The Washington herald., 1918-01-08

lS III lNtttft
INDIAN CHAMP
| CAMOUFLAGER
First Americans Were No
Bush Leaguers at New
War Game.
The Champions.
] The player often crabs a bit
I The day he doesn't get a hit,
or when the umpire taps his roll
For twenty bones" br so:
The player has a festive way
OF grabbing on by night and day
! No matter what the angle is
or where the break may 20.
But
when it comes to Grabbing. with tn
accent on the {.
When it comes TO panning. with the
accent on the p.
I'll kick in with the army when a
| cold wave drifts along.
Where everything that was or is or
/ ever will be's wrong.
J. Evers had a spicy rep.
At Grabbing with eclat and pep.
or exc the mighty Zim at times
Responds with all his share:
And Jswn McGraw has often shown
A peevishness Of voice or tone.
I When certain Umpires bagged his
I goat
And sent him out for air.
But
When it comes to Grabbing in the
good Old-fashioned way:
When it comes TO knocking with
the accent on the X.
Ny bet is on the army when the
gales begin to blow
And a fellow has to slush around in
rain and wind and snow.
The CamOufIage Champion.
When it comes TO the camouhsge
/ championship it is just as well TO re-
member that the American Indian
was no bush-leaguer at this game.
He bedecked himself in aSsmear OF
gsudy war paint and feathers, but for
all that he had a way Of blending his
contour sufficiently 10 defy any but
the keenest eye.
We should say. however, that the
camoUfiage champion OF all time was
the Southern quail. Any man who has
ever walked up TO the edge Of a
Covey, pointed by the dogs, who has
! stood within two feet of twenty or
| twenty-five birds who has known al
most exactly where they were 10 the
inch and has then been unable TO see
them. can understand best 10 what an
art the camoufage game or industry
can be carried.
4 quail has the knack OF blending
himself so perfectly that nothing
short OF Lick telescope could ever
| pick him out.
Down in the tropical countries
! parrot, with all his green and red
coloTing. is also perfectly camoufisg-
| ed. far better than any paint expert
could ever hope TO achieve.
The American vs.. the Hun.
| The average American soldier one
talks to NAV not understand. in de-
tail, for Just what ideals or necessities
1 ~ - -, H.Vs L.,
pretty clear. sane idea OF the fighting
part of it. He doesn't Underrate the
Hun in the slightest. He is willing to
give him credit, via the box score up
to date. for being a corling good
| fighter.
/ But. on the other hand. he can't see
any of this superman stun. He has
seen too many supposedly invincible
champions on this side OF the water
beaten or dropped for the count. He
has seen too many supermanic cham
pions knocked out. too many super
manic baseball clubs overtlsEoyn. TO
Figure any entry as an unbeaten en-
tity. once the correct punch is applied.
/ This is the correct viewpoint-to &c
in with a deep respect for an oppo-
nent. but with nothing bordering on
discouragements cor fear.
| You'll also find the average Amer1-
can soldier. officer and man. also un-
derstands well enough his own limita-
tions as they stand noK-in lack OF
preparation and training. But you'n
lind he is willing TO make up this
deficit by the hardest sort Of work.
an amount Of work that has aston
ished Canadians. English and French
officers starred around at the different
cantonments.
And hard work. after all, has q
knack of getting there ultimately IL
the proper materials are added TO work
with.
The New Record H0lders-
There was a day when We figured
the number Of alibis compiled by ball
players or golfers established a record
figure.
Nothing to il. compared to the num-
ber and variety OF excuses presented
by enlisted men in order to obtain a
five days leave. To get an answer
figure up all the excuses a normal
brain can devise. multiply il by fifty.
and you will then be only one-thou-
sandth Of the way correct.
For when a fellow wants to get
away for a few days he feels the call
, so hard that no set limit can suppress