The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-11
Although Trained Army Of
fcer Captain Nickers Had
to Enlist in Cavalry as
PriUate-Lighter Side of
War

Captain Leslie M. Vickers of the
Seaforth Highlanders, who spoke
here Sunday afternoon, was in New
York when the war broke out in
1914 and returned Immediately to
England to offer his services to the
government "as every loyal English
man should" Although trained
officer with eight years of service
behind him, he was unable to secure
a commission due to the confusion
in which all things military were
thrown in the early months in Eng
land, and finally had to enlist as a
private in the cavalry.
With no early service in sight, he
with many others left the cavalry
and entered the infantry and finally
got over to France where he served
with the Seaforth Highlanders until
dum-dum bullet, which struck him
In the head, made him unfit for any
further army service.
He is at the present time professor
of military tactics at Columbia uni
yersity. This summer he has been
giving his war message to chautau-
qua audiences throughout the United
States During his address Sunday
towns in ninety-fve days and de-
cIared that it was unusual to be in
vited back to the same town more
than twice. and that as this was the
fourth time he had been in Keokuk,
he had almost come to consider this
city his home.
Said keokuk was Home.
Captain Vickers came down from
Dubuque to deliver his Sunday ad-
dress and said that when someone
in that city asked him where his
home was, he said Keokuk. Iowa.
This pleased the audience and
brought out smiles.
The captain had hard time of 1t
when he returned to England to do
his bit for his country. In the
middle in which England had been
thrown, men of experience were
passed over and all of Captain Wick
ers' training went for nothing as he
had to enlist in the cavalry as prf-
vate Grooming horses and similar
work came to be his regular job.
And of the horses, the less said
the better. The fine old, inefficient
men in the British war Office were
supplying the cavalry anything but
cavalry horses. Draft horses, cab
horses, plough horses, lame horses
and blind horses they had, but the
cavalry didn't begin to amount to
much until American horses began to
be sent across.
Captain Vickers had some interest
ing experiences with Missouri mules.
Grooming one of them was always
a dangerous task and getting them
to do anything they didn't want to
do. an impossible one. But the cap
tain had good company, bankers,
brokers and even a general.
"But he was a Mexican general"
Captain vickers said, land I didn't
know how much that signif1ed. I
don't know whether they begin with
general and rank down or rank up"
Kaiser Loses Supporter.
The captain had an interesting
story to tell about one German pris-
oner who was treated to the regula-
ton British army meal after he had
been captured and confined in the
prison compound
do we get meal like this every
day?" he asked an English soldier.
"Yes," he was told. 81
'Do we get three meals a day."
Eyes"
'eWel, t. hell with the kaiser"
The eighteen Founders the Ger
mans hurled at the British trenches
were called by the Tommies pip
If you heard the pip and |