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Page 2
Among the many well-drilled companies of boy soldiers, marched one of
artillery.
[Illustration]
This was perhaps the prettiest feature of the whole parade, for
everything was in miniature to match the size of the small artillerymen.
The field-piece which this company boasted was a tiny affair, drawn by two
small ponies, and it had its two baby gunners to serve it.
These gunners were very military babies. They sat bolt upright, their arms
crossed on their fat little chests in true soldier fashion, and no jolting
of the gun-carriage could make those little backs bend, nor those small
arms unfold.
There was also a company of naval cadets. These lads marched finely, with
their cutlasses drawn, and held across their breasts. So steadily did they
grasp their weapons, that it was hard to believe that they were held in
place by nothing stronger than the will of these young heroes.
In every company that marched past, the lads showed a pride and steadiness
that made one think that this boy soldiering was going to be of the
greatest service to them later in life.
Boys are not, as a rule, noted for their neatness, and there are hosts of
fine lads who find it hard to remember that clean hands and collars are
among the necessary things of life.
Knowing this so well, it was all the more remarkable that, in all the long
line of parading cadets, there was not so much as a rebellious lock of
hair visible.
Each boy's buttons were in a straight line with those of the next boy,
each shoulder-strap set at the same angle as its fellows, each gun was as
well polished as its neighbor, and the spick and span appearance the line
presented, after its long fatiguing march, spoke volumes in favor of
military training.
The School-Boy Cadets were without doubt one of the best features of the
parade, and next to them in interest came the boys from the public
schools.
These lads also marched splendidly, with fine bearing and excellent
discipline! And what a fine-looking set of boys they were! They had no
uniforms or guns to help their appearance, nothing but their own bright
faces to show them off, but every mother along the line must have felt
proud to see the kind of lads that her boys are growing up amongst.
Young America showed to very great advantage in the Grant parade, which
will be memorable as the second occasion on which such a great number of
boys were marched in line. The first time was at the Columbus celebration.
It is said that nearly five thousand lads marched.
* * * * *
It is somewhat sad to turn from our own beautiful military pageant to the
Græco-Turkish war.
The people of Europe are speaking very severely about the behavior of the
Powers in regard to Greece.
The decision of the Powers, it must be remembered, is not the result of
the wishes of the people, but rather of the scheming and planning of the
diplomats of the various countries.
The Powers have a great deal at stake in Turkey, and there is no doubt
that, whatever they may say, there is not one of the diplomats who does
not wish to see Turkey get the best of it.
There is a great deal of European money in Turkey, and, shameful as it may
seem, it would appear that this money has played a very important part in
the action of the Powers, a part far above and beyond the fear they all
have, that if Turkey is beaten and the empire divided, some one country
may seize a larger slice of the plunder than another.
Turkey, as we have said before, is bankrupt, and to be able to carry on
her government at all she has had to borrow enormous sums from the rich
men of Europe.
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