Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-15


Capt Henry l.. Sanford. who was with
the unit himself and is now working
with the hospital corps I'm France.
Capt Sanford, who is graduate ply
stefan and is serving in the army in
that capacity. is the son OF Mrs. J. Z.
Cannon OF this city.
While the letters were not written
directly to Mrs. Cannon, she has re-
ceived the full series which tells OF
his trip. The Star. Bulletin is able to
publish excerpts from these letters
through the courtesy OF Mrs. Cannon
and DR.. A. F. Jackson.
Writing first from a city on the
Eastern coast OF the United States
whence the party left in May for
France, Capt. Sanford begins his
story which in part is given here:
The war department sent Gen.
Gorga up to see us off. AS he is the
biggest medical man in the depart
ment, we felt very much honored. The
second day out was very rough and
pretty nearly everyone was sick. !
managed to save my honor, but felt
shaky at times. Since then 1t has
z been lovely and everybody has been
about.
Don't imagine for a minute that
this is a restful trip, where you do
nothing but sit around in steamer
chair. We are now in the army, and
it has most perniciously successful
methods Of filling every minute OF
Npur day. The enlisted men have
Been divided into two companies,
over one OF which | am captain. |
have to drill them for an hour in the
morning and an hour and half in the
afternoon. Besides that l lecture to
them an hour both morning and al
ternoon, and further l have to go to
officers school and sdrill. That leaves
one very little time for sitting around
the deck. haven't mentioned the
fact that ] have to drill the drum
corps every day, and am on the COM
mittee to get up the ship concert.
The enlisted men are really a fine
lot of fellows, many Of them are COL
lege students and the three regular
army medical officers assigned to US
are very enthusiastic about them.
They have now been uniformed, and
the regular army sergeants are lick.
ing them into shape very fast.
1l6 GullSI6u IhCu are 1nuotS%A1 oAAN
brought various instruments with
them, and we get much pleasure out
OF their nightly concerts. We had the
ship dance last night and they fur
pished most excellent music"
Arriving in England he writes:
Now that It is In all the English
papers that the American navy is on
the south coast of Ireland, it won't
BIO any secret to tell you that We were
met by a u. s. torpedo destroyer and
conveyed in by her. "Wednesday noon,
the captain of our boat got wire
less message asking for our position,
pcourse, and rate of speed. Fearing q
decoy,, he wireless back, Who are
you and what do you want" all this
in cipher, of course. They answered,
Eve are the u. s. S." Our captain
got out his navy list and couldn't ind
any boat by that name, being only
recently launched. He was then more
afraid than ever OF a ruse, and II 1t
had not been for the fact that one
Of the first cabin passengers had a
friend named White who was pay
master on the vessel, we might never
have had convoy. The captain then
wirelessed, What is the name Of your
f,aymaster?' and when the answer
Same back white he was satisfied,
and gave them our position, course,
etc.
Destroyer Hoves In Sight 49,.
"In about two hours, out Of the
mist, this long, low gray craft with
four smoke stacks, came tearing
along, 80 miles an hour. OF all the
grateful and welcome sights ] ever
saw in my life that gray boat, with
the Stars and Stripes floating at her
stern was about the best. She then
ziz-zagged ahead OF US for the next
two days, and later on we were picked
up by other English destroyers, so
that finally we had several around US.
We got to Liverpool without further
incident, and we're met by British and
American army medical represents
tiyes who reviewed and inspected us
on deck. -. -. -..tE.
when we got here we found regi-
mental band playing in the station,
the whole town decorated with bunt.
ing and American flags, the command.
ing officer of the town with his staff
and the mayor and aldermen all drawn
hnp to greet US, after which, to the
escort Of the band, we marched
through streets lined with soldiers at
attention, to the town hall, here the
mayor, with his purple robe edged
with fur, and his official gold chain
about his neck, made us a speech of
welcome in broad Lancashire dialect
which we could hardly understand.
Our adjutant captain made an appro-
pirate response, then cneers were
given for President Wilson and the
king, the national anthem of both ma
lions was played, and then we went
up to the mayors office (offfcers only
and drank champagne. We then found
that the officers we're to be quartered
in the best hotel in town at the ex-
pense of the English government, and
the men in boarding houses nearby
much better than going into camp,
The liberty of the town has been
aeyen to us-the enlisted men have
ffee access to all places of amuse.
ment, and parties and dinners have
been given for us every minute. The
stplid Briton hasn't lived up to his
reputation at all because they are