The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-12-01
PITTSBURGH GOT
MACHINE GUN TO.
REPEL GERMANS
City Council Furnished
Rapid Firer to Save
City From
Germans

PITTSBURGH.-Th is to be no
peace for Pittsburgh's lone war in
strument-a machine gun and truck.
City Council has ahrogated its for
mer action which would have insured
the relic of the war an honorable
career as a memorial Of the days
when the city had to buy regular
shooting iron to protect the great
city-county building and the NAM
moth court house, and the rest OF
the city.
The gun was purchased during the
war at the behest of the reserves
who took the place of the National
Guard regiments here, who had gone
to war.
If the Germans landed at New
York, the trip to Pittsburgh over the
Pennsylvania Railroad would be q
short one, it was argued, and Pitts
burgh would be one of the first OBJ
jects of attack by the Germans be-
cause the great Westinghouse plants
and steel mills here were turning
out enormous quantities of war mu-
nitions, including shipload after ship
load of finished shells for England,
the United States and other allied
nations.
Surely Pittsburgh would be quickly
visited if the Germans landed on
American soil. So the City Council
bought a machine gun. Everybody
was doing something to win the war,
and if the nine councilmen were too
old to go to the front, they, at least,
could supply gun for the reserve
militia to shoot with. A machine gun
it was solemnly stated in City Coun-
Gil, would be just the thing to defend
the city against the Germans.
Woe to The Germans
A high hill overlooks Pennsylva-
MIA station like that in Cleveland at
Union station. A machine gun on
top of the hill above Pennsylvania
station could spray bullets upon all
incoming trains as they rambled into
the train shed. Fine scheme. The
city would be saved from the Ger
mans-by Pittsburgh's lone machine
gun.
Finally, the armistice was signed.
Later the reserves which had been
recruited by the State 'for the dura-
ton" of the war, decided it was time
to quit. Didn't Hiram Johnson and
other great statesmen in Washington
say so? No matter if President Will
son still chung to the idea that we
were still at war, the war was over
so far as the Pennsylvania reserves
were concerned. Council was told the
war was over. and that since the
Germans were not coming the city's
machine gun was no longer needed
1t would be a good idea, the reserves
informed City Council, to retire
the city's machine gun. The reserves
suggested that the gun be sent out
to the Eighteenth Regiment Armory.
MIX" replied Council to the sug-
gestion. This war piece has safe
guarded Pittsburgh and should be
honorably retired surrounded by
proper, recognition of it's historic
value" Council said. Let the State
provide it's own equipment for it's
soldiers to practice on" was the ulti-
matum.
But City Council is tickle. Colonel
Dunlap, of the Eighteenth Regiment,
sent another request for the defend
er of Pittsburgh" and Council has
decided to let the regiment have the
gun. 1t was a case of "old horse"
and not word was said to prevent
the gun from going back into mis-
cellaneous service" again-no friend
interceded for the gun.
Prophecy-Old Omar doubtless
had us in mind when he spoke of
the profits paradise to come.-Cleve.
land News.