The Washington herald., 1922-03-05

ever possihis. Communicatiens extreme- |
" difficult TO read viii not BE- considered
Nc eemmnniostion.. signed with Aettti'us
boxes. and held "fn storage" until
such time as they could be sent
home-some never got home. Ter
ror gripped the city. All was con-
fusion. Disease and disaster were
in the air. Hunger stalked. He'll
Is not only on the battlefield.
Many a father with a boy in the
war. a wife down with the flu"
and a child dead. himself exhausted
from sleepless nights at the bed
side and work by day. in debt,
worked on uncomplainingly, Many
a dear mother. with husband and
children suddenly taken away from
her. yet gave Of herself in some
kind Of war work. Children whose
parents had died with the ''fu"
were suddenly thrown on the world
with. no place to go. Truly wars
casualties.
This picture is not overdrawn-it
happened in Washington. Through
II all the citizens. the government
workers, the war workers, the
"fappers," God bless them. and the
cake eaters" too-never COM
planned. They smiled a little. they
fused a little. and they bought
Liberty bonds till it hurt; and they
stuck by their guns. But the
women and the "fappers"! They
were the bravest of all-chatting.
they knitted: eating. they knitted:
seeing a show. they knitted: sitting
beside the sick bed. they knitted:
riding on the disease-infested street
cars, they knitted. They, between
times. wrote letters to the lonesome
boys in camp though themselves.
sick, hungry and cold: and every
day and night a tragedy impending.
All was confusion. sorrow. grief
and bad reports from abroad or
none at ALL Every day, almost, the
bulletin boards registered that the
Germans were gaining. they were
using fire sprays. poison gas-that
our boys and the allies were being
killed by the thousands. 1t was
horrible. Rage was in our hearts.
We were impotent to do more than
remain hepe to fight our silent bat
tie with fear and sickness and
death.
And vet some of the service men
feel that the "stay-at-homes" were
lucky and profiteers in the bargain.
There were profiteers in the
United States-some in Washington.
All too many everywhere. Judas
Iscariots and Benedict Arnolds are
in every community. But the aver
age citizen. the average mother and
father. brother and sister. sweet
heart, friend-were not lucky. were
not profiteers. They did their duty
gladly, proudly. nobly. Possibly
theer were as many profiteers in
the United States as there were men
actually drafted. Say 100000 But
what of the other so.ooo.o00 Ameri-
can citizens. Only very small
part of them were slackers or
profiteers.
The honest-to- goodness "stay-at-
home" worker, with very little in
crease in salary (this does not mean
cost plus contract workers, but or
dinary labor in factory store. shop
and office), had his rent douh,ed--
IS shoes cost Is cents a pound,
eggs more than doubled in cost,
butter doubled in cost. clothes dou-
bled in cost, street car fire almost
doubled, meat doubled-ih fact,
there was scarcely q thing that did
not increase in price 100 per cent,
some increased 200, 500, 400, SOC
per cent in cost. Many necessities
were not to be had at any p-'ce.
Out of what was left from the
"profiteering (?) salary" the stay
at-home" managed by self denial
to buy Liberty bonds, subscribe
cheerfully to the Red Cross, assist
the Salvation Army, pay scent
postage, send smokes to the boys,
etc.-all out Of what was saved
from the profiteering (O salary.
But the stay-at-home did not COM
plain: nor does he or she ask for
reimbursement now. although many
of these stay-at-homes lost all they
had In the world-money. chattels,
loved ones. Some lost only a part;
and many had to start life all
over again when age and despair
were against them. Truly of these
so, 600, 900, thousands upon thou
sands are war casualties more
hopelessly stranded .in life than
the youthful, healthy, vigorous
young men who were drafted-who
served and returned home healthy,
and whole. sA
or these so.ooo.ooo none are ask
ing for rehabilitation service. None
are asking for q pension or insur-
ance. None are asking for a bonus.
But the majority of all taxes under
whatsoever name II may be dis
Guised. these se.ooo.ooo must pay
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