The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-02-14
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY IA, 1918.
True to Their Trust.

brought tears to the eyes OF mothers
and Jumps to the throats of fathers.
il turned service stars from blue to
gold. 1t placed the names of men upon
the "Roll of Honor" It wrote the
words "Patriot Supreme" after many
a brave boy who went away last sum
mer ready to do his "bit" only to
find that this meant to do his CALL
Tt brought all these things but it
brought also great glory to the men
who wear the shoulder straps of the
United States Army.
1t was not featured special cable
under the name of a famous correspon-
dent but almost hidden away on ac-
count Of the black head lines of the
rescued and the missing was this little
mote:
"fThe last life boat which left the
Tuseania carried twenty eight officers
of the United States Army. They re-
manned at their post until after every
one Of the men in this commands had
left the sinking Tuscania,"
No higher tribute could be paid to
the officials Of the United States army.
when the FTitanic shattered her great
hulk against an ice berg in a winter s
sea it will be remembered that strong
men with American red blood coursing
in their veins stood bravely facing
death and shouted, ''WOmen and Chill
dren First The same fidelity which
marked those men who said Women
and Children first marked the fidelity
of the men in the United States Army
who said, eve will be true to our
trust-We will face death calmly with
our men, We will go farther. We
will remain at our post until the last
human agency possible has been pro-
vided to save the lives of the men who
,o been committed to our care. "
was a noble sentiment. Tt was the
expression of discipline which makes
armies. Tt showed that officers could
bo men and that as men they could be
heroes. Tt showed that while they ap-
preciated the danger of their own posi-
tion they appreciated as well the trust
they had taken when they sWore to
look after the well fare of the men.
That men on the Tuscania persisted
was not the fault of the men who com
manded them,
Kenosha is proud Of the fact that
lone of those last twenty eight men
to leave the Tuscania was Lieutenant
Asbury Hogeston Vale. He was one
of the men who stood amidst weeping
mothers at a railroad station not many
months ago and left with them his
pledge. "Ill do the best I can to bring
every one of them back to you.' He
meant Just what he said. He meant
chat he appreciated the fact that to be
"a soldier meant more than to lead men
on the field of battle. 1t meant to pro-
tect men from every danger which
might beset them.
Asbury Vale may not have been a
hardened soldier. He may not have
sailed the seas but he had learned the
lesson that it meant something to make
promise.
In the midst of all the excitement
Of torpedoed transport he may have
felt that life was very dear but his
actions proclaimed the fact that he
felt that honor was just as dear and
dearer. He may have felt that there
was a call of wife and child and
mother and others dear to him to save
himself but be felt too that there was
the trust implied by his leadership and
that was that he should be one of the
last twenty eight to leave that sinking
transport.
Safe in some Irish city, surrounded
by practically all of the men of his
command he has the satisfaction of
knowing that he not only saved his life
but that he saved it with honor and
that a grateful city at home will feel
fully the satisfaction that he was true
to the trust imposed in him when the
government placed upon his shoulders
the marks of leadership.
The conduct of the officers of the
army on the Tuscania is the kind of
conduct that makes mothers feel that
the boys they are sending out to fight
the great battle for Democracy are
safer than with men who are untrue to
their trust With officers who realize
their responsibility and men and of.
ficers who face personal danger cody
in order to secure the safety of the
men under them the battle is more
than half won.