Evening star. [volume], March 19, 1916, Page 5, Image 51

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Special Correspondence of Tlir Star.
BERLIN, February 20, 1916.
THE twentv-flrst of January was a
red-letter day for all the Americans
in Berlin, for on that day
tame mail, the lirst in five long
weeks. The letters that arrived then
were written on the last of December.
Since the war it generally takes a letter
about one month to go between
American and Germany either way.
Some times a letter will come in twenty
days and then again it may consume
fifty days on the way. and many letters,
that are known to have been sent, never
arrive at all. Daily newspapers, which
re sent from America eat h day, arrive
in peculiar ord*-r. One day a paper
dated the last of November will arrive
and the next post will bring an October
paper.
*
*Letters
from America are rarely
opened when they come into Germany,
and they are generally hurried post
i aste to their owners. Letters that are
registered generally arrive a day before
the regular mail. They are the forerunners
that a new post is coming. Letters
going from Germany must be left open.
The censor generally thinks that four
glfirMwitV K?
Itm; Xv
I1- fikld
rovr roLLEcm
Five Milli
MRS. JOHN HAYS
Woman's Welfa
j tion, Tells of Its Work
Philanthropy as Is Y
Chosen First Vice Pre
International Congre;
a Mf* f^) HINK of nearly fo? inII- \
00 11 lions of women uniting for
j i the common weal of the
home, the children and the
state!" exclaimed Mrs. John Haye Hammond
during a recent visit to Washington.
"In this country and at our
J ?.at rreeing wo have gathered for this
crusade women v. ho r. ; resent every
benevolent a: d fratcrn: 1 society of national
scope, as. for in.s'.j. ce. the Order
??f the Maccabees and the Women's it'll
ef Corps and ail tho civ ! : federations
which are affiliated with the central
governing body.
"Xon-political, we can attract so- 1
' leties of seemingly divergent ams '
The United Daughters of the Confederacy
have not found it impossible to
work with the C. A. It's auxiliary
bodies. The college women and its or .
gan.zed alumnae branches and the
federated clubs do not disdain to labor ,
with women who have no particular
In'welloct-jal aim and may perhaps ha\e ,
been deprived of he advantages of any
kind or education.
The gieai organized suffrage hotuetiea
meet the pairioiic. and benevolent
rremoers on common ground and '
bury their differences for the nonce. 1
'the Mothers' Congress arid the Jewish
Council of Women are of us. Our great
< ? viui iiik (iif* i?is( run;
ress wa? to affiliate that splendid
body of worker* along- the beet
ihe Daughters of the American Revolution.
"Think what it mean* to have the
<oncent rated executive talent, the
brains, the sympathy ajid hearty cooperation
of theee 6.000,000 women,
each having already attained a sort of
pre-eminence in a a pedal way. The
Maecebeee, for instanoe, hare moot ten
millions doliam in their national
treasury, ready to meet any emergency
wtuvfe might affect their vast member1
rm^j^Ki- MM
1 ^^ ^VJTJI
?m^m m
fiB^V t;%- S
^
ILD POST BOX FOK A GERM A\ SOLI
sides of writing: are enough. If he is in
a good humor he may let more go
through, but the chances are that you
will get your letter hack again with the
polite request to limit your writing to four
sheets. It is better to write on 1
only one side of the paper, for some
times when the man with big shears
gets busy he spoils both sides of the
paper.
Letters going from Norway to either
Germany or America are almost sure ]
rot to arrive. Where they go is a mys- ,
tery, but they certainly do not go
where they are addressed. The Eng- 1
lish people in Berlin get their mail 1
through Holland. They must have a j
friend there who relays their mail .
for them. In Europe they have a uni- <
versal coupon that is worth about 6 .
cents in any country, and the sender j
from either Germany or England incloses
a coupon in a letter, the relayer \
purchases a Holland stamp with the j.
coupon and sends the letter. 1
Newspapers come in the same way, i
and the London Times, the Daily Mail, t
the Graphic and the London Illustrated I
News can he read In any large cafe 1
in Berlin. These papers are generally r
about four days old. As most of the ^
Germans of the better class know some
English, these papers are very care- *
fully read. )
Before October 22, 1915. it was pos- ?
sible to send a ten-pound package i
K/"...
