Gunnison news-champion., 1918-02-22
IEf rf-I |

"ran Won direct me to the place OF
!a,ua-rf"
II~ n-s"d me. "What damor"?"
In sn-I-.-,. / or-ar-,I. why, the
.a.a-. r.u-.-I p. rn" Z"ps."
W.ho v.u& D" -I'..vt:
Tier. as- ar t.a--~; ST." missed
.I.ru us. .u
A...- -...-rI 'rar.-- In1uI-r- ~
..... -..--' s. { ......d tn gt "n NY
rr .--I "f -vI.rl bu..ln-. nnI
.'' -.-. e. r. ! h,rsr.'-I bus
.a .ar-l.i r.~ through Tur-rrham
.-r 9 l. ... ....- '..-'r-- were
.-rr g. -r Tie urr. IMPRESSED
OF. r.-r 800, "a rsr .... ...rur" u
..ur' hl'.hru,r w0rh HIS nr--r point
..- u ,r.'Is ur "." uu.lrr 10" rap'I0D
'"Yuur k.n- au.l roa'ry Seed Y"u."
ro mo'rrr o'.rh way turned the
0.~u-Hrr Gsr-,~ fovuuoI rur. was
IL A-.r5r.n Iu mufH aud had q lI''l"
Nu'-..au n.g lL rA,' .ap.-l 81 ray ruu'.
I hrd %" Bins. and my country had
-r'n III mot @" u,cH me hur ~rIll 'hnt
r..u'lG. uaerr mnI" n" feel -waU mud
40 ~ ,ns". got uc -hr bu~ 70 try
#" pate This f'rI.ar by mixing
with rh" thr"ug "f the sidewalks.
Presently | came to recruiting Of
flee. Inside. sitting nt a DISK was
lonely Tommy Atkins. decided 10 In
'"ryi"w him in regard to joining the
British army. opened tn" door. He
I"ok"d up and greeted me with 81 s'y.
myte. want to tyke Uuf''
Hooked at him and answered well,
whatever that is. III take Il chance
ut It,"
Without the aid Of an Interpreter.
found out that Tommy wanted I" know
II cared to join the British army. He
asked me: did you ever hear Of the
Royal Fuslliersf' Well. In London.
you know. Ynnks are supposed TO know
everything. SO | wns not going TO ap-
peur ignorant and answered, Sure"
After listening for one half-hour to
Tnmmy's tale OF their exploits on the
firing line. ! decided TO join. Tommy
took me to the recruiting headquarters,
where met "A typical English captain.
lie asked my nationality. l immedi-
ntcly pulled out my American passport
and showed II to him. II was signed
bv Lansing. After looking Mt the
passport, he Informed me that he was
sorry but could not enlist me, us II
would be breach OF neutrality. l
insisted that l was not neutral, be-
cause to me II seemed that real
American could not be neutral when
1 g,. I,,. tlN..
captain would not enlist me.
With disgust In my heart l went out
In the street. ! had gone about
block when a recruiting sergeant who
had followed me out OF the Office
tapped me on the shoulder with his
swaggcr stick and said: "S'y, l can
get you In the army. We have "A lef
tenant down mt the other Office who
can do anything He has just come
out OF the o. 7. c. (Ofiicers' Training
corps) and does not know what neu-
trallty Is" decided to take a chance.
and accepted his invitation for nm in
PRODUCTION to the lieutenant. I entered
the office and went up to him, opened
up my passport and said:
ptloit SoiuE luTIHtF 1 WISH 10 Srnte
that am an American. not too proud
to fight, and want to Join your army"
He looked at me In nopchalant
manner, and answered. "That's all
right; we take anything over here"
looked at him kind of hard and re-
piled, $50 I notice" but 1t went over
his head.
He got out an enlistment blank. and
placing his finger on a blank line said,
Sign here"
answered, "Not on your tintype."
~ beg your pardon?'
Then l explained to him that would
not sign 1t without first reading It. I
read it over and signed for duration OF
war. Some of the recruits We're lucky.
They signed for seven years onlyl
Then he asked me my birthplace.
answered. "Ogden. Utah"
He said, "Oh, yes, just outside Of
New York;"
With smile, replied, "well, it's up
the state n little"
Then l was taken before the doctor
and passed as physically fit. and was
issued a uniform. When I reported
back to the lieutenant, he suggested
that. being IN American. go on re-
cruiting service and try to shame some
of the slackers into Joining the army"
"All you have to do" he said, sis to
go out on the street, and when you see
young fellow In mutt who looks
physically At. just stop him and give
him this kind Of a talk: Aren't you
ashamed of yourself. Britisher. phys
ically At. and In mufti when your king
and country need youf Don't you
know that your country Is at war and
that the place for every young Briton
is on the firing line? Here am. an
American. In Khaki. whn came four
thousand miles to nght for your king
and country. and you, - Jet. have not