Mexico Missouri message., 1917-08-02
Somewhere In France
(By l.. Roy Ferris.)


Somewhere in France" was the
order that went from lip to lip. Bu-
giles have blown, tent pegs pulled and
the boys in khaki who have been
watching the border, to make the
Mexicans behave, have eaten their
last plate of frijole beans
Mexican soil.
Uncle Sam has work for his sun
kissed boys. Saddle your horses!
And, o such horses. No knight ever
sat astride nobler blood, for Uncle
Sam has picked them in his cool, de-
liberate way. There are none better
in the world. And such guns Will
they shoot as far as those of the foe?
Yes, yes, and little further, thank
you-three miles and a half with
good American eye back of it not to
be fooled with.
And who is the athletic built young
fellow giving orders? Why, why,
can 1t be? No, surely not Why, it is
Deacon Jones boy, who carried milk
to our home. You smile into a pair
of fearless brown eyes as you clasp
his brown hand.
Yes, your mother is we'll and your
father is doing fine. You would
hardly know little sister and, yes,
Mary Smith is not married and is
prettier than ever and said to give
you her regards-or did she say love?
Yes, 1t was love, remember now"
The tan on his cheek is all aglow.
loot, toot, the bugle blows.
o, you little bugler, know you,
you are broad shouldered soldier
but you are the same little fellow
with one suspender l spanked Just
a little bit, to remind you that it was
wrong to take the Jonathans from
the only Jonathan tree a fellow had
when there were lots of Ben Davis
and Willow Twig, the kind we sell
those city fellows. But come back,
Sammy, you can have the whole tree {;
yes, apples, roots and all, if you
wishl
. F"EntrHin, entrain,'- the bugle
, seems to say.
Yes, aboard the train you go, and
France is the richer in men by sever
al thousand. Each man a little more
hit than the Other-each man with a
lifetime knowledge of the use of fire
arms. You can hit a squirrels eye
my boy. Can you hit a steel helmet ?
Woe unto the foe that faces an army
such as you! An army of free-born,
: that respects womanhood, that pro-
tects, instead of dropping bombs up.
- on little children; an army whose ey.
+ cry thought is of respect as it enters
; the door of the church or cathedral
: You would not turn your cannon up.
on the little white church RESTING
among the cedars, no less the beau
tiful cathedrals of Rheims.
o, how pity you-you sellers Of
germ-laden court plasters with it.
lockjaw and leprosy germs to kill in
nocent non-combatants. Where die
J you learn such war? No painted
= Sioux ever thought of such hideoul
cruelties. Is it the will of your peo
Z pie? God forbid such a thought. Fol
! are not your cousins enlisting in ouI
. cause, and they will be heard from
; in splendid manner. Would Mar
tin Luther have sanctioned such
. Never for a minute.
But listen to the sound of march
g ing feet. You have foolishly awaken
ed the giant from a peaceful sleep
Who can throw a grenade as he cal
baseball; who is in the war to wir
r and win he will If every wife,
io every sweetheart in the land has t
. pin rose upon the one in khaki an
ay,thru her tears, "If you need US
:, we shall come" Every woman /
Sc the land will come, and we will wiz
- That grand old flag, that Washing
ton planned and Betsey Ross mad
=. with fingers of patriotism, will Ell
=, courage as the battle wages.