The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-02-21
CHATTER 1.
From Mufti to Khaki.

" sEFfuH HOfu 70 hbakt.
III was in an Office I'm Jersey City.
4 WIS sitting at my desk talking to
a lieutenant Of the Jersey National
Guard. On the wall was a big war
map decorated with variousiy co.ored
little fiagB showing the position of the
opposing armies on the western front
In France. In front Of me on the desk
lay New York paper with big daring
headlines:
LUsITANIA auNkg AMERICAN
LIVES loeTi
. The windows were open and feel
ing Of spring pervaded the air.
Through the open windows came the
strains of hurdy-gurdy playing 10 the
street--'T Didn't Raise Ny Boy to Be
a Soldier"
'Iusitnnia sunk American Lives
Lost TT Didn't Raise My Boy to
BE a Soldier" To US these did not
seem TO jibe.
The lieutenant In silence opened one
OF the lower drawers of his desk and
took from Il an American nag which
he solcmnly drnped over the war map
on the wall. Then. turning to me with
. grim face, said:
How about II. sergeAntf You had
better get out the muster roll OF the
Mounted Scouts. n ! think they viii
be needed in the course Of few dsyr.-
We busted ourselves TIL late In the
evening writing out emergency teie-
grams for the men 10 report when the
call should come from Washington.
Then we went home.
I crossed over 70 New York, and a.
] went up Fulton street 20 tnke the
subway to Brooklyn. the lights In the
tall buildings Of Nev York seemed to
be burning brighter than usual. ms n
they, too. had read "Lusftanla Sunk
% be glowing with anger and righteous
Indignation. and their rnys vtgwsgged
the message. Repay
Months passed. the teiegrums lying
handy. but eovered Win dust. Then.
one mpnsussss,uu<nlng the lieutenant
With . sishs Ut disgust removed the
4Ax from the wRr map and returnss
60 his desk. immediateiy fcnoueo
This action By throwing the telegrams
into the uastebssket- Then We looked
~ each other In silence. He was
-squirming In his chair and felt de-
pressed and uneasy.
The telephone rang and I answered
Il II was business call for me. re-
questing my services for an out-of-
town assignment. Business was not
very good. no this was very welcome
After listening to the proposition I
seemed TO be swnyed By n peculiarly
strong force within me. and answered.
II am sorry TINT cannot accept your
offer. but I am leaving for England
next week." and hung up the receiver.
The lieutenant swung around In his
chnir. and stared at me In blank aston
ashment. A sinking sensation came
over me. but denantiy answered his
Book with. swell, It's %. I'm going"
And I went.
The trip across wns uneventfui. I
landed at Tiibury, England. then got
into n string Of matchbox cars and
proceeded TO London, arriving there
about 10 p. m. ! took room In hotel
near Sc. Paucrns station Tor ''five and
six-frc extra" The room was minus
the Gre, but the extra seemed to
Keep me warm. That night there wns
. Zeppelin raid. but didn't see much
iof IT, beosuss- the slit In the curtains
was too small and had no desire to
make it larger. Next morning the tel
iephone bell rang. and someone asked.
'~Are you therer' wns, hardly. Any
way, learned that the Zeps had 70
turned TO their fathcriand. 20 went
out into the street expecting to ses
,sccnes Of awful Devastation an6'a COW
ering popuincc. but everything was
normal. People wers calmly proceed.
eng to their work. Crossing the
strect. accosted .Bobbie Niths
~Can you. direct mo to the place ef
damsgef-
ne asked ma. "what tlnmneoY.
! In surprise I answered. awhy. the
damage caused By the xeps.-
with wink he replied:
'-rhcre was no damages NO missed
them again"
Aftcr scvrzai fruitiess Inquiries Of
tho passorsby. I decided to 20 on my
own IN search Of ruined buildings and
} scenes OF destruction. boarded bus
which cnrried me through Tottenham
Court road. Recruiting posters were
everywhere. The ono that impressed
me most wns 4 lIfc-sixe picture Of
Lord Kitchener with his finger point
, ing directly at mo. under the caption
OF ssYour King and Country Need You.~
No matter which way ! turned. the
accusing finger followed me. I was
m American. in mutt. and had little
American nag In tho lnpel Of my coat.
had no king. and my country had