The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-04-25
THE. GLASGOW COURIER

AAN ITO
wheel-and, anyhow, his percentage
would have been larger if the boys
had not stopped on their way to the
Connors emporium to pick up a little
easy money frmo the gentleman with
the three shells. But he did not like
to interfere with the said cruisers.
i've gotta live here" said Connors.
Just the same, after the proper rep
reservations were made by Connors
in the proper quarters, the chief of
police of the Guantanamo district
drove over n day and took away the
three shells and the cards with the
spotted ears and all the other little
knick-knacks with which the sand
cruisers were getting rich. Also he
intimated that his displeasure would
be certain and very quick if they tried
to get away more liberty money.
Hired the Crooked Gamblers.
And then-just so every one would
be pleased all around-some n sug-
gested that Connors hire the crooked
gamblers for the time the fleet stay
ed off Caimaneras. Which he did.
They were given important things to
do, like turning on the electric lights
every evening or running the cigar
lighters. But they were we'll paid and
were out of danger. So that all hands
were pleased. Also, Connors cut his
limit down to a perfectly harmless
figure.
That's the way the navy does things.
The men of the big fleet landed in
New York harbor as clean and-com-
paratively-moneyed a bunch of sail
ors as ever got shore leave. The navy
knows how.
A good deal has been printed about
the embarkation camp at Brest but
few seem to know that it "a a ma
rine-Major General Butler-who
cleaned it up. For the purposes of this
argument a marine is considered as
belonging to the navy. Both marines
and naval men will resent this bitterly,
but at least a marine doesn't properly
line up with the army.
About Conditions at Brest.
"The Brest camp had been rotten"
one man told me. "The army had it
and the army has a standing phrase
Whenever anything goes completely
and utterly wrong the army waggles
one hand.
"'C'est la guerre,' says the army.
"Ben Butler did not think that just
because we were at war u men
should be exposed to avoidable dang
ers or discomforts. How he cleaned
up Brest is now known to every one.'
Fewer, perhaps, know Of another OF
Buffers stunts at Brest. The prin-
cipal hotel there had been fairly sat
isfactory in the first months, but by
and by the proprietors sighted a large
body of easy money approaching theil
doors. Prices began to go up like
trial ballons. Persons who complain,
ed were waved away.
Was Put Out of Bounds.
So Butler posted a guard of marines
at the door of the hotel M day. Nc
one wearing the American uniform
was permitted to enter. The British
and French call this putting the of
Tending establishment tout of bounds
but although the device has been rath
err popular since the early days of thu
a the American army never made
use of it, so far as l know.
Briton and Frenchman calmly rec
ognized the fact that human nature
is occasionally imperfect, and guarded
against those imperfections. But thu
theory of the American army seemed
to be that in some vague way it wa
disloyal to even talk back to a Britol
or a Frenchman. Though they do sa.
that General Pershing hammered o.
General Foch's table-but that's an
other story.
"This," was the unofficial protes
to Admiral Wilson, then commandin,
the American ships in the port O
Brest, "is an unwise action on tn
part Of Major Butler, and is liabl
to lead to grave complications. Is i
wise to encourage friction of this sor
between two great nations" ad
compliments and stir until served.
Admiral Wilson agreed that it wa
not right to permit even a possibilit,
Of friction between two great nations
So he sent down a guard of gobs t
help the marines keep the American
out of the hotel, where they were ex
posed to the danger Of friction. Mex
day the prices came down and tn
guards were removed. Most of ther
have stayed down ever since.
That's why l say the navy know
how to look after it's men.