when it is dropped by
OF private soldier would
trains they mostly at dropped by general
night but ought article
lively fly along in paper the first page
railroad track first column giving suggs
If they train they bombs
might tear and greatly
sometimes bridge or pressed another
As I understand it great it
tories the
BY envepg hankg you say many people
nent by which supplies will think
ON Ine nshng is from maybe Of people in the
Switzerland the line War Department will
extends deep from try little harder have
trenches to Berlin We can't go ARMY in the air.
around, but Yours sincerely
Inc nrsE great armies that CHAS POPE CALDWELL c.
It is our belief that before long the Germans will reaz
that this country is in about fighting in the air.
present the biggest crowd Of machines sent tn
dinoennurg trenches have numbered thirty forty fyn
menenough for demonstration enough for real work
. The United States will send men, thousand and fiv
Thousand az time or we very much mistaken in tn
plans ana determination Of the War Department
What the Germans need is not a few big bombs her
and there but five million small bombs day-f1ying ma
chimes as thick as mosquitoes with small dynamite bomb
a. thick as hail
There is too much safety in Germany-and therefor
too much bumptiousness
Germans no longer 'safe home behind Hndenburg" vii
yen Tor more peace and less Hohenzollern.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-03-14

Here Is my contribution for that
mystic" of Fifteenth and New
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-03-14

York avenue. Why not call it "Ths
Saturday Night PITS tub.
Yours, for The Times,
II. MS.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-03-14

HARVEY JESTER is in town.
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07
Ready for Freedom, Says M1sc0uife Daughter

girls vocabulary failed and translat1nS
here and there a difficult idiom.
"In Petrograd." said Sonia.
For moment there was silence.
The words had revived glowing men,
cries. Seated there in the quiet room
no danger surging at the door, no
clamor in the street, the two sisters
were symbolic of that fine and pathetic
nation which America is seeking so
hard to heal and to comfort.
"In Petrograd," said Sonia again,
sit was a cozy fire, and the brass sam
ovar seething softly on the table, and
good books and good cheer. All OF
us went to school, though it meant
about $500 year each. Schools are
not free in Russia--a public school
system is what the Russians must
have. Education! Education! First
education and observation-disclosures. My
sisters and brothers went to school
and we travelled in France and in
other countries. You see, we were
what you might call wealthy in those
days, near Tsarskoe-SeIoe. My father
has really been ruined by the war,
1t was a comfortable home and a
happy one.
sometimes we would go to the
theatre. Russians like deep plays, not
superficial, not burlesque. And [ have
seen the Gar in box, like this'-she
dropped her head listlessly to her hand
mot interested in anything; SO pale,
so inattentiVe.
He was strange, that mana man
not normal. There is an old story that
fifteen years ago he went to Japan
and fell in love with a Japanese girl.
Some one struck him on the head, a
hard blow, and he wasn't right since
that But it is a romantic tale. If
it is true, who knows?
"Whatever the reason, he lacked
strength of character. He was bad
for Russia. And his wife-she was
the curse of our land. She loved Ger
many always. When the German SOL
diers were wiped out by our Russians
the CzaTina cried. When our Russians
fell she did not care. Our brave, poor
men! Sent against the Germans with
out any guns, nSnL1nS only with tnelr
fists. 1t was murder. Our men were
sold out to the Germans by their own
officials. Murder! Murder!
Before the war things were better
in our land than they are now. It is
a strange thing to say, yes? With
all the grinding misery of the poor,
with all the bowling down to the police
and to royalty, Russia was less
wretched then"
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

easy to undertake to talk to a man
whose war fate had been what is uni
VerGally considered the supreme sacri-
flee. There is a service flag hanging
IN the front window Of the home where
young Clair lives with his mother,
Mrs. s. Clair, who is a widow; Arthur
and Harry, his brothers, and Miriam.
the little twelVe-year-old sister he has
always been peculiarly attached to. l
have seen many service flags, but this
was more poignantly different than
them all. Back of the little square
through the window and in the light l
could see a boy with his eyes swathed
In bandages, and ! knew he would
never see again. There were boys all
around him, some in sailor suits, some
in khaki. and there was his mother
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

