We explained to him that it was not our fault. We always let them know as soon as Johnson told us. But even Johnson-san did not know until the last moment, and besides, there were so many changes.
"Headache, headache, another headache!"
Very often he came up to us from his room downstairs which used to be the baggage clerks' office.
"The car No. 1001 is not going to Niigata but to Takada."
"The box-car on the No. 1 track which I told you was ready to go out is not ready yet. Hold it till tomorrow."
"The car that is going out at 1:00 p.m. does not need a guard. Please have it locked and sealed."
Every time there was a change in order we had to rewrite the check sheet and inform the Gosen baggage clerks. It was not surprising that they got confused and became mad at us.
One day Johnson told me to have seven carriages ready at Gosen by nine o'clock in the morning because some hundred new soldiers were coming. I relayed the order to Mr. Kuno. In order to have the seven carriages ready, they had to change the schedule of the trains for the whole line. It was a lot of trouble. But orders were orders. They arranged for it.
The next day I was at the Gosen station to meet the soldiers. They did come. But when they got off the train, a number of trucks appeared and carried them away to the barracks while the empty seven carriages stood waiting like so many fools.
I was vexed. I was sure I had not misunderstood Johnson. I said to him, "I suppose people at the station think that I made a mistake this time".
Johnson was vexed, too. He said he was very sorry but neither did he expect to see the trucks.
"They phoned that no trucks were available today. To change is the Army way. We can't do anything about it ..."
