The Washington times., 1916-07-01
WANTEG-TWOPOUN
FOREMBRYO SOLDIER
Pagan Has All the Requirements
OF a First-Rate Dough Boy
Except Weight.

any citizen OF washington seeing a
young man with his couhtennnce aglow
and look Of happy anticipation In his
eye, leap lightly 10 the platform OF a
set OF scales. and then appear to shrink.
hang his head and walk away like a
person who has received a mortal blow
any citizen seeing this In asked to
say nothing and allow tho youth to de-
part In his misery.
No kindly sympathetic word will help.
The young man will be Fred Tagan. a
youth within whom the fire of patriot
Ism burns brightly. bNt unfortunately
ons ca fSr sa r of the fuel ,.e ,he ress aS
to the beacons that are being lighted
on the Mexican border.
Pagan Is looking for two lonely little
pounds.
Nothing Else Lacking.
He is Just that much shy of the rcgu-
lation weight to be acceptable to the
recruiting officers. For almost q week
he has been haunting the recruiting
offices trying to enlist. He Is eighteen
years old. has his parents consent, and
has the intelligence and ability and en-
thusiasm to make a first class fighting
man.
Tho recruiting officers declare they
haven't had rs likely candidate as
Pagan. and they have used all their In
fluence and most of their knowledge
OF physical development to help the
young man out.
Pagan first tLrned up at the Penn
first day OF this week positively reek-
Ing with military feryor.
His set-up was military; his walk
was military: no asked to be enlisted
In short, crisp military sentences. He
showed the recruiting officers proper
Difference. In fact. the appearance of
fagan made very good impression.
and his answers to ali the questions
He was walked back to tho medical
onicers. and when placed on the scales
only tipped the beam at lis pounds
disappointment Plain.
The disappointment of the young
man was plain to everybody in the
station. And It was the kind Of manly
! straightforward. and very laudable dis.
| appointment that made everv man jack
OF the recruiting stan his friend.
He was told to 20 out. eat heavy
meal. get good nights sleep. and
eat a hearty breakfast. and come around
early in the morning.
| Fagan followed directions. He came
In beaming. He felt lot heavier ht
said. But the pesky scales couldn't sec
|
shy. Only 1854 pounds had beef
reached. A consultation was held b,
tho doctors and the recruiting officers
| Fagan was told to get out and drinp
| all the water he could hold and com'
| back again. He was gone about hfteer
| minutes. and came back. lie said he'c
been drinking lots Of water. and WASH
| feeling at all comfortable. Likewise M
| vas perspirinC freely.
/ an w
tion they hustled him back to tn
scales before he perspired too much
The scales registered llS]4. Not enough
| yet.
The medicos and military men wen
| into consultation again. Finally Fagar
| WAS told to go home and go to bed. II
eat all he could and to exercise no
at all, To keep himself cool and fre'
from worry. and to keep 1t up at leas
DIRECTIONS We're followed absolutel.
and this morning Fagan turned ul
again. He had eaten more than n
had ever done in his life. He had stay
ed religiously in bed. He felt 10
heavier. He knew that he had added a
least five pounds to his weight.
J Colonel Sayre Pleased.
Lieutenant Colonel Sayre. in charg
Of the recruiting station. was tickle'
to death. Capt. Alfred McGonegal wa
so pleased he almost hurrahed Ever
Major Foster. the sphynx-like medica
officer. seemed to be enthusiastic ant
congratulated Fagan.
The scales registered l17%!
And so Fagan is loose In the Distric
hunting UP heavy food. He'd like a 10
| of fruit cake, and any cooking schoo
graduate with a cake that has faller
| will find in him a friend. He wants TIVE
pounds. And he's got to have them in
side. He can't put weights in his pock
cts, because doctors are not weighing
pockets with soldiers nowadays. Ii
fact. they're not weighing anything
with recruits but the actual recruit
the raw material stripped to the raw
| as II were.
Anybody with two pounds-he onl,
needs two pounds-can confer the great
est sort of a favor on Pagan. And ol
the country. because almost everyon,
who has seen him agrees Fagan will
make q corking soldier.