The Washington times., 1920-06-04
tco.ti..ss frs- Yesterday

hAA "tAN NAktSAs1 " NOfnc Wntn
called. at any hour OF the day or
night, unless they had a very good
excuse. II a member failed in her
duty she received black mark;
after three black marks she was
usually not summoned again. The
method OF proceduce thus devised
was found to work very well and
was kept until we got our hut on
the tracks, when regular shifts
were organized.
On the morning OF the trip 40
Fort Myer the whole stan assem- bled
at the garage, where the fire yos
started In the kitchen trailer. the
coffee prepared, the sandwiches
made. and the pies cut. The intelli-
gence officer went ahead with the
Red Cross flag and the tent to make
arrangements for the parking OF
the kitchen and motors. Then on
we started, the coffee boiling in
the great cauldrons. the steam ris-
ing, the fire cracking all the way.
BY the time we reached Fort Nycr
everything was ready TO serve.
Folding tables were taken from the
truck aSd set out picnic fashion IN
the place assigned us-a dirt road
between the barracks. We had
barely got scttled--lt was half past
I0-when streams OF reserve Of
ficers began lining up for break
fast; they had had nothing to cat
since q the night before, and were
very hungry. On their arrival 1T
camp they had been hurried Oft fo.
medical examinations, SO this was
their frst chance 10 get bite. Our
food was certainly appreciated by
the l 800 men. The total cost 10
the refreshments to the Red Cross
was only a little over 500. ] had a
letter from General Scott. then n
command of the army compliment
ing us upon our success, SO alto
gether we felt very well satisfied.
Nevertheless. complications soon
arose from the fact that while some
of the army officers approved Of
canteen work at the railway sta
tions, others did not. Red Cross
canteens were new in America.
Those who mad been in Europe dur
ing the war. and knew conditions
there, encouraged us. Others felt
very definitely that women should
not be told when troops were to
pass through en- route for overseas.
as orders were just beginning to he
kept secret. For this reasdn our
work on the tracks was somewhat
interfered with for a while.
But all the officers approved OF
our visiting the camps. In order
that there might be no criticism,
the soldiers were given only things
that their chaplain asked for. such
as books. postcards. magazines to-
bacco, writing paper. and gum. All
the military bands about Washing
ton were supplied through us with
music contributed by music stores
in several large cities. We made
point of not duplicating or interfer-
ing with the work of any other 80
ciety. but being an emergency
corps we were able to accomplish
what some others were not yet
ready to do. For overseas men we
added a candy and cigarette COM
mittee and comfort-bag depart
ment, so that many thousand sol
diers and marines Going to the front
at that time were supplied.
After the trip to Fort Myer the
next call was to feed the Red Cross
delegates who had arrived from all
over the country to attend a meet
ing in Washington. AS women are
not used to military methods
had my troubles. Some OF the men,
DeTS Op1eCleu, ltSllHS lhct thV >oh
teen was meant for soldiers only,
but since we were under military
rules. orders from headquarters
had to be obeyed without question.
The luncheon was to be served at
Fort Myer, and our kitchen was
marked near General Scotts house,
on top Of the plateau among the
officers quarters. A whole lot or
Red Cross big bugs" were there,
including ex-President Taft. Mr..
Dawson, and Mr.. Eliot Wadsworth.
That afternoon we started from
Fort Myer across country and struck
the road to Alexandria, where we
were TO feed 600 artillerymen
who were coming in by train and
making camp in a big field about
eight miles out of Washington
This field, between their unpacking
and ours, soon began to look as II IT
were about ready for a circus. We
served the food from the motors,
the soldiers helping. Darkness came
on, but still we stayed and worked
with only the aid of occasional IAN
terms. The officer in charge asked
us TO leave the kitchen there under
guard till morning. so that troop
trains arriving in the night could
have hot coffee. or course we W"re
glad to do this, and left an extra
present of tobacco for she men.
Again we had a nice letter from the
commander.
A most terrible occasion was the
9Th OF June-registratio day. over
a thousand people managing the
registration at the schoolhouses
scattered all over the city had to be
fed. Our work began early in the
morning and ended late at night.
Baskets were packed for each
schoolhouse with ham sandwiches
and Jelly rolls; and after they had
heen dispatched to their various
destinations in motors, the kitchen
hersn it's tour, leaving cans of hot
coffee.
The long. tedious day was scarce
,y cnded--it was about midnight.
,n fact-when the head of the police
called up, asking whether we would
serve coffee and sandwiches the
next three days to the Confederate
veterans who had come to Washing
ton for reunion and parade.