Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-19
Staff Signal Sergeant
Describes Famous Bat
TALON Recruited From
Every State in Union
Down With German
Menace!" Slogan of
Men Now Enlisted
Under British Flag
By HARRY NORTON


stan signal sergeant In the unique bat
TALON he describes m his story The
attempt Go get something other than
commonplace out Of his rfe led hln TO seek
service In many lands. Iie fought the span-
ards In psi he dodEed boios from tho half
NAKED fihptnos during the upusinE In the
ls"nds, and then came back 60 clvu life
Ihc present war caught him, and u was
during lnll In waiting to go Co the front, on
september -, that he wrote this story from
Liverpool. Frequently he rose TO heights Of
Individual mention, such n being the man
VINO sent the signal 60 Admiral Dewey 20
open hrc on the fnipnos when they insur-
rected, while his meritorious service on tho
stans OF Generals Macarthur, Harrison
Grey Otis and Elweu :. Otis and under
"cheral Funston, also attracted attentlonl
The Ninety-seventh Overseas Battanar
on the British army. organized as the
american Legion" under the command OF
Lieutenant Colonel Wade L. Jolly. OF pbila-
deiphia Is awaiting orders in England for
emoafkment 20 the French or some other
theater OF war. AS soon as the last batch
oi recruits IL brought up To the standard
.i sne command, the ''flnost body OF troops" Sir
sam Hughes, Canadian Minister of Militia
ever saw VIII he sent into action
AMERICAN LEGION
When the troops gathered from every
a.
go into battle against the Germans the let.
ters American Legion" will be missing
from their caps and collars because the
state Department OF the United states pro-
hloited the use of the name. Instead. their
cap and collar badges will bear the legend
Acta' non NerbR' action. not words'D
which was adopted as the battallon's motto.
Unique In its polygenetic muster roll the
ninety-seventh battalion ls the first body
OF Americans to enroll TO fight side by
side with English troops under the British
flag since the Boston tea narty" There
are hundreds OF former American citizens
now scattered among the Allied armies.
but those Of the "nnety.seventh" are the
first 10 enroll as a unit
Under the battle flags OF the battalion
are gathered men from every State in the
Union. many Philadelphlans ex-army off-
GERS with service records In the Philippines.
Cuba, Mexico, China and South Africa :
ooldiers of fortune and adventure. miners
from Alaska. students from the University
OF Pennsylvania. Yale and Cornell; whal-
ers from the Siberian coast, homesteadeI.i
from the Northwest, society men from
Washington, ID. C.: wealthy Boston shoe
manufacturers men in every position In
life A canvass of the men revealed their
motives for enlstlng Epitomized. II is:
"To avenge the Lusltania and to help
stamp out the German menace to civiiza-
tion"
Colonel Jolly, leader OF this grim battal-
ion in British khaki won the command of
the detachment on his merits. A board OF
British army officers. consisting OF General
Lissard. General Gwatkin and Colonel
Thompson. selected him aftsr a detailed
examination in VIII ch the battalon's thirty
one officers were chosen from eighty eager
applicants.
Colonel Jolly, whose home is at 1915
South Broad street. Philadelphia. served
fourteen years as an officer in the United
Boxer uprising and at Vera Cruz He re-
tired from service In 1912 to enter the con-
tracing business in Philadelphia and helped
in the construction of the Curtis Building
and other large structures.
Major A. Rasmussen, OF Portland, ore.
served In the Philippines In the Fourth
United States Cavalry In 1889. and was a
colonel under villa In Mexico. where he had
mining interests Major w. r.. Guthrie. of
Washington, ID. C.. graduate of George
town University was an officer OF marines
and of the Philippine constabuiary for
eighteen years Captain John Manning saw
active service In the Philippines during his
fifteen years in the United States army.
Lieutenant Roberts served in the Seventh
United States Cavalry. West Point gradu-
ates are numerous among the officers
The machine gun section is commanded
by Lieutenant A. A. Allenbach. OF Potts
willie, Pa. He succeeded Captain Tracy
Richardson. soldier OF fortune, who was
left In Canada TO undergo an operation.
Richardson. who was former Mexican
general. previously enlisted with the Prln-
cess Pats and received twenty-four shrap-
mel wounds In one battle. Sergeant Major
Alexander Robertson was In the famous re-
treat from Mons with the Second Scotch
Guards and was 'gassed" by the Germans.
WAS 1900 STRONG
Recruiting for the battalion began in
Toronto last December. and by February II
had strength OF 1900 men, Although they
were promised TO be sent to the battle front
by the middle OF March. time passed In
monotonous drill and many OF the original
volunteers transferred 10 other outfits that
were sailing. The Mexican trouble then
came and others left for the Mexican border
In June the battalion was sent 10 Alder
shot a training camp near Halifax, Nova
Scotia. causing further depletion in ranks
Three hundred OF the best drilled were
transferred 10 the Fourth Pioneers. who
were sailing
For a time Il looked as II the American
Legion" was 10 be disbanded. but when II
was found they could go into service under
their new motto, two other American COM