Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-31

OFFICIAL red tape is as pronounced as
ever. If not a little more so. The war
makes all officials careful as to the accu.
racS of their statements and communica-
tons. Several months ago former Con-
gresham Lafean. now Banking Commits
sioner of Pennsylvania started an inquiry
through the State Department to ascertain
whether the Woman's Club of New York.
an industrious body of patriotic women,
could whoop up the war spirit through the
medium of The Belgian Singers" The
inquiry resulted in enough correspondence
between the State Department and the
Belgian legation to justify the opening Of
a new set of files, but Alphonse having
yielded to CASTOR and CASTOR having
salaamed with appropriate dignity, it has
finally come to pass that Miss Daisy Jean
and Mr.. Jan Collignon have been intro
duced, through Miss Gabrielle RadouX, of
the Belgian Court Trio. to Mrs. Mary II.
Taylor, of the Woman's Club of York, for
the purpose OF arranging the preliminaries.
If this show fails to come off in the Penn.
sylvania towns that once entertained the
National Congress-, it will not be because
the statesmen and diplomats have not per.
formed their full duty.
A PHILADELPHIA soldier captured nv
~ the Germans suffered from wounds
put peing a physician was enabled to
assist the other Allied prisoners in the hos.
pltaI. A Belgian girl, who had been a pris-
oher IN the same camp for three wears.
became acquainted with the doctor and
promised, if released before the war ia
write his relatives. She was released in
uly last and, reaching Switzerland kent
her promise TO write. In this way tho
family received its first ton as IN
the whereabouts of the soldier, The cir,
proved an excellent Interpreter and he,ned
materially to make more comfortable the
coholtloh or the wounded man. THROUGH
her 1t was learned that the doctor was
oolns well, that he was cheerful and hone.
i"' ana bearing up braVely under prison
Fare' "hlch consisted of a cup of coffee
ana TWO slices of black bread for hre.k.
fast; one potato and one ounce of n,e.t
at noon, and at night a bowl of SCUM Tbis
story is told not because there is a to,ob
of romance in it, but because it throws ~
interesting sidelight on the war,
'"H "i'pltu fntllupl-
= phia-that is to say, if the big Epg,ish
city has undertaken to mother" the sol.
u'er ooSs from Philadelphia, as reported.
II Is suggested that she show them the
sights OF the old town first and then give
them an inland waterways excursion IN
Manchester by way of the canal. Liver.
pool never took kindly to the Mancbes,er
Canal when Manchester was obliped IN r,
business through Liverpool. There was
no good reason. from the Liverpool stan
point, why she should, but when Mancbes-
ter, thirty miles or so inland, got busy and
cut through to the Mersey and the sea. II
was not for Manchester to worry, Ten
years ago when MADE in &c many" prod
ucts were more popular in England than
they are now, Manchester, largely because
Of her canal, claimed a population within
a ten-mile radius equal to that of London.
1t would be a great sight for the Philadel.
phia boys to observe the ocean liners
steaming up the canal through farm lands
to Manchester, and it would give them p
new idea of developments we lack in
America.
MEN in public life are obliged to steel
A'A their hearts to many of the cruel con-
ditions arising from the war. Take the
case of Corporal Nathan Milgram, 631
Moore street, Philadelphia, who was of
Company d., Third PENNSYLVANIA Infantry,
and served on the Mexican border in
preparation for the European struggle.
While riding on a train he was thrown and
sustained injuries which resulted in the
loss of both legs. He has a mother and two
brothers, who were her chief support.
The two brothers enlisted and are in the
service, and the legless hoy is left to ,ake
care of his mother, or mayhap the mother
is left to take care of the boy. The cause
of the injury sustained by, the young SOL
der was such as to make it questionable
whether he can obtain a pension or any
other advantage from the Government
Under the law, There are many good wom-
en- who would gladly give aid to the mother
of this volunteer trio. and sometimes it is
left to just such agencies to step in and
provide the relief which the laws seem TO
ignore.