The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-03-21

Now continue with the story.
SubalternS. Benning had served with
the 18th for nearly year until he
went to the air corps, from which
service he had been snatched for
military intelligence duty. Breath
lessly he followed every scrap Of
available information on the 18th.
Benning was picking at his dinner
at the Mayflower when there came a
hnal flash on the Boil incident.
You heard this afternoon of the
gallant young officer, Captain Boil of
our infantry" the broadcaster an
nounced. You recall that, although
wounded in the cheek, he ignored
his own wound and saw his men
through to the Second Division south
of San Antonio"
The announcer paused, his voice
shook with feeling as he read brief
dispatch from San Antonio that
brought the incident of Boil to tragic
contamination:
Captain Henry Boil, 18th United
States Infantry, died early this eve
ming of wounds received in action.
Captain Boil collapsed a few min
utes after reaching the hospital and
died this evening without having re-
gained consciousness.
For long time Benning sat look
ing across the blur of somber faces
In front of him, then he left his un-
hnlShed dinner and went out into the
street. The soldier spirit fared into
revolt within him against this soft
spot of his own present duty when
there was mans role on the Dor
der.
He walked to the Shoreham to get
himself in hand. Even Flagwill's
assertion that the Coalition spy nest
was more dangerous to the country
than Van Hassek's present invasion
brought him small comfort. But he
finally reminded himself that he had
a job to do and not until he had
done it would there be hope of trans
fer back to the line of the Army
Washington, the whole country,
was in a state of Juror All day
Benning had been shut off from the
War Department with its staggering
problems, black uncertainties, and
crushing Workload.
Official reinsurance was being fed
out over the radio to those sections
of the country outside the immedi-
ate reach of Van Hassek's invasion.
They were told there was no imme-
date danger of new air raids. The
Army was pushing through its inter
ception nets and extending its in
telllgence service to bring timely
warning well in advance of any fu-
ture raid
New Orleans, Galveston, and 9TH
er cities were being organized
against air raids that could not be
clrcumVented for the time being. 1t
was matter of avoiding crowds,
of getting underground against dem
clifton bombs and gas. People who
could leave those cities were urged
to take refuge in towns and ham
lets until the danger could be
brought under control, although tens
OF thousands needed no such warn
ing and we're pouring into the coun-
try with such of their effects as they
could carry along.
In New York, Washington, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, and other great
centers of population, organization
lshly undertaken. The Middle West
and West were told there was no
present need for alarm. However,
some highly alarming, if uncon-
firmed, reports of a mysterious
brewing Of mischief in the Orient,
had the coast cities on edge.
Mobilization of the four existent
Regular Army and eighteen Nation
al Guard infantry divisions was re-
ported sixty per cent complete. The
Third Army was to concentrate in
Texas as rapidly as possible, but
the War Department refused to give
out military details. No censorship
OF military news had been clamped
down as yet and the press was print
ing, without restriction, whatever
news it could get.
Benning ordered an elaborate din
ner at the Shoreham. Though he
had no appetite, he made a pretext
of eating while he kept under OBJ
serVation those who came and went.
Before starting on his rounds,
Benning had stationed Lieutenant
Jones, an Intelligence assistant. on
guard over the Massachusetts Ave
nue. apartment of Mime Pujol, with
whom Boggio had dined and danced
on the capital. Jones' instructions
we're to hold Boggio under close OBJ
serVation and let Benning know as
quickly as possible if the Italian ap-
peared.
Seven-thirty o'clock passed. the
Chief Of Staff Of the Army would
soon be on the air in a nationwide
hookup. New dispatches came in
from San Antonio.
Flash - "Bombers reported ap-
preaching New Orleans, Galveston.
and Houston. The Governments in
tercept nets and intelligence service
viii give prompt advance warning
II any planes fly north Of Texas. Ev-
eryone Is urged 70 remain calm"
Several persons got up from table
1t this news and anxiously left the
room. Others kept determiDedly 10