Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-12-06
POLICEMEN LAUGH.
WITH HUNGER ARMY.
Marchers Use New Weapon
by Injecting Humor Into
Threatened Riot.
Continued From First Pagc.)

Continued From First Pagc)
quite melodious. Here are somc sam
pies. as extemporized by sweatered or
fur-coated "co-eds" and caught up by
hundreds of voices:
On the way to Washington,
On the way to Washington,
The capitalists all say,
That they're going to raise our pay;
That's a lie. you know, you liar you,
On the way to Washington.
On the way to Washington.
The cspitalistic press says we're Q. X,
AnA dccs sll it can to cheer us on cur
way,
That3 lie you know, you liar you.
Thcr comes another college yell:
WHEN you're in you're in,
When you're out you're out;
Blu. whcn you're against the hunger
narchers,
Then you're insidc-out.
Enthusiasm Hish-Pitched.
So it goes with the massed thousands
standing in formation in that narrow
bottle-neck of New York avenue-song
after Song, cheer after cheer. The
bandsmen, in their snappy Red uni
forms, raise the stirring martial strains
of The Scarlet Banner" Lower ana
lower falls the smoke-f1lled dusk. Music
and cheering have raised the hunger
marellers to q high state Of enthusiasm
The police arc tense. There must DC
soma. meaning behind all this warm
inC-ap" Blue-oVcrcoated ranks close
Gas bombs are ready on the hillside
The cable across the street leading to
the city is drawn taut.
The cheering and singing ceases.
There is only the music of the band,
sharp and clear in the gathering twi-
light. They arc first-clas5 musicians.
1t is wild, soul-stirring music, melodies
such as send men to their deaths
against machine guns. The transition
has been sudden from the joyous, ire
sponsiblc pep meeting for dear old
Textile.
Strange rumors are afiogt in the
taught city. TaxicabS come to
the hillside with sounding horns bear
ing extra war correspondents. Most
of the hunger marchers themselves
don't know what is going to happen.
Battle Lines Formed.
The band lines up in marching array
In the road, their faces toward the
Capitol dome. The massed police. fac
ing them not 20 feet away, come to
attention The thin, specialized, gen
eral' of the hunger marchers appears
out of the ranks and takes his position
in front of the band. They strike up
the Scarlet Banner" again.
The generals" face is set. emotion
less, irscrutable Right face" he
commands Right face" the order
echoes for a quarter of a mile along
the line as subordinate leaders Jake It
up The marcherS obey with precision.
Forward march" The line is NOV
ing. Clubs are drawn. Gas Is ready.
In a second there will be 4 battle.
There are a few hundred police facing
q well-drilled army" of nearly 5000.
Some may be armed. Some OF them
have fixed safety razor blades in the
toes of their shoes, the police say, 60
that when they kick they will cut
perhaps sever arteries. The line with
its chaotic forest of banners sweeps
forward. The front ranks are within
a few feet of the police. These have
been ordered not to start anything-to
let the first violence come from the
hunger marchers. The small army OF
newspaper reporters on the hillside
scurries for shelter.
Like West Pointers.
Fright turn" sounds the clear voice
of the generals" They almost tread
ON policemen's toes in carrying cut the
order. 1t is executed with almost as
much precision as if this motley host
had been the West Point Cadet Corps.
Before observers realized what had hap
pened the hunger army had reversed
and was marching in the opposite d.
rection. The general was laughing.
The marching thousands were laughing
uproarcusly. They themselves had not
known what was in the minds OF their
leaders. There was a contaglon OF
laughter. The police were laughing.
The newspaper correspondents were
laughing.
In the twinkling Of an eye tragedy
had been turned into comedy. TIE SUP
lime had become the ridiculous. Even
the rising moon over the leafless CaKS
was laughing. Even the smoke ciouo
over the railroad yard was Laughing
with wider patches OF red sunset Ihey
were cheering again for dear old Tex
file Even the tension relieved police
must have felt a tender spot in their
hearts for their old rival college ana
had impulses to join in the cheering
and singing.
There was no job here for the morgue
wagon. There would be no club-crackea
heads and accusations of brutality II
wasn't bite laughter. 1t was honest
laughter. Blood doesn't mix with IT.
Death can abide it in the neighbor-
hood.
And that's what's known as kidding
the cops
SPECIAL NOTICES.