Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-07-04

Him Is Lieu
by bullet from machine gun, AM
they examined it with great interest
When they brought me my uniform
found that the star of my rank which
had been on my right shoulder straI
had been shot off clean. The one OF
my left shoulder strap they asked me
for as souvenir, as also my II. T. c
badges, which l gave them. They al
lowed me to keep my 'wings," which
I wore on my left breast, because they
were aware that that is the proudest
possession of British flying officer.
think l am right in saying that the
only chiyalry in this war on the Ger
| man side of the trenches has been dis
! played by the officers of the German
flying corps, which comprises the pick
| of Germany. They pointed out to me
that 1 and my comrades were fighting
| purely for the love of it, whereas they
were fighting in defense of their coun-
try, but still. they said, they admired
US for our craftsmanship. l had a no.
ton to ssk them if dropping bombs on
London and killing so many innocent
people was in defense of their country,
but I was In no position or condition
to pick quarrel at that time.
That same day a German officer was
brought into the hospital and put in
the bunk next to mine. OF course l
casually looked at him, but did not
pay particular attention to him at that
time. He lay there for three or four
look at him, l was positive that he
could not speak English, and naturally
l did not say anything to him. Once
when ! looked over in his direction his
eyes were on me, and to my surprise |
he said, very sarcastically, "What the !
h-l are you looking at" and then I
smiled. At this time / was just be- |
ginning TO say few words, as my
wound had prevented me from talking,
but | said enough to let him know
what l was doing there and how l
happened to be there. He evidently
had heard my story from some of the
others. though, because he said it was
too bad l had not broken my neck
that he did not have much sympathy
with the flying corps anyway. He
asked me what part of America came
from. and / told him California"
After O few more questions he
learned that 1 hailed from San Fran
cisco, and then added to my distress
by saying. How would you like to
have a good, juicy steak right out of
the HofbrauT' Naturally | told him
t would ''hit the spot" but 1 hardly
thought my mouth was in shape just
then to eat it. l Immediately asked,
IF course. what he knew about the
dofbrau, and he replied, 81 was con-
lected with the place a good many
Tears, and / ought to know all about
t."
After that this German officer and
became rather chummy; that is, as
ar as could be chummy with an
nemy, and we whiled away a good
many long hours talking about the
lays we had spent in San Francisco,
nd frequently in the conversation one
( us would mention some prominent
or some little incident oc-
urring there, with which we were :
9th familiar. .
He told me when war was declared =
e was, Of course, intensely patriotic
nd thought the only thing for him to
o was to go back and aid in the de- q
snse Of his country. He found that L
e could not go directly from San l
because the water was too.
ell guarded by the English, so he d
oarded boat for South America. !
here he obtained a forged passport Ii
I'D in the guise of n Monteyidean took u
,ssage for New York and from there a.
England.
He passed through England without 81
~ difficulty on his forged passport, ~
1t concluded not to risk going to Hol- VI
nd for fear of exciting too much sus- al
cion, so went down through the
raft of Gibraltar to Italy, which was pi
utral Mt that time, up to Austria,
d thence to Germany. He said when III
ey put in at Gibraltar, after leaving 10
lgland, there were two suspects oo
ken off the ship, men that he was III
re were neutral subjects, but much
his relief his own passport and ere IN
tn