The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-11
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC ,. HAsKN, DIrDc4os.
Washington. ID. @.
SERVICE CREDITS FOR PEACE
UWCrnTSTTrC

VICTORIES.
Washington, d. c., March 6.-Vic-
tories OF peace and public service are
to be entered on the records OF ma
rines alongside the entries for service
in war and equal credit is to be given
for each, according to a new policy
outlined in a recent order of Maj. Gen.
John A. Lejeune, commandant of the
/, Marine corps.
The order relates to the members
Of the Marine corps who took part in
the perilous work of rescuing the i'm
prisoned and injured at the knicker-
booker theater disaster and directs
that commendatory notation similar
participating in battle be entered in
the Seryice-record book of every ma
| rine who participated in the work OF
rescue. Prior to this time such credit
has been given only for service in bat
| ties, skirmIsheS. campaigns and other
Warlike enterprises.
The decision of the Marine corps to
/ award credit equal to battle credit for
| the hazardous and heroic service in
peace of the men who took part in the
/ work of rescue at the Knickerbocker
/ is q continuation of the policy of the
/ Marine corps adopted about a year
| ago by which IL was determined that
/ almost as great service could be rem
dered to the American public by ma
| rineS during peace time as during war.
According to General Lejeune this
policy is based on theory which has
seldom been considered in connection
with the military service, namely, that
the Marine corps exists not only TO
serve the nation in war, but to con-
stitute a reserve of educated, trained.
technical men ready to come to the
aid of the country in any manner in
which their services may be needed IN
emergencies of peace. At the same
time 1t is his theory that a most i'm
portant factor in the mission of the
iz n cd 4f affairs
efficiently and economically that its
cost may not be heavy public burden.
Surprising Results Already.
Since the summer of 1920. when
beginning was made toward putting
this theory into practice, results have
been obtained which have surprised
and delighted even its warmest sup
porters. The practice of placing the
marines in all localities at the service
OF the community in every emergency
has enabled them to be of service in
a multitude of manners and instances
and has built for the corps a reputa-
ton for peace-time. usefulness which
has rendered il in public opinion more
than ever an indispensable adjunct of
the government. During this period,
also, efficiences have been introduced
and economies put into effect which
have cut the cost TO the government
OF maintaining the Marine corps, per
man, to less than half the sum for
merly necessary.
An apt illustration of the manner
in which the corps new policy has
put all marines "op their toes" TO
serve the nation whenever needed, IS
furnished in the happenings of the
collapse of the Knickerbocker theater.
The roof of the Inflated building fell
shortly after 8 o'clock on the evening
Of January g.. A few minutes after
the disaster, q private of marines,
whose name has enver been ascertain
ed, telephoned the news to Lieut. Col.
Robert Y. Rhea, commanding officer
of the marines at the Washington navy
yard. without awaiting authority or
orders from anyone, Colonel Rhea sent
orderlies dashing thru barracks and
squadrooms with orders to turn all
men out, and telephpned the news to
the nearby Marine Barracks, where |
the commanding officer, Mai. Clayton |
B. vogeI, took similar action. with the
result that within a quarter of an hour. |
more than 200 marines with trucks |
containing jacks, acetylene torches and |
other devices were bucking their way |
thru the heavy snow to the scene of |
the accident two miles away.
Thank God for the Marines"
Their work on arrival is too well |
known all over the country to need |
retel1ing. The ejaculation Of one OF |
the survivors: THANK God for the |
marines," sums up public sentiment |
in a sentence. After working for five |
hours, cutting steel beams, lifting con- |
crete blocks and carrying out crush |
ed and mangled victims, the marines !
were relieved at o'clock Sunday !
morning by an army detachment from l
Fort Meyer. Va, which had been sum-
moned thru the usual military chan 1
nels
Work of a less essential character |
in the public behalf was done during /
the blizzard which visited Washing |
ton during the last week IN January. 1
Owing to snow and cold, railroad
81 90 oIr-
switches in the Washington
railroad yards we've frozen and no
trains had moved for three days.
Washington's food supply was run
ming low and the city was threat
ened with a shortage as railroad Off
Gals feared it would be many days 1
before traffic could be resumed. Calls
for labor were sent from Boston to
but it was impossible to
secure enough men to make Roadway.
In the emergency the railroad Of
ficfais applied to the federal govern
ment which turned to the marine
force at Quantico. 80 miles south of
was sent to the Wash
ington railroad yards together with
nearly q thousand marines. Blow
torches. portable furnaces, and heat
ing devices were set up and the ma
rines turned to with a will thawing
and clearing the right-of-way
under expert supervision. with the re-
SUIT llal h1lilin - NUTS the tdSk
which had baffled the railroad au-
thorities was accomplished and traf-
flee was resumed.
Marines Halted Mail Thefts.
Another sensational incident of the
eace-time-service of the Marine corps
is the work done by marines guarding
mails. During the week before the
took over the task more than
b million dollars had been lost by the
government in two mail robberies, oc-
CURING within a few days of each
other, in New York and Chicago. Dur
ing a little more than q year prior