The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-04-18
BURTON |. FRENCH
TELLS MORE OF TRIP
CONGRESSMAN FROM MOSCOW
WRITES ON BOARD LEVIA
THAN FOR STAR-MIRROR

On the Way to the War Zone, on
Board the Leviathan, March %, 1919
| The Editor the Star Mirror:
| 1t has been week since we left
the New York -Hoboken harbor and
we are now approaching Brest. The
week has been one of the shortest
of my life for something like thirty
or forty passengers included in the
list | mentioned heretofore have been
intensely interested in world events
of the moment. We have had lee
lures and round table discussions
every day and if we had possessed
the authority to carry our conclu-
sions into effect doubtless many con-
crosses and parliaments would be
spared the responsibility. of heavy
work for number of years. How
ever, probably the world in it's turn
will have reason to rejoice that our
conclusions will be left behind when
we leave the ship. Anticipating this I
shall omit to discuss them.
The Kaiser's Suite
A few matters pertaining to the
ship are worthy of mention. The levi
athan under the name Vaterland was
the pride of the German government,
and one of the suites luxuriously fin
ished and furnished was known as
the Kaiser's Suite. True, as l under
stand, the ex-Kaiser never occupied
it and probably never will. In the
first place he might not plan on a
visit to America in view of the well
come he would doubtless receive, and
if he did he would be sentimental
enough to avoid taking passage on a
ship whose history isso interviewer
with the overthrowing of imperial
Germanys ambition for world con-
quest.
Uncle Sam as Paymaster.
There is another very small room
that contains treasure worth more
than the Kaiser's Suite. This room is
a modest room and yet it is guarded
day and night by an OFFICER of the
United States army and two privates.
The treasure would have aroused the
cupidity of Captain Kidd and he
would have dared the main on a
thousand seas had he reasonable
hope of grasping one-tenth its con-
tents. This room contains $5,000,-
900 with which to pay our American
boys in France.
A Beautiful Service.
The great war has added many
customs to our life. A most beautiful
custom is the service that is held on
ship board for possibly three minutes
at eventide, just as the sun goes down.
Last night | stood on the bridge,
where were assembled the captain,
all the ships higher officers, the sec
retary of the navy, several admirals
on their way to France, and few
others who wished to be present.
There under the canopy that covers
Gods world, and amid the majesty of
boundlesss and surging sea, and illim-
liable distance and approaching night
we stood with uncovered and bowed
heads and followed in profound rev.
erence the chaplain in his appeal to
our creator. AS 1 turned from that
simple service in which there partic
ipated those whom knowledge of sea
faring has placed at the head of our
navy, yet whom humility had caused
to bow in reverence to higher power,
l think | realized as never before the
atom the individual is when compared
with the universe, and that after all
it is service only that counts.
Vaccination.
1t had not occurred to me till our
voyage was we'll under way that
might be exposed to some of the dis
eases that can be warded off by the
of modern science. But
at our table some one spoke of having
been vaccinated for small pox and for
typhoid and fevers akin to the latter.
The question was then on. We learn
ed that army officers and war work
ers are not permitted to land unless so
treated, so we considered the question
for ourselves. At nearby table were
a number of America S foremost med
ical advisers on mission in connec-
tion with Red Cross work and we sub
mitted the matter to them. why"
they said, 1--WE all have sore arms for !