Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-18
No Wonder Germany Quit
= /: : .
NUMBER THIRTY-SIX

THE other day made some rather
strong remarks about the Boche and
their treachery and cruelty" said
Major Frank G. Mahin, of the Army
Recruiting Station, 325 Market
street, Harrisburg, 'whereupon a
woman spoke up and said ! acted as
though L hated Germans, to which
l replied that | most certainly did.
She remarked that of course | was
professional soldier, so that sort of
thing was expected of me. l had to
admit that | was not primarily
humanitarian nor citizen of the
World, but was an American by
birth and training, however | had
seen many people who were not pro-
fessional soldiers who also loathed
and detested our late adversaries.
For instance, ministers of the Gospel
are hardly to be considered as blood
thirsty, aggressive fighting men, yet
l had seen numbers of chaplains
who had acquired 4 5 caliber auto
matte pistols and liberal supply of
cartridges after having been in bat
tie against the Boche, and who
Furthermore, had practiced with
their pistols so that they might, if
opportunity arose, do their bit to-
wards sending some Boche to the
place where snowballs melt quickly.
These militant Chaplains, who were
acting as their consciences dictated
after practical experience, would go
into action with a Red Cross brassard
on their arms and a pistol tucked
inside their Wristbands so it wouldn't
show. Some even went so far as to
carry hand grenade in each pants
pocket in addition. And | can as
sure you these brave men were not
going armed for their own self-pr
lection, but so that they could pro-
tect wounded men from the Hun bar
barian if need arose. On one oc-
casion at least, a Boche sniper shot
the doctors working on the wounded
at dressing station and then started
to work on the Hospital Corps Men.
About this time a chaplain came
along and went out hunting the
sniper. He found him hidden in a
tree and our fighting parson prompt
N reached down in his pants and
produced his 45. drew a bead on
the Hun and sent him over the great
divide. That chaplain later re-
marked that his one regret was that
he was ordained and could not tax
a rlhe and go out hunting such
coyotes. On another occasion A
Boche machine gun sniper hidden in
our lines, made it impossible to
eVacuate the badly wounded as he
would hre on every litter team carry
ing badly wounded man and flrth-
ermore never fired at anyone else
Every man on such litter team was
unarmed and wore a Red Cross
brasSard A number of mon were
detailed to round up this machine
gunner and among those looking for
him was a chaplain and that chap
pIaln had taken off his Red Cross
prassard and was carrying a rife
whlGh ne knew how to use and fer
Nehty hoped he would have the
chance TO use in very few minutes.
Ailotner chaplain was with an artil-
lery observation group during a Ger
man offensive in July and after every
other man on the party had been
killed or wounded and he himself
mad been gassed. took off his bras
sara and for forty-e hours re-
NAMED out in front of the infantry
ulrect1ng the fire of his regiment on
me boche who were attacking. What
ulHerence did it make to him that
ne was chaplain; he knew the Hun
ana II was up to him to be a man
and an American for the sake of his
country and of his country's allies
j ust as the chaplains put aside and
forgot all sectarian claims, so that
II mattered not whether a man were
catholic or Protestant, Jew or Cen
tile, he was an American, doing a
mans part for his country and moth
ing else mattered. And so it came
about that no matter who the man
was, before he had served long in
front of the Boche he actually hated
them. hated them for their cruelty
Tor their treachery, for their utter
lack OF all sentiments of honor and
of fair play"