Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-01-21

like you" It was too bad, he agreed,
in telling me about 1t. because he was
confident he could have done whole
lot more for Germany II he had been
In the English army. In spite Of his
apparent loyalty. however, the man
didn't seem very enthusiastic over the
war and frankly admitted one day that
the old political battles waged in Cali
fornia were much more to his liking
than the battles he had gone through
over here. On second thought he
laughed as though 1t were good joke,
but he evidently intended me to infer
that he had taken a keen interest In
politics In San Francisco.
When my "chumny enemy first
started his conversation with me, the
German doctor in charge reprimanded
him for talking to me, but he paid no
attention to the doctor, showing that
some real Americanism had soaked
into his system while he had been in
the u. S. A. I asked him one day what
he thought the German people would
do after the war; If he thought they
would make Germany republic, and
much to my surprise he said very bit
terly, IF I had my way about 1t, /
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 Ger
man socialist, though he never told me
so. On one occasion l asked him for
his name, but he said that 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 I am sure he did not figure on
dying. The first two or three days
I 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 few hours
before 1 left for Courtrai he died.
One of those days. while my wound
was still very troublesome. l was
given an apple; whether 1t was just to
torment me, knowing that I could not
eat II, or whether for some other rea-
son, I do not know. But anyway
German flying officer there had several
in his pockets and gave me nice one.
OF course there was no chance Of my
eating it, so when the officer had gone
and l discovered this San Francisco
fellow looking at 1t rather longingly,
I picked it up, intending to toss 1t
over to him. But he shook his head
and said, "If this was San Francisco
would take 1t, but cannot take 1t
from you here" ! was never able to
understand Just why he refused the
apple, for he was usually soclable and
good fellow to talk to. but appar-
emily he could not forget that was
his enemy. However, that did not stop
one Of the orderlIes 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
to take his place again in the war. the
doctors did not exert themselves to see
that he got we'll. But II man had
! fairly good chance of recovering and
they thought he might be Of some fur
| her use, everything that medical skill
could possibly do was done for him
I 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 I hoped that might
have a chance to have them fixed
when I reached Courtrai. the prison
where was to be taken. So I asked
the doctor If it would be possible for
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 that
l would not have to worry about my
teeth; that l wouldn't be getting so
much food that they would be put out
of commission by working overtime. /
wanted to tell him that from the way
things looked he would not be wear
Ing his out very soon either.
My condition improved during the
next two days, and on the fourth day
of my captivity was well enough to
write a brief message to my squad
ron, reporting that was prisoner OF
war and feeling fine" although. as
matter of fact, l was never so de-
pressed In my life. realized, how
ever, that II the message reached my
comrades 1t would be relayed to my
mother In Momence, Ill.,, and did not
want to worry her more than was abb
solutely necessary. 1t was enough for
her to know that was prisoner. She
did not have to know that was
wounded.
had hopes that my message would
be carried over the lines and dropped
by one of the German flying officers.
That Is courtesy which Is usually
practiced on both sides. recalled
how patiently we had waited In orr
alrdrome for news Of our men who had
failed to return. and I could picture
my squadron speculating on my fate.
That Is one Of the saddest things
connected with service in the II. +. G.
You don't care much what happens to
you, but the constant casualties among
your friends are very depressing.
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