New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-08-16
CHAPTER lV-Continued.

started his conversation with me. the
German doctor in charge %rcprimanded
him for talking to me, but he paid no
attention to the doctor. showing that
some real Americanism had soaked
into his system while he had been in
the u. $. A. | asked him one day what
he thought the German people would
do after the war: If he thought they
would make Germany a republic. and
much to my surprise he said very bit
terly, IF | had my way about 1t, I
would make her a republic today and
hang the ID kaiser in the bar
gain" And yet he was considered an
excellent soldier. ! concluded, how
ever thar he must have been n Ger
man socialist, though he lever told me
50. On one occasion | asked him for
his name, but he said that l would
probably never see him again and 1t
didn't matter what his name was. |
did not know whether he meant that
the Germans would Starve me out, or
just what was on his mind, for mt that
time ! am sure he did not figure on
dying. The first two or three days
| was in the hospital | thought surely
he would be up and M long before
! was, but blood poisoning set in
about that time, and just n few hours
before ! left for Courtrai he died.
One of those days, while my wound
was still very troublesome, | was
given an apple; whether ii was just to
torment me. knowing that | could not ]
eat it, or whether for some other rea-
son. | do not know. But anyway n
German flying officer there had several
in his pockets and gave me II nice one.
OF course there was no chance of my
eating it, 50 when the officer had zone
md | discovered this San Francisco
fellow looking at it rather longingly,
picked ii up, intending to toss it
over to him. But he shook his head
ana said. IF this was San Francisco
! would take it, but | cannot take II
from you here" | was never able to
understand just why he refused the
apple, for he was usually sociable and
Il good fellow to talk to, but appar-
emily he could not forget that | was
his enemy. However, that did not stop
one of the OrdcrlieS from eating the
apple.
One practice about the hospital i'm
pressed me particularly. That was,
If n German soldier did not stand
much chance of recovering sufficiently
to take his place again in the war, the
doctors did not exert themselves to see
that he got well. But If a man had
II fairly good chance of recovering and
they thought he might be of some fur
ther use everything that medical skill
could possibly do was done for him.
] don't know whether this was done
under orders or whether the doctors
just followed their own inclinatiOns ,
in such cases.
My teeth had been badly jarred IN
from the shot. and | hoped that I might I
have IA chance to have them fixed 4,
when | reached Courtrai. the prison ,
wher" | was to be taken. So | asked I
the doctor if 1t would be possible for |
me to have this work done there, but
he very CURLY told me that. although I
there W"r" several dentists ut COur- q
trial.. they were busy enough fixing the g
teeth of their own men without both
"ring about mine. He also added that I
: would not have TO worry about my Il
that | wouldn't be getting so il
much food that they woi;,t ne out out
commission by working overtime. "
wanted 10 tell him that from the way g
,hings looked he would not be wear :
Ing his out very soon either. :
MY condition improved during the II
next two days. and on the fourth day r
Ut my captivity ! was well enough 10 ID
write Il brief message to my squad h
ron. reporting that | was a prisoner of Il
war and fee ing fine" although, as n
of fact, | was never so de- b
in my life. | realized. how n
'vcr. that if the message reached my II
comrades it would be relayed to nv 2
Mother in Mpnlence. H.. and | did not 81
want To worry her more than was alb (,
necessary. 1t was enough for W
Ter to know tla. | was a prisoner. She fo
lid not have TO know that I WINS HI
Wounded. -
l had hopes that my message would ii
'e carried V the lines and dropped
" one of the German flying officers. al
* a courtesy which is usually kl
on both sides. I recalled tr
low patiently we had waited in orr m
ir'lrOme for news of our men who had ed
allied to return. and I could picture W
ny squadron Specializing on my fate. 70
That is one of the saddest things bI
onnected with service i'm the II. F. c w
'ou don't care much what happens to VI
on. but the constant casualties among as
friends are very depressing.
You go out with your flight" and i'm
into a muss. You get scattered. I'M
when your formation Is broken up ifs
Ou finally wing your way home alone. an
Perhaps you are the first TO land. Ike
Don another machine shows In the pu
ky. then another. and you patiently m,
nit for the rest to appear. Within an to
''ur. perhaps. all have shown I'D save tn
and you begin to speculate and on
what has happened to him. of
Has he lost his way? Has he landed
I same ether at5 irene? Did the ha
IunS get hin: va