The daily Alaskan., 1917-08-27

seems to come off at first. 1 felt q lit- tie ennui myself at the getaway. But that was certainly one thing that didn't annoy me later.
 In the latter part of October, 1915, l decided that the United States ought to be fighting along with England and France on account of the way Belgium had been treated, If for no other reason. As there seemed to be q considerable division of opinion on this point among the people at home, came to the con clusion that any man who was free, white and twenty-one and felt as I did ought to go over and get into 1t single handed on the side where his convic- tions led him, if there wasn't some par ticular reason why he couldn't. There fore I said goodby to my parents and friends in Lexington and started for New York with the idea of sailing for France and joining the Foreign legion of the French army.
 Decides to Go to Canada,
 A couple of nights after got to New York I fell into conversation in the KnickerboCker bar with chap who was in the rc-enfOrcement company of Princess Pats regiment of the Cana dian forces, After my talk with him I decided to go up to Canada and look things over arrived at the Windsor
 
 hotel, in Montreal, at 8 o'clock in the morning Il couple of days later, and at 10 o'clock that morning l was sworn in as private in the Canadian Grena- dier guards, Eighty-seventh overseas battalion, Lieutenant Colonel F. S. Melghen commanding. They were just getting under way, making soldiers out of the troops I enlisted with. and dis cipline was quite lax.
 They at once gave me weeks leave to come down to New York and settle up some personal affairs, and l over stayed 1t five days. All that my com pany commander said to me when got back was that I seemed to have picked up Canadian habits very quick ly. At a review one day in our train ing camp 1 heard a major say;
 Boys, for Gods sake don't call me Harry or spit in the ranks. Here comes the general!'
 We found out eventually that there was a reason for the slaCkness of dis cipIine. The trouble was that men would enlist to get $1.1O day with out working for it and would desert as soon as any one made 1t unpleasant for them. Our officers knew what they were about. Conditions changed in- stantly we went on shipboard. Dlsci- plIne frightened up on us like tie rope on a colt
 We trained in a sort of casual, easy way in Canada from Nov. to the fol lowing April. We had a good deal of trouble keeping our battalion up to strength, and l was sent out several times with other "noncOms' on a re- cruiting detail. While we were in the training camp at St. Johns l made the acquaintance of young Canadian who became my pal" He was Campbell Mcfarland, nephew of George McFar- land, the actor who Is so well known on the American musical stage. He was a sergeant. When l first knew him he was one of the most delightful and amusing young fellows you could imagine.
 The war changed hin entirely. He became extremely qHict and seemed to be borne down with the sense of the terrible things which he saw. He nev- CT lost the good fellowship which was inherent in him and was always ready to do anything to obi,gc me, but he formed the habit Of sitting alone and silent. for. hours a. a time, just think ing. It seemed as if he had premoni- ion about himself, though he never showed fear and never spoke of the dangers we were going into, as the other fellows did. He was killed In the Somme action in which l was wounded. ..
 I also had been made sergeant on account of the fact that I had been at school in the Virginia Military tn- stitute-that is, was an acting ser geant. It was explained to me that my appointment would have to be confirmed in England and then recon firned after three months service in France. Under the regulations of the Canadian forces a noncommissioneed officer, after final confirmation in his grade, can be reduced to the ranks. only by a general court martial, though he can escape court martial when confronted with charges, by reverting to the ranks at his own request.
 Forty-two hundred of us sailed for England on the Empress of Britain, sister ship to the Empress of Ireland, which was sunk in the St. Lawrence river. The steamer was, of course, very crowded and uncomfortable, and the eight day trip; across was most un- pleasant. We had tripe to eat until we were sick of the sight of 1t A sergeant reported one morning, Flight men and twenty-five breakfasts ab- sent" There were two other troop ships in our convoy, the Baltic and the