Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-07-05

plants used. In industry and in suffering
the agonies incident to being social
lion in Washington. General Pershing
has found most Of these institutions
that were built in "a few days and
nights" in order to make winning the
war simpler, in q state Of collapse. In
many instances most Of the workmen
were gone and the only thing left at
the plants were interested promoters
who provided banquets and sought to
impress General Pershing with the
thought that the government should run
these institutions at loss in the in
terest of preparedness" NOT to men,
tion the interests Of all the promoters
who discovered methods for buying silk
shirts and Pierce Arrows during those
Intoxicating days when Uncle Sam was
paying all the bills and asking few
questions. This exciting task" for
General Pershing has been accessory
to that other phase in his life.
sprinkled with four o'clock teas. even
ings at bridge with Senator's wives
and daughters, social aggrandizements,
horse shows ,and events wherein
marriageable daughters and fascinating
widows passed In review before the
worlds most eligible General
Just what General Pershing thought
of this aimless career perhaps no one
but himself will ever konw. Fortunate
lily the American people did not give him
a house that he did not want. as was
the case with Admiral Dewey But the
spices Of the Indfas ard the samples
Of American gratitude must look like
platters Of lemons to hard headed
man like General Pershing. Apparent
|ly he has not spurned these gifts and
attentions, but II the truth were actual
|ly known his expressed desire to retire
to private life has been influenced by
the conviction that the life of hero
Is not an easy one. particularly II he
must forsake d useful career to serve
as the victim for a mercurial populace..
Burning up Forests.
II there was any way Of determining
III, 1t would tionbfless be retealed that
one half Of an the forests Of the
United States have been destroyed BY
fire. Before there were railroads there
were tobacco aud pipes and matches,
and the old "slashing' that escaped the
ravaees Of thY was lucky patch. Bat
when the logging railroads appeared all
douhts OF ukimate destruction OF these
''slasltngs'' by fire appeared to be re-,
moved. s|1he, snortihg iron horses burn;
Jed. wood ander ,theiFabcilers, and the
(draft all, seemed to besope1'in order to
lend impetus to the dstreams Of flying
sparks that sprinkletl dry tree tops or
|slashings, and set the forests ablaze.
The country itself finally arose in vigor-
Gus protest against this sort of thing.
and the Forest Service and the state
and local fire wardens succeeded in re,
ducing the number Of fires to consid-
cradle extent.
A bucolic statesman in Washington
recently said that ''the cigarette won
the war;" Surely the cigarette possesses
la wonderful power. and It's effect up
on human affairs shows up In the re-
ceipts Of undertakers. 1t has gained
persistent recognition from insurance
companies. employers, fathers Of mar
riageable daughters. and others. The
forestry bureau has recently recognized
the cigarette as fine fire fly. and has
issued warning through the news
papers Of the country asking smokers
to watch their cigarette stubs. Cigar
cite smokers are apt to fy into rage
as yellow as their fingers when warned
Of the dangers that lurk in the little
fires they scatter over the broad world.
but forestry officials who are interested
in the figures alone, say that forest fires
are no longer monopoly In the land of
pipes and tobacco. or in the pathway of
|snorting locomotives on logging trains.
Long Island, right out Of New York
City. has its forest fires that have been
started by cigarettes.
Out in the great forest preserves the
forestry bureau has established aero
patrols. Foresters In planes now scour
the five great western forest states. re-
porting ires by wireless from their
machines. Fire fighting stations are
maintained. to be rushed where they are
needed. In Oregon one squadron of
eighteen planes Is able to maintain a
daily patrol over 2S,OOO.OOO acres Of
timber. But in the more populous
states, where forests are smaller and
are separated, fires can start more