The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1917-04-30
BY F. 4. M'KENzIE,
written for the United Press).

WITH THE BRITISH AKIN II
THE FIELD, March 80. by Eaaill
= When the great war began, there
was a new American invasion Of
Canada. men offering their services
to fight Germany. Numerous e. s
army officers resigned their commits.
sions and enlisted In fhe Canadian
contingent as priyates. Ranch own
ere and COW punchers, quiet lads
frcm Maine and adventurers from
the Texas border. engineers galore
sehoolnasters and bankers, sailors
'and lumber jacks. floeked to To.
ronto, Winnepeg and Vancouver A,
one time an attempt was mads
to form a seperate American Legion
Although the recruits came forward
IL was ultimately abandoned. The
Americans are scattered among the
hundreds OF Canadian battalion,.
The crack corps of Canadian regu-
lars has 2ao OF them in its ranks,
End wants more
What has been the record OF
tssese Americans It Is found in
the rolls OF honor of the British
army. Dozens have epned com
missions; hundreds have died fight
ing. asked tne commander or s.
fsmous battalion which. although Il
only went To the front last summer,
has already earned great glory.
aloEt his Americans. I'VE had
scores OF Them, he replied, but
yon will not find them here. YoE
will find their graves on the
sonme"
Americans have received at least
four Distinguished Conduct Medals,
still more Military Crosses and full
" a score of Military Medals, One
American among the Canadians re-
eeiYed the Croix de Guerre. Tt
e. s. army and navy officers who
joined the Canadians have made a
record of their own. Take. for ex-
ample. Major Houghton of ma
chine gun battery. Houghton was
nearly four years in the e. S. navy,
wears today on his uniform the
ribbons of the West Indian and San
Juan campaigns, alongside OF his
recently earned British Military
Cross. THE United States navy
Fnew that II ii had not been for
Britain, Germany would have taken
sides with Spain in the Spanish
war" he said. when asked why he
joined. ''This was not the only
dirty trick Germany tried to play
rs. l took the opportunity of pay
Ing off old scores"
Houghton telegraphed 10 q
friend to join him. Sure, which
side" came the quick reply. There
Was no question of his side. Being
a machine gun expert he was vel
gomed and given his commission,
He soon came to the front. He
has taken part in all the big fight
ing OF the past year and eight
except when be was re-
covering from awound. The share
the machine gunners take in a fight
can be judges from their name, the
Suicide club. He received his
cross at the new year, MOI
tcr one specially prominent act, but
fer continuous gallau3rw, initiative
end dash.
fioughton once wrote q famous
letter TO friend in Chicago giving
his real opinion OF the Hun. 1t
v as the kind of letter that would
gcorei the hide off an alligator.
His friend published it. and since
then The major has received hun
dfeds of letters from rfo-Germans
him. 81 know Who yon
ere" one angry correspondent wrote.
Il will hunt you down and xiii
sou when You come back, If II takes
ten years. III looks as though
I'm safer in the trenches" HougA-
ton ohuckled
But il was not the angry letter
that led Major Noughton recently
To refuse an offer of long leave.
I've been through the dreary waft-
ing TIME, when the Huns were
rounding u.s. he said. do you
think I'm going TO leave now. when
We are JUST about 10 smash the Ilun.
Never on your life.