The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-09-04

Keep up the morale at home and
you need have no fear for the morale
on the battlefront
Such, in gist, is the message Of the
returned soldier to the department OF
labor officials at Washington.
Out at the Walter Reed army hos
pital. in the wooded hills north OF
Washington. are several hundred
wounded sOldiers-men who will never
again be able to take their place with
the armies in France, but who are
being transformed into useful soldiers
OF industry. There are among them
men who have lost arms and legs,
men who have been severely injured
ny shrapnel and high explosive shells.
Eventually. after they have recovered
their normal health and strength and
have learned new trades that will
make them selfsupporting and self
respecting members Of the community,
they will be discharged from the mill
tary service.
A few miles away, in the Washing
ton navy yard, is an army of toilers---
men who are making big guns and mu-
nitions for the soldiers abroad. They
recently pledged their whole-hearted
support to Secretary Daniels and the
government in the great task of win
ming the war, and they are working
at top speed to make good, and turn
out the materials that are needed for
the task.
Among these workmen is Joseph F.
Hodgson, an expert machinist. His
brother-in-law is in an infantry regi-
ment now serving in France. A cous-
in is with another regiment, made up
in part from District, of Columbia
guardsmen. other relatives and many
friends have entered the army. and
one of his closest chums has already
given his life II his services were
not so badly needed at the navy yard
he would himself have been in France,
for, as he says himself, "There's moth
ing I ever wanted so much 10 do as
60 into the army"
At the Walter Reed hoopital he met
Charles c. McGOnegal. a young North
Dakotan. a Minot machinist before
he enlisted, more than a ysar ago, in
the 18th infantry-"General Pershing' S
Own" The regiment was among the
LII 81 ~ 81 " II ouSC, Out NACNOAC6oA
was left behind with replacement
unit that was later merged into the
same regiment OF which Hodgson's
cousin was a member. He went abroad
in December. was put promptly on the
firing line. and was wounded in Feb
ruary. While his s/lad on OUTPOST
duty, was under the fire of three ma
chine guns, the Americans replied as
best they could with rifle fire. Two
Of the guns were posted where they
could reach them. The third was In a
shell-hole, and impervious to attack
except by hand grenades.
$50 we started dropping hand greu'
AIDES on them," McGonegal explained,
land naturally they dropped them
back on u.s. ~
During the exchange of grenades, he
was wounded by one which he was In
the act Of throwing and which went
off in his hands. Both arms were
blown off, and for two months he was
in a French hospital. No sooner was
he ont of the hospital, however, than
he volunteered to drive an ambulance,
and in that. capacity he served three
months before he was sent back to
America OF such stuff are our soldier
boys made
Despite the loss of HIS arms, he can
drive car we'll. There are many meI,
at the Walter Reed hospital who have
lost one hand, yet can make the stay
at.home chauffeurs look to their lau
rels. McG0pegal drove over the rough
battlefield paths. without accidents.
Eventually he hopes to become q
chauffeur here.
There was much for McGonegal and
Hodgson to talk about when they me,
at the hospital. To begin with, Nc
CONCEAL was machinist before he
went to war That established a com
mon interest Again, he was in the
thirdly, H0dgson's own interest in mil
itary affairs proved a source of con
tact But their talk turned mainly on
the labor problem Of the day.
Hodgson has very pronounced ideas
on that. He knows the war labor prob
lem at closeup" McGOnegal
knows. too, what labor can do and is
doing for the men abroad.
when we first went abroad" said
McGonegal labor wasn't as smoothly
organized as it is now, and there were
occa sional difficulties.
"For example. the food was good
when we got 1t. But we'd run short
about once week. And clothing was
lacking at first-when was wounded
had an old pair of socks on my
hands, and not much Of any or my
feet. That's because in the big rush
Of preparing everything at once labor
couldn't be modified as quickly as
we might have wished.
"Eut it wasn't long before there we.
a big improvement. Things came
moving / smoothly and surely, and
we didn't lack anything we really
needed.
That Is what the workingmen'.
task is now-to keep things moving
steadily to the boys at the front. The
spirit Of the boys over there Is sim
ply remArkabiet they are thoroughly
confident OF theft ability to win, but
they want tie full seaport Of ever
4. -3s-e