The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-20
Kansans Cannot Understand
Secret of Troop Movements.
Plan Some Way of Smuggling
Information ON Trains. :
OBEY ORDERS, SAYS KEILMANN
Former Topekan in France
Points Out Folly of FareweIls.
We Do Not Understand Motives
of the Sly Huns.
BY E. D. KEILMANN.

L a.
! (Former First Lieutenant with Amer
/ lean Railway Artillery in France.)
| Just yesterday 1 came upon
group who were planning to have
some of the boys in the Kansas regi-
ment at Doniphan, send the word
( ahead, that a signal might be sounded
and the relatives of the boys might
! see them for the last time before they
went "over there" My opinion was
| asked.
A chill silence fell on the group
when l said that L did not approve.
| Holly asked why, l replied that it
was against orders and when they
started to argue with me 1 walked
away. Now with my typewriter at
hand l will tell why I did not APP
| prove and what L mean by "obeying
| orders
| One telegram might be smuggled
| past the officers as the train stopped
| at some town on the way. Some
| operator might unthinkingly send the
MESA ge. The signal might be sound
| ed and the friends, relatives, wives
and sweethearts might all be at the
| station when the train went thru
The boys and their loved ones might
/ be together again for at least two
minutes.
In many cases it would be joyful
two minutes. In others it would be
sad 120 seconds each long-long.
There would be hasty kisses. There
would be tears just as hastily wiped
away. In some cases both would be
treasured beyond belief In others
both would be forgotten as hastily as
they were given or shed.
| One Would Shed No Tears.
But in all that crowd at the station
there might be one person, tho he
| Cor event maybe she) gave no kisses
or shed no tears that event would be
of supreme Importance. After the
/ rto1 r-4f1
tives and friends had gone to their
homes, bulletins might be posted that
would cause more tears-no smiles
this time, except to that one person
who would have earned his German
pay.
We Americans have lived too long a
| free people. We do not understand
what it is to take orders We have
not yet learned by bitter experience
as France has, that to fight autocracy
we must submit to autocracy. We
cannot see why we should be called
/ upon to give up any of our freedom.
We have led lives far from intrigue
and racial malice and cannot under
stand the wiles of a foe that has prac-
ticed villainy for half a century. We
are like little children. We are told
not to do things and then because
we are not told why, we scheme to
find ways of doing that thing Just
the same
Is it worth two minutes of last
kisses and farewells that the lives of
our boys who are going to fight for u.s.
| be placed in the remotest possible
danger, other than that required? To
that question there is no answer
! Let us not forget that we are at war
with a subtle foe. Let US all enlist
Let us begin right now to obey orders
We may not understand-thank heav-
en- that We do not sometimes
| We should all take honor from
| knowing that in placing ourselves I'M
der authority we are giving up some
of our freedom freely in order that
freedom be perpetuated on earth.