Show W Wash Washington as ho WhO Ir 10 1919 Telegrams Telegram's Correspondent By Ray Tucker Washington WASHINGTON Doughboys at home and abroad are begging begging begging beg beg- ging their parents for spending money and letters but their next hunger appears to be for Bibles The demand from troops overseas exceeds requests from those stationed in this country but the extent of domestic domestic domestic do do- requirements is ing A cleric who traveled 2000 miles through the Philippines in January and March reported to Brigadier General William R. R Arnold chief of chaplains Our supply of scriptures has long since gone and hundreds of the boys are begging for the Bible The Holy Book is being read here as I have never seen it read before The same minister told how he had observed soldiers with a religious document in one hand and a Garand rifle in the other Another reverend said the troops were eager for sermons and services but that they wanted to hear about the hum hum- ble simple time old religion Our A E F may not return return as members of any formal sect according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to other but they may come back better Christians than they were when they left The sacred writings so far distributed distributed distributed dis dis- dis- dis have been donated by private groups But the army is printing them for every soldier who elects to receive one And the quartermaster general is co cooperating cooperating cooperating co- co operating with Chaplain Arnold by seeing that newly ordered blouses have pockets large enough to contain the Lords Lord's word No announcement ever provoked provoked provoked pro pro- such childlike enthusiasm among corpulent and balding heroes as news that an army specialist corps would be formed under the leadership of War ex-War Secretary and Tennis ex-Tennis Star Dwight F. F Davis But the candidates candidates candidates can can- for this civilian foreign legion should keep on their shirts and their wigs for a while The novel organization has not gone over the top The senate restored the appropriation appropriation appropriation which the house threw out piqued that this semi military outfit was treated by executive order and not by legislation Probably the house will bow to the senate action but there will willbe willbe willbe be a fight in conference Since the maximum personnel at the start will be only petitioners petition petition- ers will have difficulty in making making making mak mak- ing the grade And for some reason the administration demands demands demands de de- de- de mands that every man be nominated nominated nomi nominated nomi- nomi by the president and confirmed confirmed confirmed con con- firmed by the senate That presents presents presents pre pre- another obstacle to the hopefuls Salaries are fixed at ata a minimum of 2300 and a maximum maximum maximum maxi maxi- mum of must be technicians with specific experience in fields allied to the military They must be equipped to replace trained officers who can then be re released released released re- re leased for active duty Lastly the odd applications now on file will lie dormant until the army forwards demands for various types of experts Mr Davis cannot begin to mobilize his men until the armed services services services ices tell him their special needs for otherwise he may staff with too many of the wrong kind Inside fact is that the altogether praiseworthy and constructive scheme was sprung before it had received proper tion |