The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-10
Soldiers Born in Various For
eign Countries Visit Topeka.
Prove to Kaiser That America
Is Real Democracy.
APPEAR At SANTA FE SHOPS
Create Great Impression Among
Railway Shopmen.
Second City in United States To
Be Visited by Yankees.

Today noon at the Santa Fe shops
the kaiser's assertion that demo-
cracy enveloping all the races under
the skies could not be built into sue
cessful American army was proven
to be a lie. Sixteen men-alI of them
born in different foreign countries
came TO Topeka and proved it.
In accordance with a recent order
from the war department permitting
the organization of squads composed
of foreign born soldiers to be sent to
various cities for the purpose of illus
trating the cosmopolitan democracy of
our army this detachment was brought
here.
Friday Chairman Meyers of the
state four minute men organization
heard of the order and went to Camp
Funston with big Bing Bang Bill"
Biby for the purpose of arranging for
such a squad to come to Topeka. 1t
is the second such squad that has been
sent out. The first time it was tried
in Pennsylvania. Topeka has the hon.
or of having the second squad of this
kind.
To a person knowing anything about
racial chara it was not any
! task to pick out the various nationa1i-
| ties represented. The chance to come
on this expedition almost caused riot
4 among foreign born soldiers for fear
| they would not get to come on this
| expedition to demonstrate to the world
and to other people of their race how
| willing they were to go to any extent
| to uphold the principles that had be-
| come dearer than life to them since
| they had been here long enough to
realize fully what it meant to be an
| American.
Appear at Shops.
Shortly after their arrival this
I ToT-
| ker, a st. Louis boy, not foreign born
! they were placed in motor cars and
| sent to the Santa. Fe shops. A stand
| had been erected in the yards, decor
ated with American flags and a sigr
calling on all men to register on Sep
| tember 12
Marco Morrow called the meeting tc
! order and introduced big Bing Bans
! Bill" Biby. who gave one of his char.
acteristic talks. the kind that make
you want to walk right out and grab 6
| rifle. Each man of the squad was in
| troduced in turn and answered to E
| roll call with his name.
| Biby then gave a brief talk descrip.
| tive of the history of the country the
man was from, its PARTICIPATION so fal
in the war, what had happened tt
them in the war. Every man and
| every country-siXteen of them wal
treated in this way.
From the enthusiasm of the crowi
it was evident that each nationa1it,
was being touched to its inmost depths
from the sharp crisp sentences will
which Biby was depicting their history
4 German, Austrian, Swiss. Bulgarian
4 all the countries mixed in the war OF
one side or another were represented
But the one inspiring fact was tha
all of the foreign born soldiers wer'
lined up for the one big principle 70
which the United States was going t.
| war.
The names of the men and tn
country in which they were born
Sergt Bloemker, American born
Reyes, Mexican; Andreof, Bulgarian
Rzezmk, Polish; Winski. Belgian
Matevick, Serbian: Kravshuk, Swiss
Stergion, Greek: Wolf. German; Erick
son, Swede; Morris, Italian; Yavonofi
Turk; Hagan, Norwegian; VukoticE
Montenegrian; Pantelaymanow, Rus
sian; Idokovitch, Austrian; O'BriaI
| Irish.