Evening star., 1932-07-12

1 ~
V stopped his roadster in the
l i alley and hailed the B. E. F
men who hastened from all
Hello. Texas" he said. genially
"how's the eating? Is the Lone Star
State shrinking any around the belt
line?"
I'VE are doing right WE'LL" came the
answer. Got enough chow for couple
of days"
"Fine!" exclaimed Gen. Glassford
In the World War, he was brigadier
general of Artillery with the 26th Di-
vision. Fine" he repeated. i've
| brought you fellows a little present
Here are some copies of a letter
worked hard over. You don't have tc
agree with it. but wish you'd read 1t.
The Texas men grinned. I sup
pose" said one, this is warm invita-
ton to stay around and make ourselves
at home?"
IF you must CO." laughed the gen.
eral, "here'S your hat. Well, you can
blame the citizens for politely limiting
that you fellows have quite an appetlte
If you need anything. let me know.
Hearty Reception Given.
Everybody waved heartily and the
general started his car, carefully turn
ing cut of the alley onto the next
street. Every few feet this smooth
shaven, young appearing man IN the
gray sack suit stopped to speak to SOL
diers from various States, to joke with
them, listen to their comments and
requests, and ask how they Jared.
Their faces, some patheticaly thin
lighted up at the sight of him.
Running his car up to curb. the
general got out. You don't realize how
tall his big, reddish blond is until you
see him standing. Across the street a
group of men were listening to the
harangue of one of their number. These
were the radicals. In the whole of the
bonus army, the general thinks there
are perhaps $50 Communists, 80 OF
them intelligent" He treats them
with the same pleasant courtesy he has
for all the rGt.
When he arrived, Flicker tall mild
looking fellow from Detroit, was talk
ing earnestly but rather Intellectually
Fair Hearing Urged.
The general spoke to another man.
gave him some copies Of his letter urg-
ing the men to take advantage Of
chance to get home.
Whether you like it or not" he
said with that bright smile Of his, you
ought to read it. You always should
listen to both sides Of a question"
The man whom he addressed smiled
in answer. There was something about
his smile that wasn't quite wholesome,
something Little Red Riding Hood
might have recognized. Sam Stember
is a short, dark man of Russian eX-
traction. known in both New York and
Washington. II wasn't going to speak.
he said confidentially, but, General. I'll
take the chance to answer this. I am
going after YOU pretty hard. y
Stember climbed to the rostrum Here
was a man who knew how to appeal to
his audience. Yet. Of the 43 seated on
the grass before him and the others who
close attention. One was Negro. The
other was a ragged, yellow-haired man,
with slack jaw.
Reds Appear Drilled.
Stember spoke with force and conf
dence. He charged conspiracy, oppres-
sion, all the old stuff. When he called
for vote on something, about 20 OF
the men sitting at his feet shouted
AYE" with an intensity which hinted
at drilling. Then they relapsed into
apathy again. A policeman politely
smothered a yawn with his hand. You
had the feeling that Stember was a
professional; that he was too smart to
believe the stuff he was saying. You
looked to see the platform from which
the speech was being delivered. 1t was
a garbage can.
Nowhere was the superintendent of
police more heartily welcomed than at
a,-ta of gapmpd
that F. A. Ross of Texas, national sup
ply officer, was out looking for him even
then. An entire car load Of meat could
be secured, if a payment OF SIS could
be arranged. ..
"Oh. all right" said the general. "I
suppose I've got to let you have 1t. NOW
YOU see that every man in your outflt
reads this letter SIS worth. Couldn I
YOU eat that meat on your way home?
Men Have No Homes.
"How's a fellow going home who
has no home?" demanded one man; ,
"Where do you come from?" asked
the general. California? Say, by the
time you get way out there the railroad
car YOU travel in will seem so like home
to you that you won't know the o11er-
ence."
Always friendly, with joke, or word
of advice or sympathy, Glassford moved
on through the roll call OF the SIatss' y
1--WE saw you listening to them Eeos,
commented tall Westerner. II we
had a couple of bricks, we'd have
knocked that guy right off his perch"
Counsel Against Force.
The general laughed. "No bricks" he
with us as long as you say. you'll neeo
all those bricks for chlmneys. he
waved and moved along.
.Dangerous?" said Gen. Glassford.
NO, except the danger of gradual rust
and rot which attacks those with no
occupation and no incentive. These are
iist middle aged men out OF a job. A
younger generation has come along ana
showed them into the background be-
fore their time. But still their mem
cries paint those coloIful days OF ban
ners and bands, when they were i'm
portant: the vivid days which cffer such
sharp contrast to the drab OF their
present lives.
They get a kick" went on the gen
eral. "out of these company streets;
out of gathering which once more
gives them Importance enough to nave
LEGISLATORS and newspapers discuss them;
out of drills, even though they are out
of step with time; out OF policing their
quarters. 1t means they are doing
something again"
Stops at Headquarters.
The next stop was at bonus head
quarters, on Eleventh street southeast.
Comdr. Waters was not there, but Gen.
Glassford talked with such Of the staff
as Capt. Everett Of Jersey City, the
finance officer, who has been lawyer.
Iumberman, consular agent. Infantry
officer and French Legionnaire; o. w.
Lucas of New York, national adjutant;
Earl Gould of Cheyenne, billeting Off
Ger. and L. w. Waldo.
Then he climbed into his car again
and started for Camp Bartlett.
Named after the former Governor Of