trates another matchless friendship
that Powered in the muddy trenches
OF France.
What happened to me after l found
myself on my back?" he continued
"NVhy, Barrett ran like lightning TO
me. Who is barrett? Why it seems
funny for any one around here not to
know. He is William Barrett a boy
from Bristol, who went to the border
with the old First when / did. Then
we went to Hancock together, then to
France and to the Marine. Barrett
was my best pal all the way through.
THE shells were bursting all around
but Barrett lifted me up quickly. He
put my arm around his shoulder and
we walked back together that wa,y.
We thought we were going to the
dressing station. But we found they
all had been moved back on accouu,
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

ness worries his mother sometimes.
81 think sometimes he does not tell
how he really feels for fear it will
make me worry" she says. when
went TO Baltimore to see him that
first time l did not know I could stand
to sea: 11y boy blind. He was such
wonderful son. Then I did see him
at last. Then he told me how he felt.
And. on, ] was so glad to have him
back, to touch him and be near him.
Pretty soon he wanted to talk about
the business, which be was very much
interested in since his father died.
Then we sat there together a1G talked
things over. Suddenly I discovered I
had forgotten he was blind. You can't
know what that feeling meant to me.
7 knew NV same boy was back again
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

Tower, miles away in Paris, that could
be seen in the vast lovely distance of
the sky on a clear day. There were
the warm peoples and the little wild
flowers Of France spread like delicately
colored tapestry in graceful profus1on
over the hills. There were the sun
sets and the nights with their stars
that came to blot out the devastation
of the day
But if there are pictures stored away
against the day when hunger for the
beauty of the world might gnaw at his
heart, the boy who gave his eyes for
the great intangible cause does not
say. II there are things locked in his
heart the world is not going to know
about them.
Young Clair's attitude toward blind
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

many, many Germans. Yes, even now.
Oh, what a pity that Kerensky had not
the strength to hold the reins when
they had been put into his hand. A
good man, a wise man, but not strong
enough for Russia. Why did he per-
NIT Trotzky and Lenine to enter the
country? 1t was madness, it was dis
aster, it was an invitation to the Ger
mans.
And they came. At once after the
peace was made those Germans came.
You should have seen them. swagger-
ing by the dozen through our streets.
A German officer stopped me one day"
the girls deep blue eyes burned and
her color rose. HE asked me the
way in German. In German!
81 stood perfectly still and an
swered in my native tongue. We
speak Russian in Russia
For a moment he gIared.
Then he smiled a little and re-
peated his question in Russian. Yes,
the Germans speak Russian. 1t was
part Of their game to learn our Ian
guage and our weakness.
For it seems to me that our great
weakness was trusting everybody and
trusting our own emotions. The Rus
slams are so emotional that if a man
on the corner talks with eloquence
and passion they believe. If a man on
the next corner talks with eloquenceA
and passion on a different argument
they will probably believe him also.
Thus, you see, Russia is handicapped
because the emotions are so vivid
while education has not awakened
the power to reason carefully. If
you cannot be Of use to your friends
in that poor, distracted land, 1t is bet.
ter to go away so that your allow
ance of food and clothes may be saved.
But how to get away? Oh, the
many times I tried The many con-
suls and friends I must have to speak
in my behalf. Only for the fact that
I possessed parents in America could
never have gained consent
"At last the permission came.
left by way of Finland. Unhappy
country, 1t is in a state growing rap.
idly as bad as that Of Russia. I mean
that part OF Finland in German con.
troll. The German guards whom I
met were angry because I was going
to America, They called me 'Amert-
kaner,' but there was an American
in our party and he would nam be
afraid.
'They let us through at length, and
we went by Sweden to England. Then
OF relief-"here in quiet and safety"
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