H
- - -inHB
Ibr5^?3& w. :.>v;s
V sURl
G STATION OF GERMAN MAIL FOR S
on Womei
; HAMMOND, a Leading
ire Department of the Na
?She Is as Well Knowr
ier Husband in the Fin
;sident of the National C<
5S.
fhip. The daughters of the Kfvolu- tl
tiori and of the Confederacy have solved v.
problem* and dispelled difficulties of b
grave import. tl
"Our work, like charity, begins at
home First, we attempt to reach conditions
under which women who are
the wage-earners of their families
must perforin their labors. Certainly it ? '
should hearten women who think they
labor under unjust, tyrannical or unInaltliful
conditions to know that "
of their rasters, to whom fate d<
been kinder, have their eyes rt
focused on them read;.* to help when
they can. This help we hope to give ''
along the best lines ?>f moral suasion \ i
and religious appeal to employers, and fr
material assistance when needed to
the employes. We have never in our
entire body or its cornj>onent parts cl
i-ountenanced any irregularity. K<
* w
* *
"Children, the citizens ?>f the future, yi
liave'alwaya appealed to such organ!
Ral'on.s a? we hope to make of the Na- p,
nopal Council of Women. We acknowi- ti
edge we have a bis problem right at 1'
home. ar.'l we are endeavoring to meet
every requirement. But v\e cannot re in
ftairi from thinking with pity and
anxiety of the children of Europe. We sj
are getting together to help just as (j(
soon a:< peace is deviated. and we may w
go directly to the scenes of desolation. )j<
"There are orphans and half orphans is
whom we ate teaching now through to
the distributing centers of the inter- hi
national society. There are twenty- w
three countries of Europe enrolled ci
with us. and they have their members
in central committees who are diligent s0
In searching out cases such as I have
cited. But when the work of again |ie
establishing demolished homes, of
leathering the scattered remnants of a
household, of providing a livelihood for
those who have survived the catastro- jn
phe a/id of rearing the dependent chiliren
confronts the warring nations of ),e
Europe, then it is that our 6.000.000 y<
women will come forward in a way si.
which will command the admiration of !l<
; gjgf jflf -. ^ _...
ir Is Dc
>fl| H
D1ER.
between Germany and America, but on
this date the service was stopped. It
is expected that it will be again resumed
later. It is possible to send
second-class matter between the two
countries.
*
*
The German field post system is now *
in its most perfected state. It works
[ike clockwork. There is no charge to
send a letter to a soldier, and it doesn't ne:
L-ost anything for a soldier to send a in
letter, either from or to the front, or
in Germany itself. All that is neces- sor
sary is to write "Feldpost" at the top up
>f the letter and it goes free. If a bin
soldier is the sender he must put his
lame and address on the letter. ;in<
Every soldier in the German army ~
las an army address including his
irmy corps, his division, his regiment, j
11s company and his battalion. If he t?.
s in France or Russia you don't put .
hat on the letter. One is not sup- -'-"j
>osed to know where each soldier is
ocated and lie, in turn, is not per- t
nitted to put the name of the town
vhere he Is located on the letter home.
It took a long time after the war
o get this field post system into good
forking order. Iri the first days, for
nstance. when the army advanced so
apidlv into France the field potst staions
had to be booked ahead for the
IOLDIKRS IX FRANCE.
n United f<
Factor in Organizing f
tional Civic Federai
in the Domain of
ancial World?Was
luncil of Women at
I
le world and place the American
ornan. alive at last to her responslility
in the universal scheme of
lings, in her proper place.
*
# *
"We do not intend to go over to Eu>pe
and teach the people how to do
lings. Nothing is further from our
loughts. We know each nation can
> thai much better than we. and will
>alizc the needs of its people far more
ian a stranger would. We will proide
money first of all. Then we will
y to open opportunities for those who
*ek them. To find homes for girls, for
lildren, ernploment for men, open
hools. or rather provide the sinews of
ar for such special instructions.
"Our plans are merely tentative at
?t. hut during all the time which in
rvencs oetwen the present and the
irling of the battle flags there will
i 5,000.000 women watching the situaon,
clipping papers, gathering official
ports. conferring with each other,
id ready to strike a great blow for
en era I humanity when the first breach
the hostile armies is made in behalf
' peace.'"
Mrs Hammond seems prouder that
ie has been chosen first vice presi;nt
of these vast cohorts of humane
omen than of any other of the many
mors which have come to her. She
one of the smaii circle of those horn
great wealth and lofty position who
ive made a career of philanthropy,
ho have found in charity religion, ocipation
and a fad. all combined.
