Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-20
A GREAT SOLDIERS RECORD
ny Frederic J. Haskin

Washington. March To- Nearly all
OF tho 100000 members OF tho A. II.
i. who passed through Brest on their
way home will feel a personal interest
IN news concerning Brig. Gen. smedley
ID. Butler Of the Marine Corps.
Since cleaning UP Brest and coming
home. Gen. Butler has been an en-
thusiastic worker In the campaign to
bring the Marine Corps TO n high state
Of efficiency and economy Of adminis-
tration. AS n result OF hrs arduous
labors, signs OF Illness appeared and
about a month ago Gen. Butler went
TO the hospital for observation and
treatment. II was feared az frst that
he was suffering from appendicitis.
but thorough examination disclosed
that he had no specific ailment, mis- fll
health being due entirely 20 overvork.
II Is expected that in a SHIRT tirne he
will be In good condition again.
There are few men In the United
States or in the world who are known
fy sight 10 no many OF their country
men as Cen. Butler. His history and
exploits are n common topic 10 multi
tudes OF men who regard him as an
admired personal friend. General
T3utler,s opportunity OF making tho
acquaintance Of so many Thousands Of
men and Of winning their unstinted
praise and friendship came when he
was in command OF the great embark
ton camp at Brest. In less than siS
months he changed the camp from a
cink-hole Of disease. dirt and discom-
fort, into a comfortable. well-paved
| weli-lighted city OF tents. with municl
/ pal water and sewage systems thai
/ would have been a credit 20 any per
manent city OF similar sizo. Thus ht
saved thousands OF lives and endearet
/ himself for life to Thousands OF dough
/ boys.
In the slang Of the soldier. he wa,
the commanding general at tho Battl'
/ OF Brest-and that was a real battle
He performed prodigies OF labor. III,
working day was often "a hours long
He was in rain and mud, on the Jol
oil the time. making speeches. cheer
ing men up. directing work, often tax
I ing a shovel or crorbar from a maj
in the labor gangs and turning 70 Wit
a VIII TO show exactly how certail
Jobs should be done.
4 His spare, erect figure, his uniforr
decorated with two Congressions
Medals OF Honor and four rows &
cleaning campaign bars, his weather
beaten face and ferocious energl
stamped themselves indelrbiy on m
minds OF airnost every man who wer
] 49, Arfr rffs~
who took ship at Brest what in
. pressed him most there, = nd ne WI
reply unhesltatingly "Smedle
Butieri"
Red Tape Order Ignored.
: Many VIII recall how he determine
shortly after his arrival at Brest III
Z his men should not sleep IN the nnu
He marched at the head OF colun
OF an OF the men IN the camp 20
pile Of lumber which official red-ta'
a had decreed should not oe touche
z He and each Of his men took from &
o pile a blackboard. six feet long Al
four feet wide, 10 serv. as beds. {
s the way back he was arrestsd by
k military policeman. and had gre
= deal OF explaining 20 do sfterwar
but in the meantime his men slept {
n the boards instead Of IN tho mud. /
: was nicknamed "Duckooart Butiel
for this incident, and later the likene
d Of blackboard, worn on the should
= OF the uniform, became the camp !
e sigma.
IT Now, when other nations are slow
e or rapidly recovering from tho ws
: Austria has 100000 children depel
dent on charity. This army Of chi
dren--a greater number than Z
= population Of Vermont or arizona
has been kept alive mainly by {
Friends Service Committee. Rel
organizations are not able to care Z
so many charge. indefinitely. no
ever. The Friends who have work
in many countries OF Europe say tn
the Austrian children are tho me-
pitiful OK ail. One seasoned rel
"a worker finally had TO leave VienI
II could stand seeing Russia's trai
need" she said. because it seemed
crisis and we were working town
betternent. But Austria is slippi
back. and her plight IS terrible
Austria. the United States Is to
Is not asking for charity now. She
reached place where gifts of bre
&c and clothing are not enough. 7
country 70 slipping into morass
starvation and poverty. and
e' United States Is watched as the nat
that has power TO save Austria fr
;, complete downfall.
United States Holds Key to Situat
~ The United States is asked to exte
the time OF payment on the Austr
loan. and even more urgently she
IA asked 10 release her hold
nd Austrian assets, so that the coun
may negotiate further loans.
Miss Helen Todd. representing
American Friends Service Commit
the American Relief Committee
Sufferers in Austria. and the Wome
international League, explains 4
there is no reason why we should
ID do this. and a number OF reasons "
we should. Whether we agree 10
tend the time limit on Dur. loan
not. Austria cannot pay as matt
~. stand. And IL Austria cannot
the s24 100000 which she borrowed
focdstuffs from the United Sta
Grain Corporation we could lose no
~ Ing by an extension OF the time. w
les this help the country may be able
get on its feet and in that event
. expects 10 repay It's creditors.
But even II the United States d
so. the country cannot hope TO