The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-08-10
GRACE AND GREASE
i HELP WIN The WAR
IRWIN 8. coHB TELLS OF THE
GREAT WORK or SALIVA. a5
T. TON ARMY
BY Irwin S. Cobb

speak in its favor because so far a
| can find out it has no publicity d,
partment. | am referring to the Sa
yaton Army-may it live forever 10
the service which. without price an
without any boasting ON the part 0
its personnel, it is rendering to ou
boys in France.
A good many of us who hadn'
enough religion and good many -
us who mayhap had too much re.ig
lon, look rather contemptuonsly upoI
the methods OF the Salyationists
Some have gone so far as to init
mate that the Salvation Army was
vulgar in its methods and lacking in
dignity and even in reverence. Some
have intimated that converting a s.n
ner to the tap OF a bass drum OF
the tinkle OF tambourine was an
improper process altogether. Never
again, though, shall | hear the blare
~ the cornet as it cuts into the cho-
rus OF hallelujah whoops where a
ring OF blue-bonneted women and
blue-capped men stand exhorting on
city street corner under the gas
lights, without recalling what soma
OF their enrolled brethren-and SIS.
1ers have done and are doing in ED
rope.
The American Salvation Army in
France is small. but, believe me, It
is powerfully buoy. Its war delega-
ton came over without any fanfare
OK the trumpets of publicity. 1t has
no paid agents here and no impres-
siVe headquarters. There are no
wellknown names, other than the
names OF its executive heads, Oh its
rosters or on its advisory boards
None OF its members are housed at
an expensive hotel and none of them
have handsome automobiles in which
10 travel about from place to Place
NO campaigns to raise nationwide
millions of dollars for the cost of its
ministrations overseas were ever
held at home. | imagine it is the
pennies of the poor that mainly fiji
its war chest. / imagine, too, that
sometimes its finances are an uncer.
tain quantity. incidentally / am as
sured that not one of its male work
ers here is of draft age unless he
holds exemption papers to prove hls
physical unfltness for military ser
vice. The Salyationists are taking
care to purge themselves OF any sus
p.cion that potential slackers have
joined their ranks in order to avoid
the possibility of having to perform
duties in khaki.
Among onicers as we'll as among
enlisted men one occasionally heara
criticism-which may or NAV not he |
based on fair judgment-for certain
branches OF certain activities of Ger. |
tain organizations But l have vet
~ meet any soldier whether a brig
adler or a private, who, if they spoke
at all OF the Salvation Army, did mot
speak in terms OF fervent gratitude
for the aid that the Salvationists are
rendeeng so unostentationusly and +
yet so very effectively. Let size.
able body Of troops move from ono
station to another, and hard on its
hees there came a squad OF men and
women Of the Salvation Army. An
army truck may bring them. or i,
may be they have a battered iitney
to move them and their scanty out
nts. Usually they do not ask for helD
rom anyone in reachi7g their desti.
nations. They find lodgment in
wrecked shell OF house or in the
corner Of barn. BY main force and
lwkwardness they set up their eeuip.
nent, and very soon the word has
spread among the troopers that at
'uch and-such a place the Salvation
Army is serving free hot drinks and
rec doughnuts and free pes. II
Ipec!alzes in doughnuts, the Saliva. :
ion Army in the field does-the real
'ld-fashioned homemade ones that
aste OF home to a homesick soldier !
10Y
! did not see this. but one OF my
associates did. lie saw it last win. s
er in dismal pace on the Tout
ector. A file OF our troops were :
inishing long hike through rain
nd snow over roads knee-deep in
alfthawed icy slush. Cold and wet
nd miserable they came tramp.ne
nto a cheerless, half-empty town :
within range Of the German guns
hey found reception committed :
Waiting them therein the person s
I two Salvation Army lassies and a .
aviation Army captain. The women :
ad 2 fire going in the dilapidated =
ven OF vanished villagers kitchen :
me of them was. rolling out the hat. :
er on plank with an old wine bot. :
% for rolling pin and using tho =
op OF a tin can to cut the dough 8
Ito circular strips. The other woman :
-as cookinkg the doughauts. and as s
lst as they were cooked the man :
srved them out, splitting hot. to hun. s
~ wet boys clamoring about the 8
oor, and nobody was asked to pav 3
ent. >
At the risk OF giving mortal affront s
} ultradoctrinal practit oners OF an
lied theology I am firmly committed 3
} the belief that by the grace and ::
le grease OF those doughnuts those =
iree humble benefactors that da, 3