The Washington herald., 1918-11-24

vho ran a wood yard for them at
ourteenth street and Ohio avenue.
mere they were given the waste
'ood on some of Uncle Sans build
.ngs. AIRS. Smith was on hand every
afternoon and raised over 5000 on
that wood in month Now they
are starting a rubber drive There Is
station at Thomas circle, where
contributions of anything in the rub
Der line from worn out overshoes to
coilpieteiy wrecked tires and inner
TUBES may be deposited. Baltimore
llaue s5Jc on its old rubber and
Kansas city, $500 Mrs. Dougberty
wants TO do likewise. And she re-
minds people that for nearly five
years 100000 men have been en-
gaged In the cheerful task of DESTROY
ing the world at cost OF sls0 900 900
daily-and that TO counteract that
thrift alone is not enough-the world
must turn to salvage.
washington is having all sorts Of
reminders that while the war is
practically over. 1t will be weeks. IL
not months and even years before
the complete toll even In human life
Is realized. There have been a score
OF homes right here I'm Washington
saddened during the past week by
news OF the death of their sons. or Of
those near and dear. in the last few
! weeks OF hghting, and there are
hundreds who are still anxiousIv in
quiring for word of those ..rnissins,
in action"
! Early In the week word came that
I Lieut.. Elkins oliphant had been killed
in action during the last awful davs
He was not strictly speaking a Wash
ington boy. He was a son OF tho late
Alexander Oliphant, of Trenton. n J.
But he was n nephew of Hughes
lOliphant. OF Washington, and a step
grandson" OF Mrs. Stephen B. Elkins.
| That Is, his mother was :, daughter
of Senator Elkins and his first wife.
But Lieut.. Oliphant was popular with
all the Eikins connection here. and a
frequent visitor. 1t seems to me that
ne used to spend his holidays with
Mrs. Elkins. who was Cuite devoted
to him-and know he was well known
in the youger set in Washington. He
was member OF the First Officers
| Training Glass at Fort Myer, and
had been in the thick of the fighting
for months.
On the other hand there is Lieut..
John o. Donaldso'. son of Gen. and
Mrs. T. Q. Donald n. and well known
in practically tho same set, who has
had the most thrilling adventures,
and the most wonderful escape II
you saw it In movie you wouldn't
believe it.
Lieut. Donaldson is one Of those
who couldn't wait. He went into the
Royal Flying Corps-British aviation
service. He was eager for the fray.
They couldn't hold him. He was
credited officially with downing four
German planes. and unofficially with
downing four more. He wanted the
fifth that would make him an ace.
And he went gaily forth to battle
with a bunch OF his mates" He got
his fifth. 1t was quite official. There
were plenty OF witnesses. But it also
got him-or something did. A shot
crashed into his plane and put it out
iof commission. 1t fell something like
5000 feet and landed inside German
lines.
OF course his partners were sure he
was dead-and returned to their own
lines with that report. He wasn't
even hurt. but Of course he was a
German prisoner. Being a German
prisoner isn't pleasant. II didn't suit
John Donaldson and he tried a get
away. Three times he tried it before
he accomplished, it, Between while.
the conditions OF his imprisonment
did not improve. Once they STRUCK
him in the back in recapturing him
and gave HIM no surgical attention
but put him in solitary" on breac
and water. as a troublesome captive
who needed discipline. For eigh