The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-01-23
American Boy Has Harrow
mg Experiences With
n German Submarines.
Isl IN AIRsHIP RAIDS
At Dunhirk When the Hun
Bombers Storm Trenches
Rejected Five Times.

On board three Inflated vessels. thu
LAconia, the Californian and the 8.
Barbara, each torpedoed a week from
port under swarms of hostile aero.
planes fighting against those OF this
French and English army for suprem.
acy over the housetops OF Dunklrk
France. and rejected five times from
Enlistment in the United States army
arc few Of the narrowing experiences
OF Asa Crossley, ~ years old, a former
waif Of Indianapolis. picked up and sent
to Whites Manual Labor institute In
wabash. Ind. where he stayed until
thru years ago.
While At the institute he read much
regarding the war in Europe. and on
hie release went to Indianapolis, where
he obtained q job of Waterman for a
car Of horses that was to be shipped
to New York. On arriving in New
York he entered the British marine
service a. q sailor and worked his way
10 Europe. Ills experiences are relat-
ed In letters, extracts of which follow:
4 Although have not heard from you
for some time, am taking the liberty
10 write TO you again. After my fourth
attempt ! finally arrived in New York
ssa1ely. Three times before this had
tried to reach here, but each time we
were sunk within a week OF port, and
- had to return to England. The three
ships was on were the Cliftonian. the
laconia and the Barbara. Two Of the
ships got clear Of, but on the third I
did not fare 80 we'll. had to be re-
paired at the Seamen's hospital in Eng
- - t. 81.
the least said the better.
"This il the first time since left
the institute that have not had enough
OF everything, but there is one thing
about 1t. 1t Is not my fault. God knows
how have worked to be the equal Of
other young men my age. and when I
have been almost on the last stretch
something has happened. Mind you
am not complaining: far from 1t. for
know that not far hence somebody
must pay, and pay dearly, for what
have lost. Is 1t any wonder that hate
the Germans?
Il have tried five times to enlist in
the United States army during the last
week. On my fifth attempt passed
the examination and would have got by
had not the officer asked me what did
for living. told him had been in
the British merchant service for nearly
three years: then he crossed line
through the whole list Of questions and
answers. l might have had a chance
had he not found out that the ship l
belonged to was a British admiralty
transport boat.
1.-The arrival OF thousands OF young
Americans in France has saved Eng
land.
MANY, many times In Dunlirk,
France. which is only eight miles from
the firing line, one Of Englands naval
bases In France. have I seen the town
raided by flying machines. The last
time was there. we lay unloading for
il days, and In that time not one day
passed unless we had a least one raid OF
about 20 aeroplanes and all the firing
at them by the British would wreck
six towns, and only seven machines
were brought down. You can feel
proud, however, when / tell you that
three OF these machines were brought
down by an American boy, flying ma
chine built in the United States and
bearing the star and circle 1t is a
beautiful. M well as a horrible sight to
zee fight ir the air.
what were once beautiful French
homes are now q mass of ruins with
the people living in the cellars. The
only thing I regret is that cannot
take gun and fight the Germans as
the Germans are fighting our own boys
and my brother who Is in the trenches"