The Washington times., 1918-04-21
THE TIMES GIRL
REPORTER TELLS
OF TANK RIDE

women want 20 know what # means
/ British. and he was very kind. and
so rode.
was told to be ready when the
tank started to leave the Ellipse
south OF the White House yesterday
to move TO its station on Pennsyl-
vania avenue IN front OF the White
House, and ! was there.
The men In the crew were oilinE
and adjusting and making everything
ready when I arrived. I saw in the
side OF the tank a small narrow opening.
not big enough by one-third to be called
door. just big enough. in fact. for a
man to crawl through. This little gate
won't call il door-Can be entered
only by getting down on your hands
and knees and crawling, ant down on
my hands and knees. in the rain and
mud. l dropped, and in I went.
Bumped Against Ceiling.
Very good said one OF the crew. as
half fell inside. lie assisted me to my
feet. and as arose I started to adjust
my hat. but before could get Il
straight. my head bumped against the
top II the rOOm-the steel ceiling-and
;hat by STOPPING in a sort Of crouching
position ! could move sabout. At the
front ] saw two leather padded seats.
on" beneath each OF the small openings
in the front end OF the tank. l started
to sit upon one Of these. but was told |
Uuld not
They are for the drivers" said my
guide. lie motiOned me to one OF
the t"" seats on each side OF the
tank. and sat down. I noticed that
each Of these side seats was big
enough TO allow three men TO sit
down. l fixed my hat and folded
my hands, and settled down for
nice ride. ] imagined the sensation
would be somewhat similar to riding
in steel box strapped on the back
OF an elephant and that the noise
would be somewhat like the noise
made by an automobile engine.
Thought About Iata HarI.
81 tried to imagine the sensations
Of the first British Tommies as they
started on their first ride in the first
British tank bacl, in the days when
theN3ritish tank was a big war Sc
cret with which the men OF Eng
land hoped To break through Hin
denburg's line. wondered how
Mata Hari. the famous Javanese
dancer, learned about the secrets OF
the tank and why she told her Sc
CTet TO the Germans. wondered
how she felt when they told her she
must die for telling that secret. She
is dead now. and the tank secret is
known to the world. but her wom-
ans tongue and her traitor heart
prevented Britain from giving Ger
many the greatest surprise OF the
war. And now here was ]. a Wash
ington girl in Washington. just a
stones throw from the rear porch
OF the White House. inside a British
tank, the famed tank Britannia. look
Ing with all my eyes at the secrets
for which Germany would have given
thousands OF dollars. and maybe
thousands OF lives. too. only a few
months ago. To me. a woman, there |
did not seem much to see except four I
steel walls and an engine
Now we were ready to start The
crew was inside, the doors had been
closed and locked. and the two /.
drivers were on their little leather T.
padded seats. \ quiet order was
spoken. 1 wanted to see outside but
could not. The only openings in this /.
steel room were the two sIits through |
which the drivers were looking: at /
east they were the only openings .
which 1 could get a glimpse
~ daylight. but through these Sits
could see nothing more than a patch .
NJ blue sky. l felt Isolated Wash
nEton seemed far away. and here
v a. l alone with several business !