The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-06
Charged With Making State
ments DerOgatory to
British Army
CLAIMS HE ISAN
AMERICAN CITIZEN
Supposed He Was Enlisting In Cana
dian Military Organization Claims
He Did Not Sign Papers for Enlist
ing in the English Army

LONDON, Feb. Ga peculiar story,
which raised an interesting point as TO
the position of m American citizen in
the British army was told at court-
martial al Chatham.
The accused, Carlyle James Hitch
ener, q pioneer in the second reserve
battalion of the royal engineers. was
charged with being guilty of conduct
to the prejudice of good order and Mill
tary discipline while on active service.
The acts alleged against him were that
he sent letters through the post to his
father in America containing state
menfs derogatorv to the British army.
and giving expression to his opinion
with regard to its officers.
In supporting an application for an
adjournment of the trial for two
months the accused said he had never
relinquished his rights as an American
citizen. He was mechanical draughts-
man by trade. lie made three attempts
10 loin the American army before April
1910, anu WAS itJSFiStA oil N%teit "
sion because he was suffering from q
| disease of the ears.
He subsequently approached the re-
cruiting officer for the Canadian army
in Philadelphia. The civilian doctor re-
fused 10 pass him, and when they were
alone said: Sonny, take a tip from ne
land step out before You take the oath
You don I know what YOU are going NJ
against with those ears.
BEING very keen to do his bit accused
said he returned 10 tho same recruiting
office three days later. lie was inllu
cnced by what the recruiting officer hae
said on the first occasion. and 50 signed
/ further papers. The papers were hand
led across the table TO him with every
: hing turned down except where ht
lad 10 sign The officer said the papers
we're only emigration and emhafkatior
papers and so much red tape.
Accused believed lie was cnlisting ii
he Canadian Interior Waterways ane
Docks Regiment rs an American eiti
i YEN He considered the signature OF
he British army clistment form (pro
dueedl was not his. He did not spell
his Christian name Carlisle He wa
sent 10 Windsor. Nova Scotia. and pm
into Canadian Uniform and subsequent
: lg sent overseas 10 Hotmslow. There, il
leplv to an officer, he said he was bori
Vet Scranton, Pa The officer remafke,
: hat the official papers stated '.foront
Canada. . and waved him aside.
lie was subsequently sent TO Chat
ham. whore his Canadian uniform we
taken away. and he was nut into Brit
Fish army uniform. His Canadian pay
: cqui valent TO $1.0S q day. was stopped
and he came down 10 IS 2 week Thi
i was the first time he knew he had any
{ thing TO DO with the British army.
ii Replying TO the court. the accuse
4 said when he took the oath of alit
G glance to King George he understood
c he did so for service in the Canada
+ army as an American citizen.
!. LA. Goldie, for the accused. en-
i ! rhasized the fact that The statement o
/ the forms that the accused was not a
o American citizen and that he was n:
n ! five of Toronto were false and rendere
the enlistment illegal.
1t was also illegal after the declar:
ton of war by America on April
1917. for IN American citizen to O.
lpattiate himself. lie asked for an n,
iournment to call the American eonsu
also the recruiting, attesting and med
cal officers from America.
The court adjourned for ono month