Douglas Island news., 1918-05-10
AMERICAN KIDS
 ARE PATRIOTIC
Millions of Children in United States Will Engage in Cultivating
 War Gardens

Winnirred Black. tho writer and editor. who is giving her services to the War-Gardcn Army, originated by the Department Of the Interior. writes:
 "Ovcr in London they are going up on Che roof these days to listen Co Che thunder Of the guns across the Channel far away in Franco.
 "In Paris the school children arc huddllng together in the basomonts of the schoolhouses waiting for the shells to drop and while they wait they sing Che MarseillaIse.
 "Oyer hero our chlldron are lis- tcuug. too. and singing ng-but they do not wait. They work
 Tramp. tramp, tramp Hurk! ! 10 is the echo of thousands and hum drcds of thousands of sturdy young ! feet. an marching to join tho great Iarmy of school gardens From an parts of the country they are com ing. eager. enthusiastic, full Of de- terminod hope and glowing loyalty. Rich and poor they come, boys and girls. from the kindergartens and from the grammar grades The United States War-Garden Army al- ready numbers up into the hundreds of thousands. and if the enlistment goes on as lt has begun it will not be long until 5.OOO,OOO are in Che ranks
 "The club women have taken up Che work. and the mothers com ercsscs and great gatherings Of wo- men arc taking solemn pledge to drunk sugarless tea and eat bread without butter until each one of them is personally responsible for one soldier in the United States War Garden Army. and also responsible for getting a garden space for that particular soldier.
 "lu New York and Boston and Philadelphia. in the crowded dis tricts. the settlement workers are helping the children to make gar dcns in old boxes on the fire escapes, and thcrc is great rivalry in the ten- cmcnts as Co who Is going Co get out the first crop ot onious. Public spirited women are forming com mttccs In an the larger cities and it is Che business of each member of that committee to note every vacant lot within certain distance and call mp the owner or the property, morning. noon and night, in season and out of season. until the distract ed property owner would lend the roof of his own house for a war gar den in order to get a little peace.
 "The service pins have not been sent out from Washington yet. but when they arc that army is going Co treble overnight. What boy or girl canrcsist belonging to tho great army and wearing a pin which tells every passerby that under that pin there beats a patriotic heart? The children thought it was just going to be fun at first. bout now they re- alizc that this United States war garden army is Just as serious and lust as important a part of our great fight as any branch Of the government service.
 "They arc learning the salute, too. military fashions - shoulders back head up. eyes right, palm out ward. ! saw a little fellow in a ragged coat draw himself mp like major general tho other day and salute am officer in khaki who swung past
 Mechanically the officers hand swept Go his brow In answering sa- | lute. and then he paused, smiled. and turned back.
 What branch of the service are you in. son?" said the officer.
 "The little ragamuHin threw up