Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-08-23
CHAPTER Iv-contInued.


German doctor In charge reprimanded
him for talking to Inc, but he paid no
attention to the doctor, showing that
some real Americnnism had soaked
Into his system while he had been in
the U. s. A. asked him one day what
he thought the German people would
do after the war; II he thought they
would make Germany a republic. and
much to my surprise he said very bit
terly, "If / had my way about it, l
would make her q republic today and
hang the Id kaiser in the bar
gain" And yet he was considered an
excellent soldier. / concluded, how
ever. that he must have been a Ger
man socialist, though he never told me
so. On one occasion l 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 at that
time l 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 gone long before
i was, but blood poisoning set in
about that time. and just q few hours
before left for Courtrai he died.
One Of those days, while my wound
was still very troublesome, was
given an apple; whether 1t was just to
torment me, knowing that / could not
eat II. or whether for some other rea-
son. do not know. But anyway a
German flying officer there had several
IN his pockets and gave me a nice one.
OF course there was no chance of my
eating 1t, so when the officer had gone
and l discovered this San Francisco
fellow looking at II rather longingly,
j picked 1t up. intending to toss 1t
over to him. But he shook his head
and said, "If this was San Francisco
] would take It, but cannot take 1t
from you here" l was never able to
understand just why he refused the
apple. for he was usually sociable and
a 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,
II a German soldier did not stand
much chance Of recovering sufficiently
% take his place again In the war, the
doctors did not exert themselves to see
that he got well. But II a man had
o 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 Jared up
from the shot, and hoped that might
have a chance to have them fixed
when ! reached Courtrai. the prison
where 1 was to be taken. So asked
the doctor II 1t would be possible fol
me to have this work done there, but
he very curtly told me that, although
there were several dentists at Cour
trai, they were busy enough fixing the
teeth of their own men without both
ering about mine. He also added thai
/ would not have to worry about my
teeth; that 1 wouldn't be getting SC
much food that they woulc oe put ou
of commission by working overtime.
wanted to tell him that from the wa,
things looked he would not be wear
ing his out very soon either.
My condition improved during tn,
next two days, and on the fourth da,
Of my captivity / was we'll enough I,
write a brief message to my SQUAD
ron. reporting that l was a prisoner o
war and feeling fine" although, as
matter of fact, / was never so de
pressed In my life. 1 realized, how
ever. that If the message reached m
comrndes 1t would be relayed to m
mother in Momence, H., and did no
want to worry her more than was at
solutely necessary. II was enough 70
her to know that was prisoner. Sh
did not have to know that / wa
wounded.
/ had hopes that my message woul
be carried over the lines and droppe
by one of the German flying officer,
That Is a courtesy which is usual
practiced on both sides. / recalle
how patiently we had waited in ou
nirdrome for news Of our men who ha
failed to return. and l could pictur
my squadron speculatlng on my fat
That Is one of the saddest thinl
connected with service in the r. +. {
You don't care much what happens (
you. but the constant casualties anon
your friends are very depressing.
You 90 out with your flight" ar
get into a muss. You get scattere
and when your formation Is broken I
you finally wing your way home alon
Perhaps you are the first to Ian
Soon another machine shows In Il
sky. then another, and you patient
walt for the rest to appear. Within 8
hour, perhaps, all have shown up sa'
one. and you begin to speculate al
wonder what has happened to him.
Has he lost his way? Has he land,
at some other airdrome? Did Il
Huns get hlm7
When darkness comes you reali
mat, at any rate, he won't be back tn
night. and you hope for a telephol
call from him telling of his wher
abouts.
If the night passes without sign
word from him. he is reported ms mis-
ing and then you watch for his CT
unlty to appear in the war Office lis
One day, perhaps a month later.
message is dropped over the line
the German flying corps with list
pilots captured or killed by the Hui
and then. for the first time, you knC
definitely why 1t was your comra
failed to return the day he last we
ever tic line with his squadron.