The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-09-06
c. M. ENNIS In TRAINING
CAMP In CALIFORNIA
Writes Mother, Mrs. Mary Ii. Ennis,
OF This City, OF His Ambition 40
Help Save Democracy.

The following letter has been re
ceiyed by Mrs. Mary Ii. Ennis, OF
Cambridge. from her son. Mr.. I. NJ.
Ennis, who is member OF the Sec
ond Reserves Officers Training Camp.
at San Francisco, Cal, III which he
expresses desire to help save the
United States, and like most OF the
young blood of this country, Is will
ing TO do his share TO overthrow ,ia
Kaiser:
Dearest Mother: Yesterday, Aug
ust gath, was my birthday. Never
has birthday ever been, or ever
will be, more fittingly observed than
this, as | entered the Second Re
serve Officers Training Camp here at
the Preside and am lined up with
the finest men that the great Golden
West has been able to select. We
are to remain here for three months,
during which time we vii! be inten-
sively trained to lead discriminating
parties' in Uncle Sans quest for
the kaiser's scalp, and democracy.
Could you see the exceptionally Won
derful gathering of manhood and IN
tellecI in these barracks you would
have no doubt of the success of the
present war.
Every man has been selected, rec
mmended, urgently insisted upon,
cross examined, both physically and
mentally, not to mention morally.
and a dozen other ways, and found
fit. If at the end of three months OF
hard work, our efforts have proven
sufficiently durable to convince the
War Department that We will be
good officers and gentlemen, We are
10 be commissioned anything from
lieutenant up. Of course, l am in
formed to a certain extent about
things here. but feel that | must wait
until l have seen more before going
into detail.
The California Highway Commits
sion has granted me leave, during
the war, to do this, and l have the
entire population of San Mateo coun-
ty praying for my success. For your
protection | shall, before going to
France, insure myself for reason
able valuation according to my
sweethart's appraisement) and send
you my commission. insurance and
everything. else l own.
| have been assigned to the Third
Battery, Field Artillery. The guns
are all operated mathematically,a and
| presume. even an engineer must
know how to use them. for | am sure
TO be commissioned in the Engineers.
As for the science of mapping, dop-
ing up the trajectory of shells and
computing the elevations for guns, l
shall remember my great esteem 90
for Wilhelm, his kind 90 treatment
of Belgium, the autocratic 'kulture"
of the Hohenzollerns, and make any
thing | compute correct to the thou
sandth decimal place.
And, ma, when l come back from
Berlin, you'll have son of whom
you might; be proud. If, on the 9th
er hand, I don't come back, you can
just make little note in the old
family Bible that they didn't shoot
me on the run, anyhow. L have
given up a good, responsible posi-
ton with the Highway Commission
for no other reason than higher
duty, and l want you to be convinced
of this before | ever leave the shores
of our most glorious land.
We are allowed to be away from
camp every night until ten, and Sat
urday afternoon until Sunday night,
but | have program of French les
sons for every night, except Satur-
day and Sunday, so won't be absent
much during the week. We are uni
formed now in the regulation pri-
Yates togs, but | shall have picture
made in about three months and send
you. Before l leave the country,
will be given an opportunity to see
you, so you need have no fears.
Be a good patriotic SOut hern girl
and write me a nice, long letter
Love, bushels of it. to you all, from
your son, CHARLES.