The Washington times., 1917-02-21
NOT ONE RECRUIT
ON EASTERN SHORE
travelling Party Of Navy Finds
Apathy in Maryland
Communities.

Is the Eastern Shore lacking In
patriotism?
Has its ancient glory, stifIed By
financial prosperity, become q myth
Reports received from the travel
ing recruiting party OF the United
States Navy would Indicate that II
the Government officials look for as
sistance in war time from the East
ern Shore OF Maryland they will look
in vain. On the Western Shore ap-
plications were plentiful, but DUR
ing the time the travelling party has
been on the other side of the bay
not one single available person has
asked to be allowed to fight for
Uncle Sam and only two or three
ineligibles have applied.
And that Is not all A letter re-
ceived by Lieut.. p. L. Wilson, u. s., n,
from the officer commanding the
travelling party, then at Denton, Nd,
declared that the severance OF diplo-
matte relations with Germany had
depressed recruiting for the navy On
the Eastern Shore instead Of stiInu-
lating 1t.
High Wages Competition.
There Is an agent here" the let
ter reads, gathering young men to
work In a silk mill He offers them
$1e q week. so you can see what We
are up against The older people
here favor the navy, but the younger
set laugh at II and at the army. The
young fellows are scared out OF their
wits. Children remark, when they
read seventeen to thirty years Of
age on our signboard. Good; father
won't have to go.'
-One young fellow, about twenty
two years old, wanted to know what
would become of the money he saved
IL he was on q navy ship and IL
should be sunk He has tried twice
before to enlist, failing to pass the
examination, but said he wouldn't tTy
again at this time because he was
afraid OF getting shot These are
facts and this Is what we have 70
contend with on the Eastern Shore
-An old man just called and had
to stop writing to answer questions
about submarines. We have q lot OF
these questions to answer that have
no bearing on getting recruits, but we
have to do IL. That IL why people
say, when we are leaving, that they
hope to see us here again. But that's
not getting recruits now. when we
hCo0 NhGAA ~ beAAys ~ AeA W A-eN~
and no prospects,"
Three Cases show Contrast.
In contrast to this situation are
three recent occurrences in Baltt
more. One young man entered the re-
cruiting office and enlisted. He was
drawing q salary of $35 q week in
munition plant, but declared he felt
1t his duty to give up his Job when
the navy needed men. The other two
were letters. One was from . fhir-
boy, Leland R. Gardner.
II asked Lieutenant Wilson IL there
were any possfblesmeans by which he
could Join the navy, even though he
was under age.
The other was from A H. Kellman,
nineteen years old. Kellman wrote
that he was physically disqualified for
getting in the navy, but would like
to help Uncle Sam in some way. "Is
the9e anything can do In the way OF
posters or literature" he
asked, (which will help my country 10
get the recruits it needs for the
navy?"
Hopes To Fight England.
Among the would-be recruits was
q fuIl-hedged Sim Feiner, who had
come from Ireland via Ypres, where
be had been fighting in the trenches
with the English troops, but not be-
cause he wanted to help Johnny Bull.
He said he was ,conscripted from Ire
land and taken to France to fight As
soon as a wounded arm permitted hfs
discharge he came straight to tins
country to enlist in the hope that
would some day go to war
With England.