The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-02-13

lAxzaneemeas Win The 0enegs Mathew Adams
mixed up In such dirty work ~ they
said there was In Belgium. I figured
the soldiers were like the sailors. But
I found out was wrong about both.
One thing that opened my eyes 4
bit WAS the trouble my. mother had in
getting out Of Hanover, where she
was when the war started. and back
to France. She always wore . little
American nag and this both saved and
endangered her. Without 1t, the Ger
mans would have interned her ~ .
Tfeochwoman. and with It. she was
sneefed at and insulted time and
again before abe finally managed to
two months after she reached st. Ma
xaire.
Moreover. I heard the fate Of my
older brother, who had made his home
in France with my grandmother. He
had gone to the front at the outbreak
Of the war with the infantry from st.
Nasairs and had been killed two or
three weeks Afterwards. This made
It sort Of personal matter.
But what put the nnishing touches
TO me were the stories . wounded
Canadian lieutenant told me some
months later In New York. He had
,bssn there and he knew. You could
not help believing him; You can al
ways ten It when . man has been
tAeee and knows.
Thses was not much racket around
New York, - made up my mind al
q Q sudden to 20 over and get some
for nyselk. Believe me. I got enough
racket beeeee / was through. Most
q tie really important things I have
done have happened like that: I did
then On the jump, you might say.
Many othse Americans wanted Apok.
too; there Weee lvs thousand Amer
leans In the Canadian army at one
tina tAsy say.
would not claim hat I went over
there to save democracy. or anything
me that. I never did Ike Germans.
and novee mst-A Trenchman who was
not hind 70 ne, md what heard
about tAs way the Hsns treated the
Belgians made me alck. I used to gst
out o8 bed to % to an aIl-night picture
ahow, thought about Il % much.
But there was not m1ch excitement
about New York, and I, figured Tie
q. q. would not ct into It for while.
anyway, b I Just wanted TO 60 over
and ~ what it WAs like. That u
Why lets q - went. I think.
Thsrs were Ave Of ~ who went 10
Boston to ahip for ths other sids:
Ban Murray, IA Brown. Tim Flynn.
Mitchell and myself. Murray WAS IN a.
earty-two bitches (snlistments). gun
pointer rating. and about thifty-fve
ysaEs old. Brown was Pennaylvania
man about twenty-six ysars old. who
bad served two enlistments IN tie q.
q army and had quit with The rank
oe sergeant. Flynn md Mitchell were
both ex.navy mea. Mitchell was Q
noted boxer. OF the i've Of u. ! am
tie only one who went In, got
throueh and came out. Flynn and
Mitchell did not 60 In: Murray and
Brown never came back.
The i've Of ~ shipped ON the steam
ship vlrginian Of the Amsfican-Ha-
wailan linz, under American nag and
registry, but chartered BY the French
government I dgned on ~ watsr.
tsndse-an eagins room 3o6-but the
others were on deck-that - seamsn.
We lsft Boston for St Nasaire With
q cargo .oI aEmunifion, bully bed.
stc, and made tie frst trip without
anything Of interest happsning.
A. ws ware tying to the dock at st.
Nasairs. I saw . German pgisooar ut
ting On Q plle of lumber. I thoasht
probably he would b. hungry, % !
went down into the oiler9 mess and
got two slices ef bread with thick
pisco Of beefsteak between them and
haudsd Il 10 yfitA He would not tAks
Il. At Afse I thought he was afraid
10, but b. usiAe several languages and
lsns b. managed 70 make me under.
stand that - was net hunsFy-hAd
80 much b sat h tact.
I ussd 70 think q this 6sllow oecar
asnalIy when was In Q German pgis-
oo camp. and . pdsea a mo31v broad
tAs slse o{ . sAfsey-match boz was
the esnsroee portion of fosd they
forcsd On md. with tfus German hos
pltality. ooee every foety-asht hours.
I weuld not sxaetly have rskussd .
besfvteak sandwich, I am affai6. But
then wds not Q heavsn-bosn German.
I was euly . common American earby.
He was fun of kultur and grub; !
was not full of anything.
There was Q large prison camp at
g. Nasaire. and at one time er an
other ! saw an Of It Before the war
it had been used a. q barracks b. tie