The Washington times., 1920-10-04


One day receiving final orders he sat
at the telephone, called Brest and
other army warehouse bases, said
Hold for further orders" this and
that, until he had provided that which
finally filled several trainloads, among
the items being 500 motor cars. Col
olen Gilchrtst had been the expert
for the entire American forces in
France. He knew his business. He
is there yet, and 1aboring to fight
typhus fever.
QUICK ACTION.
One incident to show his readiness
to grasp the situation: When the
Polish retreat got under full swing in
July hundreds of thousands of refu-
gees rushed pell-meli toward War
saw. Typhus was among them Col
onel Gilchrist got into his car made a
midnight ride to Brest-Litovsk, or
ganized on the three railway lines
each two camps-one the dirty
camp" where refugees were to be
''deloused'-for removing body YER
min, is the sum and substance of
lighting typhus-and there the refu-
gees were to have stamped on their
wrists in indelible ink the word
Clean" which stamp would be card
of admission to the clean camp,
where food and so far as possible
clean clothing would be supplied
them.
Because all of these refugees were
hungry and many of them penniless,
II may be guessed that-although
posed to being deloused, the lure of
food would induce them to be
cleansed.
Then when the period of service
of the 500 men ~Spired-and rear
rangement of the expedition became
necessary, the men were told that any
who wished might return home, Not
one of those doughboys failed to write
down hiS>name as a volunteer to re-
main and endure the horrors Of filth
and the discomforts of travel and
work in that disorganized country.
When Hoover saw the need for food
and other supplies and approached
the United States army liquidation
commission in Paris he and they cut
red tape instantly. ''Ship the supplies
and bother about the fiscal adjust
ments later" was the procedure.
An American officer was told one
day that $50 carloads of supplies
should 60 to Poland from Paris. but
that the French authorities we're re-
fusing cars.
"You want those supplies to go, do
your" he asked.
EYES," they replied.
'Don't record me A. w. o. L. II I
do not show up for a few days" the
officer said, and disappeared. A week
later he appeared in Elysee Palace
and saluted his army chief in the
liquidation commission.
"sToLEr $50 CARLOADS.
'-rhe $50 carloads have gone to Po-
land" he laconicslly reported.
Impossible" his chief replied.
'The French have every day refused
us the cars and engineers"
81 stole the cars and engines, sir"
this officer answered. "The supplies
are on their way"
The French government formally
pr otested and the United States Army
authorities terribly reprimandcd the
train -thieving officer. He was called
on the telephone from-well, never
mind what army base, and told that
he was forthwith and hereby rcpIi-
manded, scolded and written down as
a destroyer of discipline, and as hav-
ing involved his government In a
nasty international mess.
And, by the way, captaln"-never
mind what csptain%"would you Rc-
cept n promotion to be a major in the
United States Army7'
II would"
Fine. Just telegraph your accept
ance to me here. Your commission
goes by courier today
And so IL went throughout the OPP
erations of the Yanks and civilians
In respect of Poland's needs. They
did things when and where they
needed to be done. They did them
promptly and did them we'll.
SAVED MANY LIVES.
The food which Hoover sent! When
the Fourth of July was celebrated in
Warsaw this year, 10000 kiddles-
Poles, OF course-marched TO the
plaza in front OF the operahouse, car
rylng American hags, and waving
them, too, crying in their Polish hn-
guage, "Niech zyje Arnerika" that
meant, Long live America
! A Polish journalist standing by us
on the opera house balcony said:
Most OF these children are alive