Imperial Valley press., 1918-02-28
BEWARE GERMAN
PEACE OFFERING


of German peace offers. Beware o
this trumped-up talk Of German
strikes. Don't think It's true. Re
member Kipllng's warning:
Make you no peace with Adam
Zad, the bear that walks like a man.
This was the message brough
straight from the French front t.
America yesterday by James McCul
loch, mining engineer of Butte
Mont, who went over to Europe tt
fight as soon after the Germans hat
marched into Belgium as he could get
ther He sailed from New York OF
August Is, 1914, nine days ater Eng
land declared war. He has fought
ever since then, except when he lay
wounded in the hospital.
Fourteen Americans went over will
him to take hand in things. Elevel
of them lie dead in Flanders One
of them was sent home disabled
months ago, and one, between life
and death, is in a hospital in Al
dershot James McCulloch is the last
of that little group of offhand ideal
lists.
Half an hour after his ship docket
in New York he was in the Interna-
tional Young Mems Christian Asso
citation at pa East Twenty-eightf
street.
81 came right here" he said awe
fighting men turn to the 'Y' for
everything. We get the habit. hWer
l was released from the hospital this
last time, | couldn't get permission
to return to America. l went to the
Young Mems Christian Association
and they fixed it up for me in two
days.
He had brought letter to c. V
Hibbard, associate general secretary
of the Young Mems Christian Associ
alton, who turned him over to Johr
F. Moore, international railroad sec
retary of the Association. Arrange
ments were made for sending him or
to his home in the West, and James
McCulloch sighed with relief. He
will be glad to get home again. h
has come back from the war broker
in body, but not in spirit.
"About 81 years DID," the passport
he took to England read The James
McCulloch who returned is an ole
man. His hair, which the passport
describes as dark brown, is gray; he
has been twice badly wounded, and he
has suffered most Of all from ga:
shock. But he has never been afraid
except of one thing
"The fellows who are fighting a.
the front have just one big fear now,'
he said. "They are afraid that ar
easy piece will be patched up with
Germany, and that this whole thing
will have to be gone through with
again dozen years from now.
"All that we've done is wasted if
the next generation has to do it al
over. We've paid the price once, anf
once is enough. We fought thinking
we were making the world safe for
the kids, and if the politicians and
those who don't know what they're
doing make peace before there can be
any peace, we haven't gained a
thing"
He returned to his Kipling, which
he quoted with an Irish brogue.
"'The bear that walks like a man,
he said II never hear of the peace
proposals of the Germans that | don't
think of that poem You remember
how the bear came up to the hunter
with its paws outstreched, begging
for peace, and how the hunters
heart was touched with pity for the
monstrous, pleading thing So he
did not fire, and the steel-shod paw
ripped his face away, when he woulc
have taken it in friendliness, and left
him forever blind to the darkenec
years, and the little mercy of men,
James McCulloch quoted, in voice
that was husky from shell-shock:
"This is the time to fear
When he stands up like tired man
tottering near and near:
When ne stands no as pleading, ir
waVering, brute guise,
When he wells the hate and cunning
of tie little swinish eyes;
When he shows as seeking quarter
with paws like hands in prayer
That is the time of peril-the time
Of the Truce of the Bear!'"
None of those chaps who are ovel
there fighting want to make a true,