SOntaS glance Travelled to q photo
graph on the wall. It showed her lit
tie sister, quantity pretty in the cen
tury-old folk costume, the long, straight
white robe falling to her slippered feet,
the high, gallant headdress browning
her dark hair. Happy times, those.
when Zinsaida went to dancing school
and danced in the lovely ancient cos
tune of the Slavs.
so simple our people were and so
happy when there was any chance"
she repeated; 80 trustfu1 and full of
gratitude for favors. Our servants,
if we were sick, would not desert.
They nursed us and wept over us and
it was not for money. What a pity
our Car was not good, not strong"
The sister made a quick, impulsive
gesture of pity and impotence. 81
remember the day Of the revolution"
she cried. THE crowds and the
shouting. They say now in Petrograd
that the CZarina and her family-the
little son also-are safe in England.
But it is a rumor. Who knows the
truth?
Russia is not ready yet for freedom.
For my own part, from the dreadful
things I have seen, it seems to me that
a monarchy would be best; like Eng
lands. The people must be educated
before they can govern themselves.
You think it strange that l, a young
girl, should have such deep opinions.
All, but have seen so many things.
I am already old.
IF you go out upon the streets in
Petrograd even now you cannot be
sure that you will not be killed There
is shooting always. Two political
parties quarrel; they begin to shoot;
they kill any one who is near. Ma
chine guns shooting down the ave-
nues! Oh, you cannot imagine the
terror Of life in Petrograd even yet!
Terror and starvation and rags!
Shoes $50 a pair. Bread 81 q loaf
Butter $3.50 a pound.
1.-THE police? There are none. ex-
cept armed bandits, who enter your
house, search your rooms, take what
money there is and go laughing.
COR is there q house on fire? Oh,
well, If the fire engine company cares
to answer the alarm all right. If not
what does it matter? There is no
authority to punish them.
"Of free love- such as the Boil
shevik made legal in othel places,
I do not know. tt was not SO in the
capital. But I do know that no one
thinks OF marriage now nor of JOY.
All is grief and anxiety.
I'm Petrograd today there are
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07
By II. C.. Norris

buy it. All, God!' l say, and the
tears come; if could but gather this
ur and send it to the babies I've seen
starving And in the night 1 wake
with a start, listening for guns to be
fired beneath my window"
She shivered a little and looked
around the walls Of her mothers
apartment in PHILADELPHIA. as if half
expecting a rabble of Bolshevik sol
diers to burst N at the door. They
rush into your house at any hour"
she said TREMENDOUSLY. 1T makes no
difference who you are or where you
live. All is madness. The French
Observation-Disclosures is far more terrible
than that Such things they do, such
laws they make-it is the whim of
madmen that governs from moment to
moment"
In some rural provinces, in such
remote spots as Luga, Koplin, Khve-
linsk, the Bolshevik idea has been
given it's full terrific sway. The sys-
tenn of free love has been taken from
the tentative essay stage and legal
lied" AL girls of eighteen years and
over are the property Of the State and
must marry" for strictly temporary
periods the men who choose them.
All the children of such unions will
belong to the State, and altogether it
is a Bernard Shaw, Ellen Key, anthro-
biological hodgepodge of ideas made
fact.
II have heard of this terrible thing"
the refugee admitted, "in the far
places, but not in the capital Things
were bad enough in Petrograd, but not
SO bad as in the small towns, where
people, ignorant and bewildered, were
at the mercy of lunatics. How can
such a system prevail? How can Rus
STA hope to found a strong and wise
State on this loose and awful expert
ment? Russia, SO fond of home, so
filled with love for the children, for
the old parents The hOme-that is
the foundation on which Russia must
build. Even our Czar-poor, weak
man though he was-even the Car
adored his family. Even the Czarina
worshiped her children. No, no! The
Russian home is the cornerstone on
which Russia must build. It is our
greatest hope today.
TN Petrograd-"
Sonia, the twenty-year-old sister,
spoke. She had been listening eagerly,
devouring the refugee with big, dark
eyes, putting in a word now and then
in soft, rushing Slavic when the other
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

