The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-13
WHY HE ENLISTED
Daughter Fighting Bob Evans Tells Interesting Stor of an Interview With a Boy Who Had Been Torpedoed
 Twice and He Gave Her Enswer That
 Twice and He Gave Her n Answer That

dat, Bump! an I says to m self, says, Gee I says, something's happened an I beats it out on deck an say laay you know dem decks dey runs along dis way. you know. fore an aft calls 1t in de navy? Well, say, dey didn't run dat way no more, no Ma'am! there wuz ! great big hole right in front of me. Say, lady, it wuz so big I couldn't a-Jumped across it, so I beats it back into de caDln and bits me life belt--dey won't let us go on deck without 'en1-and beats it cut side again. An say, it wuz funny, de two ends of de ship wuz going dis way holding his hands up over his head.
 "Yes," I said, rather breathless; go on. What did you do then?"
 Do? We'll lady, dere wuzn't nothin to do 'cept jump overheard, an sol did"
 Mercy" said "Can you swimT'
 'NNho, me? Me, lady can't swim an it wouldn't have done me no good if I could, cause dat waters too cold. Say, Gee, it wuz cold-an dem waves I tell de fellers over to the training station about dem waves an dey don't believe me; but, honest to God, them waves wuz high like them barricks- an two or three times dem waves they come up an fell on top of me, an Gee. I sez dis is de finish of me, I says, but de fellers in de life boat dey has lit- tie round light in de bows-a so1ch light. dey calls it, lady, an dey seen me wid dat an dey picks me up III De boat"
 How long time was that" I asked, l "how long were you in the water?' Two hours an a haf. an l wuz some cold believe me! Say, lady! l wuz so cold I couldn't move me arms {, like dis See? Look? You do it, jest 1 flap an see? Oats easy, ain't it? | We'll couldn't do dat, I wuz so cold | "But' I said, thinking of exhaustion and exposure afterward, after you got 1 in the boat weren't you ill?" i "Who. me? No, lady, not dat time wuz seasick another time" l "No," said I. Not seasick-ill | Weren't you ill?'
 l "No, ma'am; der wuzn't nothin tc make me sick. Dey put me in de bot 1 tom of de boat an put that light, dt
 soich light. on me side to warm me up an give me drink of water to cleal out me system, an I wuz all right.
 "But how long were you in thu ! boat?" I asked.
 "Aw, Gee! lady dat wuz awful! w wuz dere tree days, an tree nights too, an didn't have nothin' to eat. jus a little bit of water and say. Gee! wuz hungry, an then we got picked III by the S. S. Giltry. An say, lady, dat the funny thing-five hours after W wuz picked up by her she was torpe doed certainly wuz sore"
 But, did they give you no warning?
 ''Who? dem Goimans? No, ma am
 dey don't do no warnin' nor no pickin
 up. believe me-
 How old are you?" I asked.
 With the slightly dreamy look tha usually accompanies their best lies, h
 answered: "Eighteen."
 NO" I said firmly; tell the trut now--how old are your" Then confidentially he replied, wit most engaging grin: CIV ell maam. I says I'm seventeen , but I ain't yeti"
 But weren't you scared?"
 "Who. me? You bet I wuz"' ) "Why did you go in the navy?' | He looked at me for a second, wit the slightly puzzled eyes of a child wh : is disappointed in grown-up, an
 shamed me by the simplicity of hi [ answer:
 9 Why, lady, we'se at war"