At the time of this conversation public announcement had just been
made that “Archie” had been promoted in rank from second lieutenant to
captain. Roosevelt told his hearers that “Archie” had led a raiding
party out into No Man’s Land at night and that the promotion had been
won by gallantry under fire during this raid.
The Colonel said further that Kermit, with the Anglo-Indian forces in
Mesopotamia, as the leader of “a troop of Whirling Dervishes,” Indian
cavalry, had also been in action.
Later the Colonel’s pride in his family’s war record was to extend to
include the women of his family. Mrs. Roosevelt, in the heart-breaking
trials she passed through, had proven herself a true heroine. Her
daughters and daughters-in-law proved in many ways their devotion to
their country’s cause. Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., did especially
effective work.
She was the first American woman sent abroad for war service by the
Y. M. C. A. She arrived in Paris a few weeks after Pershing. There
she conducted a French class for Americans, with ambulance drivers
for pupils. Then she worked in the first canteen in Paris, and was
in charge of all the women’s work in establishing the first American
officers’ hotel.
When she had been in Paris six months the army created “leave areas”
for the American soldiers. These areas were put under the control of
the Y. M. C. A., whose officials gave Mrs. Roosevelt charge of the
women’s part of the work.