Having had ail n gentleman of the
iulh iti affluent circumstances could
ve her children. Mrs. Hammond from
r earliest childhood looked into other
mien and pitied its imnaies when
ey were not so well provided for as
^rself. It was Iter habit of observa>n
which developed her usefulness havi
civic work. marl
For instance, she tells of going to told
:r hotel one very warm day in Sferw nace
>rk and finding the elevator whi**h and
ould have conducted her to the firth to s
or out of order; her petulance ,Sn to t
I i
ring to
^p*'
II Kit It KR AKLKC. HL AD OF THf
day to places that wore often still po.?
the enemy's hands. lett
^hen otten there were frequent at- onl
ks endangering the mall bags, and int<
netirries a position had to be given am:
quickly, and the mail bags left be- leci
d. Sometimes they would be re- (Jei
ried after many weeks of fighting gui
1 sometimes they were destroyed by ed
enemy. ?
oday the average number of field rha
it letters that go from Germany rati
the front is s.ooo.ooo letters, and the sen
ters coming from the front average diff
>0,000. There are twenty-three field eac
I' r -
A- w?| | "trr*"^jBfc^:'''H'' r
THE MAIN POST OFFH
3r Commc
^P^V. ^^iifli
MRS. JOHN HAYS ]
ng to climb the tedious flights was in tli
ked. In her room a chambermaid oute:
her that the stoker of the fur- Sh
i whicli ran the elevators was sick whei
that, no one /else had been found in tl
upply his place. Then she began She
hi ilk of a stoker way down there the !
.
" ?
Wi 9E |Sl
: GERMAN MAIIi SYSTEM.
t confers in Germany, wliere the
ers are collected and assorted, not
y according to army corps, but also
> regiments, battalions, squadrons
I columns After the mail is colted
and assorted at these centers in
many it is sent to what they call
din*; post centers, which are situaton
the German frontiers,
laeh guiding post center is in
rge of a high official of a general's
k. From these centers the mail is
t to field post centers situated iri
erent parts of the field. Each day
h battalion sends postilions to
*
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^ "fe ; JtTjjmi T
- nsraraw^w /&> 3 *> ^HH
dmSS^^SSSS^tttSBSmmrn^^^!^C'E
I\ BERI.IK.
>n Weal <
uammoxd.
ie heat when it was broiling: in the j
r air. 1
e asked to examine these cellars \
e the keepers of such trusts work i
le darkness day in and day out. 1
was allowed to go, and she says <
sight made he| unhappy for days.
Service
r~r> - " "z>"w ~ " ^
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Ufe' / - v - " ~
FIE
bring the ma:! from the field post stations
to the men in the field. No one
but the postilion knows wher his battalion
is situated.
Jn very rare cases, when it is absolutely
necessary to keep everything: a
secret, the postilions are not sent that
day for the mail, but luckily this does
not happen very often. Frequently
during engagements these postilions
have distinguished themselves for delivering
the mail to the men in the
trenches under the strong fire of the
enemy. It gives a soldier extra courage
when he has a letter from home
in his pocket.
*
* *
All letters sent by soldiers are
sealed unless they are to be sent to
a foreign country, when, of course,
they must be censored like a civilian's
mail. The parcel post to the field is
very cheap, and a one-pound package
can be sent for 5 cents. l..arge boxes
can be sent for 12 cents. The sending
of field post packages is teaching
the Germans something new?how to
do up packages, a thing in which they
were never very expert.
Two years ago at Christmas time it
was quite impossible to buy a decent
box in which to send a package. You
couldn't even buy a label or the right
kind of string. Today you can buy
r ?
it
t * *v
1 ?>
\t *r >
I ;* j..?- , v*
I - ipi, 5
? . | '
FIELD POST MA11
:>f Home, l
How she got to work and remedied
these conditions is one of her little
secrets. Mrs. Hammond has a way of
getting at the root of a trouble, of
meeting obdurate persons in charge
with such frank and cordial understanding
that she seems invincible.
She has not yet accomplished in
every great city all she wishes for
i Me unaergrouna wotks, out. in -\ew
York she has the happiness of knowing
there is now enforced a law which
makes every agent of a large building,
whether for hotel or offices, have rest
rooms, bathrooms and abundant soap
and towels for those who labor in intense
heat. Tlrey have the leisure to
bathe and rest before going into the
outer air. and pneumonia and kindred
diseases which swept off these laborers
like a plague has been decreased by 70
per cent.
Mrs Hammond was the first president
of the women's welfare department
of Washington. To her efforts
may be directly traced such reforms as
the conditions under which the women
employed by the bureau of engraving
and printing, the government printing
office and in the Agricultural Department
now perform their work. The
beautiful roof garden of the bureau of
engraving, with its vista down the
river, attractive in every season, is the
best object lesson of what the Civic
Dengue accomplished.
