The daily progressive-miner., 1918-04-30
CHILDREN'S WAR-GARDEN
 ARMY.

for, who is giving her services to the war-Garden Army originated by the Department of the Interior, writes:
 Over in London they are going up on the roof these days to listen to the thunder Of the guns across the Chan nel far away in France
 ..In Paris the school children are huddling together ;n the basements Of the schoolhouses waiting for the shells 10 drop. and while they wait they sing the MarseillaiSe
 Over here our children are listen ing. too, and singing-but they do not wait, They work.
 Tramp. tramp. tramp. Hark. It is the echo of thousands and hundreds Of thousands Of sturdy young feet. all marching 70 join the great army Of school gardens. From all parts of the country they are coming. eager, en- thusias,;c, full of determined hope and glowing loyalty Rich and poor they come boys and girls. from the kinder gartens and from the grammar grades. The United States War-Garden Army already numbers up into the hundred thousands. and if the enlistment goes on as ;t has begun it will not be long until 5,O00. .0eo children are in the ranks.
 'Tha club women have taken up the work. and The mothers congresses and great gatherings of women are taking 2 solemn pledge 70 drink sugarless tea and eat bread without butter until each one of them is personally res ponsible for one soldier in the United States war-Garden Army. and also re- sponsjble for getting a garden space for that particular soldier,
 Tn New York and Boston and Phil adelphia, in the crowded districts, the settlement workers are helping the children 10 make little gardens in old boxes on the fire escapes. and there is great rivalry in the tenements as to who is going 10 SC: out the first crop ot onions. Puhlic,spirited women are forming committees in all the larger cities. and i- is the business Of each member ct that committee 10 note eyery vacant 10. within Q certain dis 1ance and call ID the owner of the property. morning. noon, and night. in season and ont Of season, until the distracted property owner would lend the roof of his own house for war garden in order 10 ger q little peace.
 The service pins have aot been sent cur from Washington yet. but when they are that army is going 10 treble overnight What boy or girl can re- sis. belonging 70 the great army and wearing pin which talls every passer ,by ehat under that pin there beats a patriotic hear-2 The children thought it was just going 70 be fun a5 first but now they realize that this United States war-garden army is just as ser ious and just as important a part os our great fight as any branch Of the Government service
 They are learning inc salure too. military ashions-hou,ders back. head ID. eyes right, palm outward. I saw l:-tie fellow ii ragged coat draw himself up like major general the ether day and salute an officer in kha- Ri who swung past.
 Mechanically. the officers hand swept to his brow in answering sa- luce, and then he paused. smiled. and curnsd back.
 What branch Of the service are you in son.?' said inc officer
 The little -agamuffn threw up his grin1y hand and saluted again: Unit cd States War Garden Army he said. The service pins ain't here yet, but belong 10 the army just the same
 Some hungry little boy over there in Belgium is going 10 have a good meal some day just because a little -agamufin joined the army and saved food for his own folks here al home
 What 9 grea. time we live in and how bound together we all are with the .cIose ries Of love and fear There are no rich and poor these days-no old and no young, no good and no bad. had almost said. We are all just Americans, and the smallest child in <-he streets feels it and knows ir just as .he greatest man in the country feels t and knows it.
 If ever We were real Americans liv- ing up D the principle Of the men who founded our great Republic We are real Americans today. And of all the veE influences that are helping 10 bring about this wonderful and glori- ous state Of affairs there is more pow srtul. mora real. and more important than this new branch Of the new ser vice-the United States School Garden Army"