The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-21

west front with its line stiffened past
all possibility OF breaking and the
home front which stool no less firm
In the days and weeks of suspense
and doubt. Those we're days when
the Sa.IvaI.n Army did not worry
about uniforms Women went out
in their everyday working clothes.
with kitchen aprons and working
dresse, with a little arm hand to
signify the organization back Of them.
1T has been a great cause Of pride
to our organization, that our lassies
Immediately went as far afield.. as the
American officers would permit a
woman TO go, according to the I'M
changed laws of military strategy.
Funny old kitchen stoves. made out
Of sheet ron. picked out from the
ruined homes. were set up in any
field o9hy- aIy-rnadsiLe and when a
woman In hig apron and a work
ingday dress stood beside that stove
peering through her glasses in order
to see that her doughruts were cook
ed just rigat, think | can guess what
the sight meant to he hundreds of
tired, dusty doaghboys lined up wait
ing their turn. With the background
of sinister woods behind her and the
smoke OF great guns in the air. that
little figure, bending over the queer
riekety sto%e was figure which the
boys understood and loved. This. I
submit 1w-r.tti-f rss. @sft-ft -r-thes
success of the Salvation Army at the
front
When .he tide of battle turned
and the enemy reiterated and the
Yanks went from the Marine TO the
Aisne, the dauntless little kitchens
tried TO keep pace with them The
bows who have come back tell us how
they have seen little Fords picking
their way aver shell torn roads. creep
Ing along as best they could in the
rain and the dcsultory firing of shells
The boys helped all they could
They set up the stoves and chopped
the wood AMI stood around Offering
advice whiia the douGhnut fried
Mas" converse ton was worth in
finitelv more even than her precious
doughnuts and there would be a
group of twenty-five boys all around
that stove trying TO tell her about the
last letter from home and all talking
at the same time. These are the
reasons why with us success is a
homely everyday thing. based upon
the love AMI affection Of two million
men in khaki
The Salvation Army has always
been conscious Of the need OF sacri-
fee and heroism. I.s training for
years has been for the emergency.
whatever il might be In eloquent
evidence Of this fact, J. recall the sink :
ing the Empress of ireland. When
that great hnat went down, she car
rled l4o salvation Army workers,
When the sea gave M its dead, not
one of these workers had on IA life
preserves. II is because of their sim :
pie intimacy with things unseen that
the salvation Army workers have no
fear OF death. IT was their courage
and their fearlessness which they
| offered as their final gift To the men
on the battlenei6s
These hoys who went out to die
| for America. went out in their JOYOUS
youth. full OF the love of life. Sud
denly there intruded upon them This
thought of death and of great suffer.
| ing. 1t was natural that this un-
heard of thing should have left them
bewildered at times. when they knew
at sunrise the would march toward
! the front. II meant much to these
| boys that there were women near
who would talk to them and help
them face whatever the day would