The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-05-11
WOUNDED IN BATTLE FRONT
Kenosha Man Protested in Vain That He
Was an American But Finally Man
aged to Secure Release from Army
Through U. S. Consul at Vienna.

With bullet hole in his right leg,
Cne mark of Russian bullet and the
badge of his service in the army of the
Kaiser, George Kalb, young Kenoshan
and a grandson of B. Kalb, one of the
old patriarchs among the German Jews
of Kenosha, returned to the city on
Tuesday after a fight of many months
TO prove his American citizenship and
his right to release from service in the
Imperial army of Germany. Kalb was
only one of the hundreds of young
Americans who have been forced
against their bitter protests, to fight
in the Imperial army Of Germany.
Now that he is back again under the
Stars and Stripes he is bending every
energy to secure the release from the
German army of his father, B. Kalb.
Young Kalb does not know just whore
his father is fighting today, but the
passport for the return of the father
to this country is in the hands of the
United States consul at Vienna and
just as soon as he can be located he
will be released and sent back to the
United States-provided that before
that time he is not victim of a Rus
sian bullet on the west front of che
German firing line.
Kalb has the best AMI mvst intimats
story of the great fight between the
Russians and the Germans that has
bcen brought to Kenosha. He saw
FIVE months in the trenches and in the
front rank of battle where the bullets
fell thickest and he was wounded on
January 9th, 1915 in the Carpathian
mountains while fighting with the 18th
regiment of the German army.
There was no volunteer service rem
dered by Kalb He had gone to Ger
many before the opening of the war
and when he was drafted he was at
the home of the Kalb family at Lem
berg. When he was marched away
with a lot of other young men Of that
city to enter the Imperial army he
protested bitterly. He declared that
he was an American citizen and a resi-
dent of Kenosha, but the officers of
the army demanded proof. He had
nc passport but he had lot of other
papers which indicated clearly that he
had the right to claim exemption from
army service as an American citizen.
All of these papers counted him moth
ing and he was sent to the trenches in
Galacia. Kalb speaks English fluently
but this fact did not help bit in pre-
venting his being drafted into the
army.
1t was not until after he was wound
ed and sent back to hospital that he
had chance to proclaim the fact that
he was an American citizen. Then he
managed to get to Ungar and there he
got into touch with the United States
consul at Vienna. He had been en-
listed for further service after many
months in the hospital when the
American consul notified the German
officials at the hospital at Ungar that
Kalb had claimed his rights as an
American citizen. The consul demand
ed his release and after much red tape
he was released. 1t took him six
weeks after he was released from the
hospital to get out of Germany and to
get ship which would bring him back
to the United States Young Kalb is
still suffering from his wound and he
will probably carry through life pains
in his right leg as the mark of his
service for the Kaiser.
Kalb is not over bitter against the
German government for his enforced
military service and he asserts that he
was given the same treatment that was
accorded to many other citizens of
neutral countries in Germany who were
caught under the draft orders at vari-
GUS times. He declares thai there are
scores, If not hundreds, of American
citizens who are doing enforced serv-
ice in the armies of Germany.
Kalb told the story of terrific fight
Eng between the Germans and the Rus
SLAMS. He was asked as to his opinion
of the ultimate outcome Of the war.
tsThe men in the German army
have just one thought said Kalb,
and that is Germany must win. This
Is the slogan Of every one Of them from
the Kaiser down to the last recruit
placed in uniform. The Germans are
enthusiastic over the war, but this is
not true Of the Austrians The Aus
trians are ready to lay down and quit