Milford chronicle., 1918-05-10
A GENTLEMAN UNAFRAID.
LETTERS OF EDWIN AUSTIN AssEY
sudbury. May l2. 1915.


Dearest Mother;
Went to the Post Office and found your
letter II was good 10 hear from you
and your feeling about the Lustania.
The dishonor 10 the flag is great. but II
seems to me more OF a dishonor to man
hood and humanity. / can see very little
PATRIOTISM or fiags or countries; II is more
a struggle Of mankind to defend the
principles Of humanity and chiyalry which
the Creator has handed down. even
though the defenders themselves have
abused and sinned against the very
principles uhey now defend. II is as
though The world has sinned 10 a point
where 1t divided. the one half going over
the bounds Of human possibility, the other
stopping and reaching back to former
good and true tradition 10 resist the i'm
pulse of the lost half to swallow IL up
as well
feel that we are only at the begin
ming and must really fight for existence.
Germany has shown herself 10 be a ter
rlble menace, and she is beginning TO
feel confidence in her own resources TO
defy the world. No country or flag can
be mine except the United States. but
II / could 20 to this war as a citizen Of
the world, / would pray TO be allowed
TO do It.
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. = call
ed me up and said that Mr.. H WAS
going TO put me in charge Of bridge
about to be built In the MuskOka dis
trict; / saw Mr. H and he said that
/ wanted the job ! could have il.
It is q position that | could have desir-
Cd only in my dreams The bridge is
q god size and on a curve. which re-
quires special engineering work TO lay /
cut: and not only that, but the centre /
piers will have TO be sunk to rock
bottom, through about forty feet Of
mud by means Of compressed air cais-
sons Not only will / have complete 1
charge Of all the engineering work. but.
as the contract Is to be carried out on
cost plus per cent. basis, l will also
have TO keep strict account Of all labor
and material and be responsible for any
waste or uneconOmic methods in the
In other words, | will be
General Manager OF the whole job, and
this will be even harder because l have
only two helpers when ! could easily
use fiVe. My ability will be taxed to the
utmost. which is the desire Of my heart.
And yet, mother, l went in to Mr..
H this morning and told him that
could only accept the position with
the understanding that If the United
States declared war and called for vol
1nteers, l would leave at once. am
so full Of that, IL browns out every am
oition or desire OF thought Of the fu- .
,ure that l have / have nothing but
great big desire TO give myself 10 help
n this battle against evil.
Bala, May 10, 1915. q
/ want to tell you what ! said in that
etter that never reached you. The affair
Il the Lusitania has gone through me y
gain and again. / feel as II ! could $
lot Just go ahead as l have since the u
var started. making plans for my own
.dYancement, or my own family's well '
are. II Is not the Isolated case OF the L
4usitania, OF that Americans were q
.mong those to suffer. but the reallza- L
ion that II has brought OF the actual v
conditions in Europe and the German q
attitude II seems 10 me that the only e
emedy is in the thousands Of men who [
eel called to offer themselves for what >
,ver they are worth. Just now, Il seems o
o me that America is in an impossible -
'osition. Honor demands that We en- n
er the war, humanity that We stay
'ut l will do nothing until the United b
Itatea course is definitely decided; but /,
-bove everything in the world, / want .
o 90 TO the war, and / want you and 8
ather to tell me that ! can govern my il
ek by what knowledge and judgment [
have, with the assurity Of your conf /
lence in me TO do right / think l can s
manage TO serve in some way, II only s
Ou Will give me the inspiration Of your a
approval and trust. you and father. t.
Toronto. May "a. 1915. &
l can't say how grateful ! am that | u
'Ou can feel able to give me for what
'ver purpose may be intended, for now b
shall definitely plan to offer my ser d
ices In some capacity In the war This 4
'rldge-w work here came in such an un- /,
sked, unexpected way, at a time when C
UGH. opportunities are almost unthOught- 4
.. that feel that l must keep on with e
at present; but II l cannot enlist here. 1
win plan to go directly to Europe in n
he fan. a
Bala, May o. 1915. v
Your letter came yesterday A. NJ It +
,lmost answered the thought in my $
asst mean the following guidance as 4
veil as one can see it,-and / feel just as I
'ou do about seeing this work through
can. OF course l have thought OF n
Red Cross work, but there are many who v
IRE only fitted for that; and many Amer u
cans who would only think of doing that. a
ny wish would be to 30 into the Army il
md let the Superior governing decide b
ny duties. However, there Is no doubt
Guiding Hand in all these matters.
believe In following. just as you; but
think there Is inward guidance as well
IS outward. What l meant by humanity
the United States is the fact o
hat, in spite Of all our failure in v
lauonal protest against outrages, stiH o
'uT very spirlt has been standing be- 0
Ween the nations and their people that f.
IRE in Germany's power The thou b
ands Of Belgians who have nothing in a
he world are fed and clothed by us I
because Germany in the nature Of our v
friendly relations cannot help but per- c
nit It. This would be cut on in case I
4 war. Through US the Allies are able II
o be in some way cognizant Of the con- b
Muon Of their prisoners OF war, and Il
Germany cannot openly resent our In 4
festiRaffon and auparyiafnu In o,tob r,at | Q