The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-09

Already at least two colonels, one lieutenant colonel, and a. large num- Der of officers of less rank have been weeded out. There is no lack of off cers; every regiment has plenty of supernumeraries, for lower grades, and in higher office men are being sent by the regular" army to fill po- sitions as fas as they are needed. The point is that the boy in the ranks is going to have men over him who are up to their jobs. He is going to be taken care of by men selected from all three points of view-their fitness mentally, morally and physically-to lead him in that not far distant day when his life will be in the scales of chance.
 Only two officers are marked for court-martial, but there are two. Had All the Diseases There Are A lieutenant colonel is probably go- | ing out because of his physical condi- tion, though he went through the stiff training of the school for offi- cers. But the doctors say that he has softening of the bone tissue, which has allowed his legs to spread, and makes him walk bowlegged. | So though he has an honorable and long record of fighting in the Philli- pines and in Cuba, and though he is known as one of the most efficient of ficers in the National Guard, he has probably to go home.
 With him will go, probably another well-known National Guard officer, one of the best wagon masters any, body could desire. It happens that I know the army doesn't want to lose him, but is going to send him out only because he is likely to drop dead any day. The doctors don't under stand at all why he is alive now.
 His story is one of the funniest l have heard here. And as he is not sensitive about it himself, it is worth repeating.
 He jumped into his uniform, out of a court officers uniform, when the National Guard was called out by the President last spring. He was at once recognized as a man who was due for a stiff medical examination, and long before the question of sending the guard to Europe became a matter ot the near future, he was found to have all the diseases there are.
 He had a bad heart, practically nc kidneys at all, and eirrhosis of the liver, and besides eyes that needed golden bridges.
 The cirrhosis made him mad. "Dc } you know how they found out I haG irrhosis?" he demanded indignant ly. "They put a stethoscope on me-
 Just at that time the orders to gel ready to go abroad came out and he ; was sent South to a port on the Amer ican coast to get his material into shape, being at that time in command Of a supply company, though only , a lieutenant.
 The medical boards report came out, and the General commanding the district in which Bill belonged sen 7 an order after him which was prac < tically intended to be his discharge The order directed him to report tt , lis division headquarters.
 Fresh as a Daisy
 Another officer, from a machine gun company in another regiment : was ordered South to take over BilPi , property.
 Both orders came to the hand O the generals commanding in tha !, Southern port. He probably becaus' t he read hastily, understood the order to be simply a right and left-th
 machine gun officer to take RilPi :. place and Bill to go to the machin D gun outfit. He accordingly 1ssue' n such an order.
 Obeying strictly, though he kneY
 that there had been a mistake. Bil 0 came hom to a machine gun company ], knowing one end of the gun from tn : other, but not much more about il
 Within a week came the sailing or
 ders, and Bill stayed close to his com |. mand.
 n Meanwhile the heads of things ha
 not forgotten Bill. Indeed they wer
 wondering where he was. Other or - ders came out, but failed to turn Bi i up.
 h Nobody ever did see him until h
 camc into this French town qn hi
 train of 'eight horses and 40 men cars, machine gun company, ana al " Upon this, an order was issued . through the Surgeon General, to hay '' Bill report at the hospital at-wel
 says at Billy be damned-for "trea1 , ment."
 Il, The intention of this order WE Io practically to throw Bill into tf D. hoosegow- that is, to put him to be l. and take away his clothes, so th'
 they would know where he was.
 Mark how fate, once she starts O
 on a slant, takes the bit in her teet
 The Surgeon General of that divisio } somehow, in dictating the orders
 his stenographer, made the town, l
 us call it Jonesboro-a town rigl i. where Bills outfit is stationed. III His own friends put. him to be h. examined him, and turned him loos of Bill took his company out to dri ,t walked his two superior officers o W their feet, and turned up in the ce
 tral town of the district, fresh as
 daisy.
 Credit for His Nerve lg Once more the commanding Ge
 eral cast his eyes on Bill. I'm dam Il ed" said the General, or whatev S, woVd is generally used in it's plat
 There's a man I've three times o
 dered put out of the service-al