Many a gray-haired woman can tell
of the cruel hardships involved in
working for the government some
twenty years ago. especially the night
workers. Now there are rest rooms,
reading rooms, doctors and nurses in
attendance; in fact, every accessory
which humanity can suggest. This reform
has spread as far as practical to
lunch and rest rooms provided by the
larger mercantile establishments of
Washington. But this problem, compared
to the industrial centers of the
country, where thousands of women
work under crowded conditions, is al
Ill OS 1 clCaUCIIMU, Ba>B LUG IlilUUlltll
leader.
Mrs. Hammond at present resides in
Boston, but she makes frequent visits
to the capital. She never fails to go
around with the president of the Civic
League to see how cherished theories
are working out in practice.
*
g *
"Another thing which our Council of
Women did," said Mrs. Hammond, '"and
which 1 feel very enthusiastic over, is
that we voted for preparedness. Every
member is going to prepare in her
home and instruct her own home circle
before taking the crusade into the open
country. I fairly tingle with joy when
I think of my second boy. who is giving
his best efforts toward making his
country ready to face a foreign foe.
Like all mothers, I hope we shall never
have to do so. but I think the very
best way to avoid the horrors of war
is to strengthen ourselves to the ut- .
most of our material resources and to <
elevate the standard of patriotism.
"My boy, always ingenious, has been
j of Oc
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v. . . *' LD
POST BOXES GOING TO THE I
everything: for doing up a package
boxes of every size, labels and wa
paper for the outside of the boxe?
These boxes are not beautiful, jus
plain brown boxes, very, very plaii
boxes
The American women would simpl:
pass away if they coukl see how- th
Germans tie up packages in stores
You may buy a priceless piece of lac
or a lovely unwrinkled collar, and th
wrapper rolls it into a little tigh
wad, puts a paper around it and hand
it to you without any string. Yoi
can pay a dollar a pound for cand;
and It is slammed Into a box an
which way, and then a paper is pu
around the box. and handed to yoi
without any string.
But the Germans are learning, am
their field post boxes of things for th
soldiers are simply wonderful. Yoi
can buy boxes already packed or yoi
can order them packed. And sucl
things as they put in them?little fa
uic#bip, iviik wursis, imie ja-i :
of gooseliver paste, chocolate, ral
sins, canned fruit, honey, butter it
tubes, wine, cigars and cigarettes.
The German girls have, of course, ;
great time sending boxes to their lexers
in the field. Some of the vert
methodical ones number their pack
ages, and one soldier received, in les:
than one year, over 200 packages fron
his sweetheart. He was so pleasec
that, when he got his furlough, h<
married her.
Another soldier did not act so nicely
indeed, his actions almost prove thai
' "'V~
.
I
I
1
V
'''!]'
[. WAITING TO BE FORWARDED T
Children
experimenting with submarines, and 1
feel as though not only my country
but my home, myself and dear ones as
well have a worthy defender in him
should we need defense. I hope every
mother will try to make her son a de
itnucr uj ma iicuriii <1iiu iiwiuc. j nr
jingoes may shout, but when so many
representative women as our council
means takes up defense in the higher
interpretation it is epoch making and
should inspire the women of the world.
We hope to make patriotism the paramount
issue, as opposed to the prosperity
of nation or individual, which
lowers the national standard.
"After patriotism we hope to inspire
a race of entirely self-reliant American
women?women, who. whether rich
or poor, see real responsibilities and can
meet them, and who can take hold
of a household and perforin its
duties, not caring whether servants
elect to leave without a moment's
notice. I count it one of the most
valuable assets of my life that I went
with my husband in our early married
years into a mining camp in Mexico
and that I performed every duty
connected with keeping a home. That
experience made me see the ordinary
routine of life from a different angle.
sic
* *
"I feel that when women are more
self-reliant and independent of servants
it will elevate the tone of the
servants, make them more faithful to
their work and more careful about
leaving it. What we 5,000,000 women
do not hope to accomplish seems outside
the pale of human activities. But
we are going gradually step by step
and not overwhelming ourselves with
obligations."
Mrs. Hammond is witty and alert, and
an hour's conversation with her opens
many fascinating vistas. She is interesting.
most of all. as the type of woman
from the new south. Her ancestors
are of the best and gentlest of Virginia
and Mississippi. Her father faced
the wreck of his fortune after the Mar.
and yet he was not daunted. He regained
the family fortune, gathered
influence and respect, and in the legal
annals of Mississippi the name of
James William Monroe Harris stands
pre-eminent.