Of it all. The shells were coming, and
we were helpless.
Were you in pain?" one Of the boys
asked
No." was the answer. II was more
worried about Ralph Shortall than
anything else He was groaning so
and in such pain. They had to take
his right leg off later on"
Didn't you groan too?"
We'll, I really wasn't in much
pain" answered Us" and l guess
I didn't have anything to groan about.
I couldn't see, Of course, but it wasn't
until I got back to the States knew
I would always be blind.
Barrett went right back to the
firing line after he left us. In thirty
minutes he was severely wounded him
self believe they had to take off
an arm and possibly leg. l am
worried about Barrett. I don't know
where he is
In the course of his conversation
young Clair spoke of the beauty OF
Grande Fontaine, the little headquar-
ters town in that particular part OF
the Marine battlefield
There was a wonderful big foun-
tain there in the middle Of the town
that's how it got it's name. [ used to
love to watch it sparkle in the sun
shine"
over and over again he repeated the
words. 81 can see with my memory"
What farewell pictures there must
no stored in the mind of this splendid
boy.
In those last days of sunshine there
was the Marine, little blue stream Of
destiny, sparkling down through its
green banks. There was the Eitfel
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

HTT IS like stone - precious
L. stone, big and shapeless and I'M
polished. It is a precious stone that
awaits the polishing, not of use until
the jeWeler makes it smooth, makes II
shine, makes it q wonder before the
world"
This is Russia today. With all the
melancholy fire of the Slav soul, an
eighteen-year-oI Russian girl-just es-
capped from the Bolshevik horrors and
now safe in Philadelphia-spoke her
faith in the ultimate triumph of order
and of beauty in her own afflicted
land IAN unpublished stone" repeated
Zinsaida Dlugatch in the words Of the
old Russian proverb, els not of use"
It takes courage to have faith in a
land from which you have fed. 1t
takes courage and insight to see be-
yond the excuses, the brutaltties that
make Petrograd streets a shambles
today and glimpse, behind the terror,
a future full of calm where genius
shall be untainted by insanity.
OF such faith and courage and in
sight will the future Russia be nodded.
THE peasants, the great mass of the
people, how could they know what
freedom means?" asked the eighteen
year-old refugee with q Wistful little
smile that deepened the sadness still
lining her rosy young face; they had
no education. They had nothing. To
live in Russia 1t was necessary to be
rich. Otherwise you were crushed.
And yet, in spite of bitter poverty and
oppression, the Russian people were
so simple and trusting: they did not
lie to others, they did not think others
would lie 10 them.
THAT is why the Germans got such
control in my country. They saw how
trusting the people were-and they lied
and lied and lied!"
Only a few weeks have passed since
this girl with her noticeably lovely
blue eyes-so unwavering and SO filled
with pain-succeeded in reaching her
relatives in this country. -Four years
ago her parents and two of her sisters
came here. War broke out, and for
four dreadful years the girl, left with
other relatives in Petrograd. has been
trying to get passage to America.
The horrors she has seen in the streets
of Petrograd have left a cash upon
her heart too deep ever to be effaced.
II live in a dream" She said. ut is
so quiet here. I cannot believe that
I am safe at last. l go into your
shops: food is piled high, and all may
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

back of his chair. And there was no
one In the room who was not laugh
ing at joke the lad with bound eyes
was telling.
Inside in the luxurious living room
which showed SO plainly how many of
the good things of life had always
been Clair's, that was the first swift
impression you formed of him. He is
a boy with a natural ability to make
others laugh. Yet the theme Of this
young mans life ran far deeper.
1t was Reuben, a student at the
University Of Pennsylvania and one
of the boys best friends, who made
me realize what despair blindness
could have brought into the life OF
Clair if ambition had not been tenn
pered with the quality that made him
throw ambition to the winds when war
was declared.
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

of the heavy artillery fire. But the
ambuIances were beginning to come up
for the wounded.
y Barrett put me down on stretcher
beside Shortall, the boy I tried to help,
and the two of us lay there for three
quarters of an hour with shells sweep
ing over u.s. That was the worst part
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07
Pictures of Memory

