The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-08-23
A Story by
Harold Whitehead, Boston University
Serving With the
American Council of Education
Washington, D. c.

that word lighted divine fire in these
glorious United States on that never
1o-be-forgotten April s, 1917.
From the busy rush of the big city,
from the quiet peace of the village
came a mighty force-volunteer to
fight for the most glorious heritage
man ever fought for-Freedom.
The demands were enormous, for
the task was gigantic, but the de-
nlands were met with a promptness
and deadly earnestness that heartened
eur courageous allies.
This war was no impersonal affair,
but something that touched every
home and every heart An eager de-
sire to anticipate the call to duty
thrilled millions of men and women.
What that duty actually was, many
people only vaguely understood. Our
government promptly realized the
need for pointing out the duty to its
citizens, for it did not at once call
everyone to battle on the Tortured
fields OF France with the greatest
scourge that ever cursed the world.
x 4
In the small, busy manufacturing
town of Hammerville lived old man
Parsons with his wife and their three
sons-John, the eldest, was twenty
four years old; Robert, who would
soon graduate from high school, was
going on eighteen, while Dick-dear,
mischievous Dick-was sixteen
three boys wlAA manliness would
cause glow of pride to any parents.
On that memorable April 9th, the
orderly routine of the Parsons house
hold was rudely shaken when Robert
rushed excitediy into the house and
yelled
It's war, Dad! It's war. Mother.
Gee. now we'll give the Hun some
thing to remember. I've juss seen
John; he's going to enlist 1t
says we are going to send millions of
men to France ! hope III
have to go
The father looked with pride on his
son, but the Mother merely smiled
family and turned away so that the
offers should not see the anguish in
her eyes. "Of course, il the boys had
10 go, she would be proud to have
them go-but her boys-Jofn was
man, but he, was her boy y.
And so John marched away with
the loyal sons Of Hammervillc to do
his tAty But Robert and Dick felt
that they ought to do something. they
- -anted to do their duty but what was
it?
> Robert graduated from High
School and then informed his Mo-
cher that he must enlist,
1T isn't as if I was a kid, Mother
I'm bigger and Stronger than many
men. l just can't be a Stacker. You
see my point, don't you, Mother"
Is, mother did.i't sc his point
She saw her son :uL Of cagerness TO
do his duty as he conceived it, bu1
was it his duty to go? Did he best
serve his country and his flag in that
way
She decided to find out what he
ought to do. If it was his duty to
fight at oncc-well, she would do her
duty, and send him away with a
smile on her lips, even if
The Students Army Training Corps!
The words stood out as if written
in letters OF gold Mrs. Parsons fold
ed the newspaper with trembling
fingers and moved to the window and
read the item. That is what she read:
The experience of France
and England has shown us the urgen-
cy OF training our young men, OF en-
couraging all who possibly can, even
at sacrifice, to attend college or uni
versity so as to provide body Of
trained leaders and specialists who,
both during and after the war, may
efficiently meet the Nations needs.
If we send all Our young men to
France, we cripple our future, Tor the
young men and women of today have
to guide the destinies of our country
in the strenuous fight for commercial
development that will follow the war.
Moreover, the administration re-
Allies the value Of college trained men
for oficers-more than eighty per
cent of officers today are college men
and the colleges cannot graduate men
quickly enough to meet the Govern
ments demands for officers.
To make clear to the high school
graduates and those equally prepared
what is their duty, the War Depart
ment has created the Students Army
Training Corps. In few words, this
is what it means: