The sun., 1919-08-21

SALVATION ARMY
HAD 246 IN FRANCE
Col. Barker, the Pioneer, Tells
How the Doughnut Deluge
Really Began.
BROKE EVEN ON COSTS
Admits Rule Forbidding the
LassieS to Associate With
Men Was Hard on Them.
BROKE EVEN ON COSTS

Col. william S. Barker Of the Saliva
ton Army. just returned from France.
where he was first on the ground after
America entered the war and where he
organized and built up the service which
came to mean pie and doughnuts and so
many other good things TO the boys Of
the A. e. F.. freely admits that the rule
forbidding the S. A. lassies to take even
the shortest walk with a soldier or play
with him or do anything but serve him
was a bit hard on the lassles At the
same time. he says, this regulation saved
them from the mistakes which some
other women war workers made.
You know how it is with young wom-
en-" he said yesterday at the Army head
quarters, 1873 West Fourteenth street.
They naturally are more impressed by
an officer in his fine uniform than by a
doughboy. And in some of the organi-
cations where dancing with officers and
soldiers was the custom for girl work.
ers there was too much preference shown
the officers. Our view was that our
women went over there for ali the SOL
diers. not some particular ones. ana
therefore we made strict rules.
Did Not Issue Smokes.
ALSO we decided not to deal In TO-
bacco or wine. You can't have any in
iluence with boys unless you are consis-
tent and the Salvation Army oeins
known over here as an organization
which does not smoke, drink or dance
we thought best to keep the rule over
there. Oh, IL there was a town where
no other organization had a canteen we
would arrange to get cigarettes from the
Army Quartermaster and turn them over
10 some soldier. who saw that they were
dealt It out to his fellows. And IL a man
sick In a hospital wanted a smoke our
workers would go and buy him cigarettes
But we didn't give out smokes"
Col. Barker, who arrived Sunday on
the s. S. France. left behind him a small
force of workers who will finish IN the
Job the Salvation Army has done SO well.
There are about twenty-h five in all, most
of them stationed at Brest, though a
few are at Coblenz. He expects that
their work will be done by the end Of
August and that all will return home
next month.
1--WE began with the small sum Of
1
lad when ] first went over-four men
and three women" he said. But much
help was given us. For example, we
didn't know what to do for buildings,
but the American Army immedia tely
turned over to US twenty-one hangers at
Bordeaux and Brest and other points,
and we moved right into them.
"The Salvation Army never at any
time had a large force on the other
side In all, we sent over 245 American
workers, and never had more than IFS
there at once. Our staff was augment
ed by details of French workers. so that
we had about 500 IN all. We carried on
a cash business with the soldiers, and
when things are wound I'D we shall
about break even.
when soldiers had no money they
we're welcome to what We had. and we
wero never afraid to trust the boys, and
they dealt honestly with us. Once, in
Paris. a young Jew who had been al
lowed leave to attend one of the Jewish
holiday celebrations came to me and
asked to borrow $40 to get back to his
regiment. He had asked Tor the loan al
various organizations, and had been re-
fused. / examined his papers, saw they
were all right and loaned him the money
In fortnight l received his money order
for the amount"
How the Doughnuts started.
Col Barker. by request. told how the
Salvation Army doughnut came int
teinE.
when I landed in France" he said
Il was asked to dine with BRIG. Gen
George p. Duncan, commanding officei
of the First Brigade. Desiring to b.
POLITE to the Americans his chef. a ant
one, prepared for US an alleged apple
pie, which we, although also wishing t.
he polite were quite unable to eat. TIL,
French can do many things, but they
can't make pie. told Gen. Duncan tina
whom my women arrived they woult
bake him a pie, real pie. Well they
did and then l. thought that nothing
would make the soldiers forget theil
Inconsistencies like generous supplies o
pie.
but unfortunately we couldn't ge
the stoves. Our best piemaker. Adjutan
Margaret Sheldon of Chicago, then haC
an inspiration. Her stove in her hut a
Monitors sur Sauls was only lively,
inches square and she could bake bu
one pie at a time. Why not, she asked
fry doughnuts, since the top OF the stow
would hold a fairly large kettle. So sh
started frying doughnuts, at the sam
time baking her one pie at a time. Ant
those boys were so grateful! I've seel
them sometimes stand in line in the rail-
Two hours. each man holding up his littl
stick on which to receive the six dough
nuts to which he was entitled.
There was a chap named Fred An
derson of Seattle, who constructed
. stove out of metal wheelbarrow ant
fried fiapjacks on a piece of sheet iror
which he laid over the fire. He was VI
at the front all the time, and used I
make daring journeys back to buy egg
and supplies for the soldiers. Our work
ers were under fire many times, an
often our women had to sleep out In tn
fields because the Germans were shellin
the villages. But we came throug
without the loss of a life, save one ma