Pictures OF Memory
He was a chap who hitched his
wagon to a star" Reuben told me. AT
eighteen with most boys it is here one
day and some place else tomorrow, as
far as definite aims are concerned. But
it wasn't that way with Clair. He
knew what he wanted, law. He
dreamed it and lived it. A boy can't
help knowing when he has the power
to sway the crowd, and that is what
Clair has. At high school they always
singled him out to be spokesman for
his class, and it seems he was forever
at the head Of things.
'Is," as many of the boys affec-
tionately call the wounded soldier, was
a member of the class of 1910 at Cen
trail High, where he achieved laurels
he won a scholarship.
The scholarship entitled him to a
full course Of law at the Temple Uni
versity. He was entering his third
year when America declared war on
Germany. Then it was Clair stripped
the dreams out of his life. With the
vanguard of the country's young man
hood he was off to a training camp.
Because he had enlisted at the time
of the trouble at the border, "Is" was
automatically a member of the old
Pennsylvania First Regiment, and he
went to Camp Hancock, in Augusta
with the others. Last May, with the
rest of the Twenty eighth or Iron Divi-
sion, Clair sailed for France a corporal
III Company A, Tooth Infantry.
1t was July. 10 when the five fleets Of
motortrucks brought the 109th into
fighting position at Conde-en-Brie and
st. Agnan. Then came July IA.
Clair does not mind talking about
that day. 1t was after most OF the
boys had drifted out he came into the
dining room. played with his little
sisters hair, leased her about her
little beau, Martin, and between times
talked Of the things that had come into
his life in France.
T. have told how Sergeant Glars
sight was destroyed as he bent over
young corporal TO try to ease his
wounds. The boy picks up the MARIA
tive here and tells a story that illus
New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-07

in spite Of anything that had hap
pened l knew he could go on living
his life as he had planned.
Colonel Bordley, in charge Of the
base hospital there, told me there
was no hope for his eyes. They are
going to operate on his left eye. OF
course I do not know what that means.
L am not going to give up hope, though.
But down there, although they cannot
say he will see again, they say won
derful things about what my boy Is
going to be able to do without seeing"
Clair is the only professional man
out of the eight who are totally blind
back in this country. 1t is natural
his case should provoke unusual IN
terest. His progress in the studies for
the blind is already said to be mar
velous. Mrs. Clair produced little
letter her son had written on the type
writer, learning without his eyes in
the few short weeks he has been In
America the touch system to such
degree of proficiency that there were
only two misplaced letters on the en-
tire page. AT the hospital, an estate
turned over to the Government by
Mrs. T. Harrison Garrett, of Balti-
more, there are regular classes held
all day, with intervals for gymnasium
and swimming. Clair divides his time
between the Braille, which is learning
to read by the raised letter method,
and typewr1ting.
From a Mothers Letter
There was a sentence in Sergeant
Clair's letter to his mother which
seemed to stretch it's significance be-
yond the little typewriter page.
IF you want to meet me, all right
he wrote, "but you know that 1 can
get home alone in case you can't make
it," That is the spirit of Irving Sid
ney Clair, blinded in the second battle
Of the Marine. He can get along. The
Government allots to him 500 q
month for the duration Of his life. 1t
is not too much to say Clair Is not
going to need his pension. The dreams
and surgings that whispered to him
back in the days when the war was
mercifully hidden in the future will
come true. This boy, who gave his
eyes in order that the rest of US might
go on seeing, shall not die with his
song unsung. We shall hear from him
later on-Clair, the lawyer who won
with his brains,