The Colorado statesman., 1917-02-17
Uncle Sam Kept Busy Getting
0ver-Enthusiastic Youths
Out of Danger.
GETS THOUSANDS OF PLEAS
State Department Obtains Discharges
From Foreign Armies In Response
to Appeals From Frantic Amer
s., lean Mothers.

"Here's an unusual one" remarked
Miss Frances Marsh.
''They're all unusual" observed
Frank N. Bauskett.
"But this one is unusually So" per-
sisted Miss Marsh. at Is from the
mother, of course. Her fourteen-year-
old boy has Joined the Canadian forces
and begun his training for the cam
palgn il France. Well have to get
him out"
Mr.. Bauskett agreed. And they
with the aid of various forces and in
fluences-eyentually got the hopeful
trooper released, for that is their ev-
ery-day business.
There are so many cases of young
men under age who have Joined the
fighting forces against the wishes of
their parents that to handle the work
U.-cle Sam has created n special divi-
sion in the diplomatic bureau of the
department of state. Mr.. Bauskett
and Miss Marsh are the staff of the
new division under the direction of
Sidney Y. Smith, chief of the bureau.
The case of the militant fourteen
year-old Is one of the more striking in
cidents that have come to their notice.
The youngster fired his Imagination
by reading stories of poison gas, bayo-
net charges and the tossing of hand
grenades. He decided to have a try
at the war game on his own account.
He figured that he would be especially
good with the grenades because he
was a pitcher on his baseball team.
Accordingly, he slipped across the
Canadian line, applied to n recruiting
office and was accepted by the officer
IN charge.
In spite of his youth, the boy passed
the physical examination and was
booked for service. He was not to
go as a drummer boy-he was taken
on as an infantry recruit with the un-
derstanding that he was to tote the
regulation rifle and carry on his shoul-
der the small department store which
the soldier calls his kit. With his uni
form on his back and his dream of
battle In his eyes, the happy young
ster wrote the great news home.
Mother Makes Appeal
As is usually the case, the mother
did not share in her sons ardent de-
sire to die for some other country. She
wrote fearful and insistent letter to
the department of state.
"He is but fourteen years DID," she
said, "and he's the only boy I've got.
If it were case of giving him for my
own country, would not say a word
But I do not want to lose my boy
through any foolish desire of his to
see the world and the excitement of
var. He Is but child--and 1 still
think of him as baby. 1 inclose his
birth certificate and a picture of him
that was taken but month before he
left home"
The picture showed serious-faced
boy-in knickersi
As soon as the facts were submitted
to the Canadian war office the king
lost an ambitious Tommy. The boy
was at once released. Since then
there has been another boy of the
same age who succeeded In getting into
the Canadian recruits and who had
to be yanked out again by the long
arm of Washington officialdom.
These two so far represent the far
thest north in martial juvenility. But
there was the more recent case of
Bostonian sixteen years old who had
to be forcibly divorced from his
dreams of blood and glory by the busy
bureau in the department of state.
The total of these belligerent youths
Is startling. A four-story cabinet in
Mr.. Bauskett's office is stuffed tight
~ with correspondence on these mat
ters. In this cabinet the investiga-
lions concerning 5000 enlisted boys
IRE filed. And these are only the
cases that have not yet been settled.
There are many others that have end
ed with the discharge of the disgusted
young warriors. Inquiries pour In at
the rate of so day.
Costly to This Father.
Another case of special interest was
that of minor who was in Australia
when the war broke out. He caught
the fever and volunteered for the An
zac forces. When the father, out in
Ohio, heard of it, he got in touch with
The state department, and started i'm
for Melbourne. The Aus
tralian authorities agreed to discharge
the youngster. But
This boy of yours" they said to
the old gentleman, "has had several
months training here. We figure
that this training cost the colony $3.50.
It has been entirely wasted. and we
Lhink that it would be only right for
you to pay our government $3.50 in