Adventure, November 1915 — page 221: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Camp-Fire spell he would be the center of the gentlest consider- ation man can get. But more often he would not come back. He had either been left under a little red hill out on the veldt, or else his anatomy had suffered so much that he could not come back. I have seen real tears wept on such occasions—not the sort that come easy, but the sort that you could no more suppress than you could Niagara Some of the fellows introduced to you in another part of this issue you may have met elsewhere, not in person perhaps, but in type. They all did their best in what they considered a just cause. That this cause seemed less just to others, does not mat- ter here. There is no rancor in anything that has been said. NE of the best friends I ever made was a Captain Freeman, who bossed it over a bunch _ of Australians until the day when I took his Goertz binoculars, against his express will and desire. He tried his best to get them back, but as they were better glasses than I had, I decided to keep them. Since the captain could not get them back by force he tried persuasion—with amazing result. Those glasses had been given to him by “one who was near and dear to him.” At first I suspected mother. No, that was not the person! . heart, perhaps? No, not a sweetheart! His father, maybe? No, not his father! Then, who in the name of blazes could it be? Well, his kid sister! Geneva conventions and international military law are not worth much after that. So the captain got his glasses back. : I think that this shows directly and inversely that not all the good fellows are on one side of the issues that lead to war and “sich.”—GrorGE A. SCHREINER, H*s it ever occurred to you that we of the Camp-Fire could turn ourselves into a huge Secret Service, covering the en- tire globe, and that, from the mere fact that at any given moment there are hundreds, thousands, of us in all kinds of strange places all over the map, we could, among us, pick up bits of information very valuable to a government entangled in a war? Oh, no, I haven’t any idea of starting a Secret Service. We of the Camp-Fire started and built up the American Legion and are entitled to rest on our laurels—for a while. To say nothing of the Adventur- ers’ Club. But it’s an interesting idea all the same. ANS some day there might be practical value in it. Suppose this country were at war. Isn’t it probable that many of our wandering members, or even those of us at home, could pick up bits of information here and there that might be of very real value to the United States government if prompt- _ ly transmitted? A sweet-. 219 Bear it in mind. You never can tell. And one little bit of information sent in - might be of more value than all the sender could do on the firing-line. ERHAPS the following bit out of a letter from one of us does not furnish new ‘‘dope.” It is hard to believe that Japan could be violating the Monroe Doc- trine and entrenching herself on this side of the Pacific for war, without our Govern- ment’s agents being fully aware of it. Yet very similar reports on this same naval base have come to me from others of you. And, apparently, our Government is doing noth- ing in the matter. You never can tell. If war does come to us, you wanderers remember that informa- tion is as valuable as fighting men. We passed the magnificent new coaling station and naval base the Japanese are building at Turtle Bay yesterday, and we saw the big ships of war in the roadstead and the tops and stacks of others farther in the bay. The workmen could be plainly seen through glasses. They will not let any one go near the place, but will drive them off with de- stroyers. A big cruiser, without any flag, overhauled us, but as she got up on us, she broke out the Union - Jack. She evidently came from the Jap station. I, personally, am very sorry that the people of the United States are permitting this to go on, as I be- lieve that the time is coming when we will rue it. fies man who inserts the following no- tice is personally known tome. I can hardly be expected to vouch for any one I’ve met only once and known by corre- spondence for a year or two, but I’m free to say that I like him, and believe him a good man for the purpose he has in view. All who “hang out’ in San Francisco please note: I wish to get in touch with all service men, ex- service men, and suitable civilians, who either live in, or make San Francisco their headquarters. My intention is to organize an Adventurers’ Club, Please communicate with me through Mr. Hoffman. Each applicant will be investigated, as it is deter- mined to have a first-class club, permanent and satisfactory, composed of gentlemen.—C 293. HE Adventurers’ Club, by the way, continues to flourish. As you know, the Chicago chapter has permanent quar- ters in the building of the Chicago Press Club, at 26 North Dearborn Street, and has started a permanent camp on a small lake within easy reach of the city. The New York Club, the parent chapter, is stronger than ever before and has its headquarters com (@) JOOKS