Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-04-19
MAJOR BELFORD SPEAKER
ATK OF p. MEETING

a very pleasant and interesting
meeting was held Thursday evening
at Knights Of Pythias hall under the
auspices Of Havelock lodge at which
la large number of members Of the
Knights OF Pythias with their friends
we're present.
j. Howard WEIGH was chairman Of
the meeting, which was opened with
the singing OF a few patriotic airs.
following which Mr.. Welch in most
cordial and pleasing manner. intro
duced Major j. r. Bedford of the Ca
madam forces. who is at the head OF
the Canadian recruiting squad in this
city as the speaker of the evening.
Major Bedford was received with a
hearty welcome and he gave an inter-
esting and intimate glimpse Of life IN
the army in France. He has the nap
py faculty OF making others see what
he has seen himself and those who
| heard him declared that his talk had
brought the whole thing home to
them in a way that they had not eX-
perienCed before.
! He spoke first of the causes Of the
war and also referred briefly TO the
present situation of the troops. He
urged the necessity Of filing up the
ranks in order to wage a successful
| war against the Hun and lis outrag-
eous practices
He emphasized the splendid spirit
and morale Of the troops and to il
| lustrate their bravery he told several
stories Of courageous and heroic ac-
|
succor wounded comrades. He told
OF n young fellow in the battle Of
Courcillette, who was caught by day
light out in a listening post and was
crawling back across No Mans Land
through furrow that had been turn
Cd By farmer. 1t was a single fur
row and was being raked by the Ger
man guns necessarily. Pretty soon the
young man caught sight of a wound
cd comrade lying out at his left. He
rolled over to the wounded man ami
rolled him back into the furroW. and
told him to hang on to his ankles SO
that he. could drag him back into the
lines.
When he was about yards of the
home trenches, the wounded mans
strength gave out and at that his
rescuer took off his belt and tied the
mans wrists to his ankles and thns
pulled him in. When they got to the
parapet he knew that they would he
shot TO pieces If they attempted to 90
over II, 80 the boys inside dug a tun-
mel and took them in. The hero of the
occasion received no serious wounds,
but his clothing was scored like 4,
gridiron, where the German bullets
had grazed his back during his dan
gerous but successful journey.
Another story was OF a sergeant of
the 22d who was coming down the
trenches in front of some British
troops, when he saw four or five
wounded men lying outside. He spoke
to the officer and said: why for YOU
no bring those men in" The afficer
explained that II was impossible on
account of machine gun fire. that
man would be shot that went after
them. The sergeant replied: oh
hell. we don't care about that I'm the
22nd.' And out he went and brought
them in but when his task was done
he had a bullet through his right arm
and another through his left Shout
der.
| The major made general appeal
! To the different nntionalities to Join
the army. He explained the conven-
/ ton between the two countries, Cam
ada and the United States. which is
now in Congress and said that after
two months after il is ratified, all
i'anadians in the United States Of
draft age come under the American
draft and all Americans will also
como under the Canadian draft.
This will eliminate boundary jump
ing which hps been practced to a
more or less extent. He said that the
Canadians in America who do not go
TO war take the American men $
Jobs aud America for the sake Of hcr
own people should sec that these men
arc sent back where they belong, and
he said that We should see to il TINT
the Canadian Stacker doesn't get the
job here. but go back and go in-o
the army where they belong.