The Washington times., 1917-03-24
BOY YPATRIOT STIRS
ALL GEORGETOWN
Canvasses West Washington
For Signers to Loyalty
Pledges Printed in Times.

Old Georgetown-the conservative
section OF the Capital City-is stirring
with patriotism, awakened by
fifteen-year-old seventh grade school
boy.
His name is Edmund NJ. Sullivan,
and he lives with his parents at 32Ss
N street northwest. He's a rather
small boy, little for his age. But
what he lacks in size he has MADE
up in brain power-and patriotic
ardor.
1t must have been the much talked
of spirit of '76 which started Ed on
his patriotic crusade, but whatever II
was IL has landed himNat the top In
the opinion of every small boy In
Georgetown, and in the minds OF many
"grown-ups."
Ed is a student in the seventh grade
of the Hyde School. He always stood
well in the estimation OF his teacher,
Miss A. S. Perrie, but he never stood
quite SO high as he does now. For
here's what he did.
Saw Pledges of Loyalty.
A few days ago Edmund glanced at
the headlines in the newspaper, ana
he saw the need Uncle Sam ana the
President has for patriotic Americans.
And lust when he was wondering
what he would do next, he happened
to glance at a pledge of loyalty TO the
President and to the country, printed
in The Times.
Edmund cut out that pledge and
got several other copies of the paper
and pasting the pledges all on sheets
of paper, he set about the self-ap-
pointed task which caused this story.
He tackled his own school first.
Between the classes at the recesses
and after school he showed the pledge
to his classmats and the other school
children. They all were eager, and
II wasn't long before the paper was
filled with the names of every pupil
in school. from the Uniformed scrawly
name of little Mary, in the kinder
garten, to the dignifed signature OF
''Bill" who will enter high school
next year.
Went to Other Schools.
His task in his own school was
soon finished, and he set about get
ting the school children in the Cur
tbs School, and the Addison School,
not far away, to sign their names. As
the result. Ed will send to The Times
office within a few days the names
OF 1900 graded school pupils who
have signed their names to a pledge
OF loyalty to the President.
But Ed didn't stop there. The next
thing he did was to go after the
"grown-ups" in Georgetown. His task
here was easy, too. Every man
glanced at the shining countenance
Of the little boy, took out his fountain
pen and read the pledge. Then, with
out a moments hesitation, he signed
his name, stating his willingness to
stand behind the President and the
United States in protecting the rights
of an American citizen. Ed hasn't
finished the last job. He's still work
ing on IT, and he expects to have
every man in Georgetown sign that
pledge before he stops.
Boy Companies Formed.
But that isn't all. Ed is SOME boy,
in the words Of his cronies. He has
set about organizing companies |
among his school mates. They have
brooms for guns. tits true, but their |
faces are beaming with the glory of |
OoihB SOIuieTs, anu Iney nave expert /
tutelage at the hanos of the custod- |
ian of the Hyde School, William A. |
Hickey. Mr.. Hickey is a veteran of |
the Spanish war, and he has organ
lied the boys into regular platoons,
and is busy teaching them the rudi-
ments Of infantry drir.
"And they catch on mighty quick,
too" said Mr.. Hickey today, "Iots
quicker than I've seen some rockies
learn how to do about-face."
These boy companies are being or
ganized in all the schools in George
town, following the example set by
the Hyde School ,and needless to say,
Ed Sullivan is the colonel, and com
mander-in-chief, and captain of them
all. He's the typical boy hero of
Georgetown today.
Letters to The Times containing
names signed to the pledge of loyalty
to the President and the country CON
tinued to pour in today. One COM
pany sent Letter with no sigma
lures, however, stating that the hun
dreds employed in the company here,
together with the thousands outside