Judge Harris died as chief justice of
the supreme court of his state. His
mother Mas Nathalie Harrison, a
daughter of that distinguished family
which flrst located at Brandon, a splendid
estate on the James river, and M'hich
has two Presidents and innumerable successful
public men on its roster.
"I have many delightful memories of
my old home in the south," said Mrs.
Hammond. "I Mas educated in Dresden,
and it Mas there I -met my husband,
nephew of that dashing Jack
Hammond of California fame. Of the
south during the civil war I do not of
course remember. But one -of the
pleasant memories I recall v+s going
I '
srmany
in
Jmm
.yj MMBi
\. v /^7
ROXT.
5, after all German men are liwn.ai ;.ni>
x He was a tine looking underoflicer. ami
j. underofticers are always on the alert
t for something: for nothing. Every day
tl he received an expensive package from
a very unattractive German girl whom
v lie knew only slightly. No one in his
e company had much smoked ham.
chocolate and cigarettes as he: and
' lie always divided u ith the others. Site
? sent him gloves, pulse warmers, hande
knit stockings. The other soldiers all
t screamed when she sent him a muff
a Finally he got a furlough, but 111u
stead of getting engaged to the packy
age sender, as she fondly expected, he
y went and married a little slip of a
t thing who had only sent him three
li post cards and a dozen wieners the
whole time he was away. And the
3 wieners were spoiled at that!
e Field post writing paper is very
j cheap, and plain post cards are so little
u that it is possible for every soldier no
h matter how poor to send some word
I to his family every day. They have in
Germany a verv simnle kind of writinir
paper and envelope combined. It in
" merely, a sheet of paper folded. Inside
> on write the letter, and outside you
write the address, it has glue along:
1 the edge, and a perforated border to
~ tear off when the letter is opened.
^ Letters come from the German sol
diers in France very quickly, often in
3 one day. It takes longer for the let1
ters to go out because of passing
i through the field stations. From Rusi
sia it takes three or four days, and
from Serbia even longer. But now that
the Balkan express is running the !ett
ters will come much quicker.
I) THi; SOLDIKRS.
and State
10 London with (Jen. Fred Grant when
AJr. Hammond was special ambassador
i at the coronation of King George. Gen.
Fred 'Irani recalled the friendship of
his father. Gen. Grant, for toy mother's
family, the Lumms of Vicksburg. During
the siege Gem I". S. Giant renewed
his acquaintance, and despite high feeling
he was cordiallx received and entertained.
(Jen. Fred told all the details
to me, and m> boys were breathless
with interest. '
A Big Buffalo Hunt.
ALKXANPKR K'hSS was a Scottish
Highlander, who, something like
a hundred years ago. went 1?? Ganada.
joined Aster's expedition, went round
(.'ape Horn, and in Uritish Columbia,
rose to be an officer in the Northwest
Company. He married the daughter of
an Indian chief.
There is related a spirited stoi > of
? "uuaiu nuin in 111- ii uwn |i.ti i.
There were nearly U.UOO ihmsoiis encaged
in it, and it is cont.ndcd that
it was probablv the largest liurit on
record. They journeyed -in miles to
reach tlie hunting grounds.
At. 8 o'clock the whole cavalcade
broke ground and made for the buffaloes.
When the horsemen started
the buffaloes were about a mile ami
a half distant, but when they approached
to within four or five hundred
yards the hulls curled their tails or
pawed the ground. In a moment the
herd took flight, and horse ami rider
were heard, and all was smoke, dust
aid hurry, and in less time than lias
been occupied in a description a thousand
carcasses strewed the plain.
When the rush was made the earth
seemed to tremble as t lie horses
started, but when the animals fled it
was like the shock of an earthquake.
The air was darkened, the rapid firing:
soon became more ami more faint, and
at last died away in the distance.
in such a run a good horse and experienced
rider would select and kill
front ten to twelve buffaloes at oti?*
heat, but iti this case the surface was
rocky and full of badger holes Twenty-three
horses and riders were at one
moment all sprawling on the ground.
One horse, gored by a bull, was killed
on the spot, two more were disabled by
the fall. One rider broke ins shoulder
uiacie, anoiner oursi ins gun aiva lose
three fingers by the accident and another
was struck on the knee by an
exhausted bull. In the evening no less
than 1,375 buffalo tongues were brought
into camp.
When the run was over the last animal
killed was the first skinned and
night surprised the runner at his work.
What remained then was lost and fell
to the wolves. Hundreds of dead buffaloes
were uevessariU'