New-York tribune., 1921-06-28

word, not through gesture, but by going
himself ahead. In our army. in the
great war, ne would have made a great
sergeant.
Well, why did he not go, then?
On that point I heard around the
Dempsey camp story SO simple, so
convincingly human, that although /
did not get it first hand, nor indeed
second hand, nor third hand, feel
hold in that story altogether the truth.
The story Is of Dempsey explaining
how it is he did not go to war. He IS
sitting on a bench, telling the other
man. In reading his sentences, try to
imagine them delivered not snappily,
not curtly, nor with any base whine,
but rather humbly and with the into
nation of one feeling for the truth,
which is little obscure even to him
self.
Dempsey said, in that tone, 81 wanted
to go, John Chat, by the way, IS not
the mans name), / wanted to go.
wanted to enlist with the marines.
"But my manager q am not naming
him, either, but of course, Dempsey
did), when he heard I wanted to go,
was wild. He said, You big stiff!
along. I've spent my time and my
money on you and now I've given up
all my business
The business alluded to, it must be
said in these parentheses, is not an
admirable one. But Dempseys tramp
childhood had given him little chance
TO learn this, and the matter OF tact
fashion in which he spoke of it rather
gave the story touch Of the pitiful.
The Champion Falls
"I've spent my time and my money
upor you," the manager repeated "ano
I've given up all my business. ANY
now, lust as Pm getting a chance to get
even. Just as stand to get back little
wad, you want to get out and leave me
cold. I've got rid of all my STOCK J,
amt got any business any more, and
now you'd leave me, wouldn't you, you
big stiff" ,,
Dempsey turned to his interlocutor in
sort of puzzled, sorrowing way. AND
that was true, John," he said, shaking
his head "That was true, what he said
He had spent money on me and kept me
fed when I wasn't making much. And
he had given up all his business just q
little while before. 1t was true"
The manager then said: eff you want
to go why don't you wait till you are
called by the draft. You'll get called
soon enough, all right, all right. Mean
while you can make a little piece OF
money for me. Jack, | gave up all my
business. You wouldn't 60 back on me
would you?"
Here Dempsey paused for rsthe,
"Well, didn't CO." he said. "And I've
| hnon SORRY for II eyar riure ia IVA
liked to have gone," he finished wist-
fully.
So you see there is something pa
thetic in all that. He was q big, over
grown boy Of twenty at the time, who
had never been given any rigorous
course, you may believe, in fine ethical
values. A personal call was being made
Upon him. A man had befriended him;
that man now was needing him. That
was enough for the young Jack Demp-
sey. He rose to the near, narrow duty
his limited light failing to give him
vision of the greater.
However, to return to my thesis, the
fact remains that Jack Dempsey did not
fight in the war, while Carpenter did
That is why, to me, the champion
does not represent America, while the
contender does.
For every Frenchman that fought, in
| fighting for France, was also fighting
for America.
Just as every American soldier that
fought, in fighting for America, was
also fighting for France.
But, you say, how can Carpenter rep.
resent both America and France in that
contest? For he does represent France
doesn't he? How can he represent both
America and France--and against
! whom?
I admit to being stuck. No, am not
stuck. know what, in this fight, Car
pentier represents.
He represents Civilization.
And Dempsey--what does he repre-.
sent?