Trench and camp. ([Admiral, Md.) 1917-1919, 1918-07-14


neath his cassock protruded a pair
eburs. ~ y"
- young officer. recently commits
4oned, caught sight of the spurs and
nllngly whispered to a captain who
neit beside him, Look at Holy Joe!~
@e wearing spurs while in vests
1ne Captain turned towards the
s-he was wedged in between lat
- benches as he knelt. He smiled
8dulgentiy in his turn and replied.
Neyer mind. He's earned them"
Boots and Spurs Inseparablo
The Chaplain Is a mounted officer.
snd army regulations prescribe boots
tor mounted officers. To the good
pOidier boots and spurs are insepa-
xeoie: SO the Chaplain wears spurs.
put 1t Is more than regulation with
MN now. 1t Ii his right, IL q SYM
Roiasm attaches to the spurs today as
a oid In the days Of old. He has won
p1s spurs-won them on the field of
xery1ce-and only one incident In this
yar has created condition where the
ultimate humiliation might have
een imposed in which q X. PIT act
ING for the traditional cooks chopper.
XYuI0 have hacked the spurs from q
naDiAin's heels. This Incident has
Feady been thoroughly aired and
eeos only passing mention. It is
30 OF O Chaplain Of the Army who
leused his ONCE to poison the minds
mas soldier Practitioners in the in
gerests of loyaK, 70 en- allegiance he
3aq foresworn. Yet. il there were
JUDAS among the Twelve, 1t means
Fhae the army chapla.ncy has reached
high plane Of devotion, In view of
kne large number Of men commits
EdQned, to write that this is an iso-
doing. --
i From the field of France and Elan
Hers, as records Of heroism are read.
I - no uncommon thing, even I'm
gnese days of sublime bravery, to read
mat Chaplain has DISTINGUISHED
9!mself for an award that decorates
MN. sets him apart. as Of the bravest
Of the brave. In the records of a
single days citations for awards. the
names OF three Chaplains are given.
decorated for distinguished con-
IL IL not SO long since that q prom
Ment minister. who had served an a
CHAPLAIN ON the Mexican Border, re-
Mgmed his commission after stating
publicly that the duties Of the chap
kesncy were not commensurate with
ne dignity Of the Christian ministry.
When America entered the world
war the duties Of the chaplafncy, be-
ing little understood by army officers.
were q perplexity to the general pub
We. And when It was suggested that
the Chaplains might need funds for
their work, there was only O slight
response, for the people at home had
no realisation of what would Be done
with their gifts. Now every Christian
church recognizes the Importance of
the work Of the Chaplains and they
VIII not lack for funds.
The lesson has been taught by the
soldiers themselves, for the Chaplains
have no spOkesmen, as have the great
institutions like the Young Mems
Christian Association and the Knights
Of Columbus and the Jewish Welfare
Board. Soldiers, writing home, have
told the story Of the Chaplains in the
camps and on the battlefields, and
many q family in sorrow has had rea-
Son to be grateful for the presence of
o Chaplain who could tenderly catch
the last word or gather few precious
trfnkets and then write to the stricken
home and, in a few sympathetic
words, remove the sting Of death It.
self.
Garry Church to Firing Line
Mothers and fathers have been
called upon to-give their boys to the
great cause, boys that had never left
the hearth before, and they have wor-
ried over the welfare of those boys,
only to find that, side by side with
the soldiers, we're ministers Of God
who carried the church even to the
firing line-and beyond; ministers
who kept the thoughts Of the soldiers
on the things that endure; ministers
who had deep and solemn sense OF
their responsibilities towards the
boys that had been entrusted to the |
army.
Not only have the Chaplains vfndi- |
Gated the chaplaincy; but they have
brought to the men under arms a new |
conception of the ministry itself. |
They have shown to the soldiers that
the martyr spirit is not yet dead, that
men are still willing to die for the
sake of their religion and for the love
OF souls. 1t has been cynical1y pre-
dicted that the theological schools Of
the country will have no difficulty In
A. a..