The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-02-21
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AN AlERICAN S0IIMR
WHO WENT = =
ART11URdJNY EfIpEYf
rlA0iInE dJEnR. xRynEM FRANCE
0iN5 r
Hf9 an 1;EfI

lonely Tommy Atktns. i decided TO IN
terview him In reshrd TO joining the
British army. opened the door. He
looked up aud greeted nne with Il s.y.
myte, want to tyke on7''
looked at him and answered, "weii.
whatever that In, III take q chance
at It"
without the,sid Of an interpreter.
found ous that Tommy wanted to know
II cared to Join the British army. He
asked me: -pid you ever hear OF the
Royal .FuAilersr Well. in London.
you know, Yanks are supposed to know
everything. 30 was not going to ap-
pear ignorant and answered, -Sure."
After listening for one haif-hour to
rcmmy's fale Of their exploits on the
firing line, decided to Join. Tommy
took me TO the recruiting headquarters.
where I met n typical English captain.
He asked my nationality. I immedi-
ateiy nalled out my American passport
and showed 1t to him 1t was signed
by lansing After looking nt the
passport, he Informed me that he vas
would be q breach Of neutrality. I
Insisted that I was not neutral. be-
cause to me Il seemed that . real
American could not be neutral when
big things we're In progress. but the
captain would not enlist me.
with disgnrt n my heart I vent ont
IN the street. 1 had gone about \
block when . recruiting sergeant who
had followed me cut of the Office
tapped me Cd the shoulder with his
swagref stfclT 4nd said: "s'y. can
get 700 IN the Army. We have . 7ef-
tenant down at TIE other once who
can do, nnythine. He has Just come
out Of the o. r. q <Oneefss Training
corpsl and does not know what neu-
traiity is.~ I DECIDED to take Q chance.
and accepted his invitation for an In
PRODUCTION to the lieutenant. entered
the once and went up to him. opened
up my passport and said:
sBofnre eoeng further I Wish 10 state
tAat an -an. ADsg9csa. net toe proud
10 deht, and want 70 JOIN your army"
He Looked at 0e In Q ncochaiant
manner. and answered, .srhaf's au
nghf: We take anything over h~re."
looked at him kind Of hard and re-
piled. so notice.- but n went over
his head. $50
He got cut IN enlistment blank. and
placing his nnser on . blank line said,
~Sign here"
answered. -Nct on your tintype.-
II beg your pardour
Then explained to him that I would
not sign II without first reading ft. !
read II over and signed for duratiou Of
war. Some OF the recruits were lucky.
They signed for seven years onlyi
Then he asked NE my birthpiacs. I
answered, sOgden. Utah.
He said. 'oh, yes. just outside Of
New York;
WITH smile. I replied, well It's up
the state d httie.s
Then was taken before the doctor
and passed ~ physicsily fit, and was
issued q unif2Up, When I reported
that. being an American. 30 on re-
cruitink service and Try to shame some
Of the sInckers into Joining tho army
sAll you have to Do" he said. ''is to
70 out on the street. and when you see
q young fellow in muftf who looks
physicniiy n, lust stop him and give
him shiA kind Of 4 talk: Aren't you
Ashamed cf yourself. . Britiahcr. phys
icaiiy fit. and In rzuftf when your king
and country need youf Don't you
know that your county II at var and
that the place for every young Briton
IL on the firing iinef Hero am. an
American, IN khaki. who canas four
thousand miiss to fight for your king
and coAhtry. and you. - yst. have NOT
sniisted. why deat you joint Now
u the time
"rhls. arEurnent ought to get many
recruits. Esnpey. % 90 out and see
what you enn does.
He then gave mo a small rosctte OF
rod. white and blue ribbon. with three
iittts strrsmtfs hanging down. This
was the recruiting insignia and was
to b worn OF, the left side Of the cnp.
Armed with a'SwasRer stick and my
6atriotic rosette. went out into Tot
tcnhan Court rDsd ID guest Of cnnnon
fodder i-.,. =,
Two o. thrss poorly dressed civil
ians passed me. and although they ap-
pcared physically at. said to myself.
They don't want to yoIn the army /:
perhaps they have someone dependent
on them for support 50 did not &C
cost them. = ~
Coming down tho street snw .
young dandy. top hat and all. with =
fnshionably dressed girl walking be
sids him I tnuttercd. ~xou are my
meat." ana when he came abreast Of
mo stepped directly In hIs path and
stopped him with my swasger stick,
saying:
.you would look ane in khaki; why