Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-01-08


French refugees in Switzerland. It
was dinner, and much appreciated
by one guest, at least. I need not men,
ton his name, but he ate so much that
he felt ashamed afterward.
I do not think he got in bad for it,
though, for afterward Mr.. and Mrs.
Mccormick each gave him a valuable
present, which he needed badly. After
the dinner Mrs. Mccormick made q lit
tie patriotic speech, in which she said
that the Huns would never trample on
the United States flag, and some other
things that made all the Americans
there very proud, especially Mr.. Keene
and myself. So you see was having
a great time.
But I was having little trouble, all
the time, for this reason: there were
quite few Germans interned in Zu-
rich, and they went about in uniform.
Now, when saw one of these birds
and remembered what had been hap
pening to me just short time before
my hands began to itch. Believe me,
it was not good morning. that I
said to them. I enjoyed it all right ;
they were not in squads and had no
arms, so it was hand to hand, and pie
for me.
But Mr.. Keene did not like it,
guess, for he called me to his Office
one morning and bawled me out for a
while. and promised to be good.
"You're supposed to be NEUTRAL" he
said. And said, Eyes, and when
was torpedoed and taken prisoner, I
was supposed to be neutral, too" But
I said would not look for trouble any
more. and started back to the hotel.
But no sooner was underway than
a Hun private came along and began
to laugh at me. My hands itched
again, and I could not help but slam
him few. We went round and round
for a while, and then the Hun re-
versed and went down instead. Mr..
Keene saw US, or heard about it, 80 he
told me had better go to Berne.
So off went, with my passport. But
the same thing happened in Berne. I
tried very hard, but just could not
keep my hands off the Germans. So I
guess everybody thought 1t was a good
thing to tell me good.by-anyway
was shipped into France, going direct
to st. Nazaire and from there to
Brest.
made short trip to Hull, England,
with a letter from a man at Brandon
burg to his wife. She was not at home,
but left the letter and returned to
France. I was in France altogether
about three weeks, and then went to
Barcelona, Spain.
Then took passage for the States
on the G. Lopez y Lopez, a Spanish
merchantmen. We had mostly "Spigs''
on board, which Is navy slang for
Spaniards. Almost every one of them
had large family of children and q
raft of pets. We sailed down through
Valencia, Almeria, Malaga, Cadiz and
Las Palmas in the Canary islands.
When we left Las Palmas we had q
regular menagerie aboard-parrots
canary birds, dogs, monkeys and va.
rious beasts. The steerage Of that
boat was some siget, believe me.
We had boat drill all the way across
of course, and from the way those
Spigs rushed about I knew that II 8
submarine got us the only thing that
would be saved would be monkeys. But
we did not even have false alarm all
the way over
arrived in New York during thu
month Of July, 1917-two years and q
half from the time I decided to e
abroad to the war zone to get some ex
element. I got it, and no mistake
New York harbor and the old statue Of
Liberty looked mighty good to me, YOU
can bet.
So here am, and sometimes have
to pinch myself to be sure Of 1t. Ger
tainly enjoy the food and warmth
get here, and except for an occasional
prO-German have no trouble will
anybody. My wounds break open once
In while, and am often bothered
inside, on account Of the gas swal
lowed. They say cannot get bach
into the, service. 1t is tough to b<
Knocked out before our own boys &c
into the scrap. ~. s. s ss.5 Il
But I do not know. I an twenty
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