Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1922-02-24
CHAPTER TX.

That early spring OF 1915 the two
boys and their friends and brethren
talked more Of the war than they had
In the autumn, though the subject wns
not at all an absorbing one; for the
trenches of Flanders md France were
still Of the immense, remote distance,
BY no stretch Of Imagination could
these wet trenches be thought greatly
to concern the frat" the Lumcn, or
the university. Really important mat
tcrs were the dolngs of the "rrack
Team" now training In the Gym
and on the Varsity field, and, more
vital still, the prospects Of the Nine.
But In May there cape shock which
changed things for n time.
The Lusltanla brought to every
American revelation Of what had
lain so deep In his own heart that
often he had not realized 1t was there.
When the Germans hid In the sea and
sent down the great merchant ship,
with American babies and their moth
ers, and CALAMITY dying American gen
tlemen, there came change even to
girls and boys and professors, until
then so preoccupled with their own
little aoof world thousands of miles
from the murder.
Fred Mitchell, ever volatile and gen.
erous, was one Of those who went
quite Wild. No orator, he nevertheless
made a frantic speech at the weeks
frat meetings." cursing the Germans
in the simple old English words that
their performance had demonstrated to
be applicable, and going on to demand
that the fraternity prepare for its
share in the action of the country. 81
don't care how insignificant we few
fellows here tonight may SEEM" he
cried; Eve can do our little, and If
everybody In this country's ready to do
their own little, why, that'll be plenty
Brothers, don't you realize that all
over the United States tonight the pco-
pie are feeling just the way we are
here? Millions and millions and mil
lions of them! Wherever there's an
American he's with us-nnd you bet
your bottom dollar there are Just few
more Americans In this country Of ours
than there are big-mouthed Holsters
like that fellow Linski! I tell you, If
congress only gives the word, there
could be an army of five million men
In this country tomorrow, and those
dirty baby-killin' dachshunds would
hear a word or two from your Uncle
Samuel Brothers, I demand that some
thing be done right here and now, and
by us | move we telegraph the sec
rotary Of war tonight and offer him a
regiment from this university to 60
over and help hang their d-n kaiser"
The motion was holly seconded and
instantly carried. Then followed a
much flustered discussion of the form
and phrasing of the proposed tele
gram, but, after everything seemed to
have been settled, some one ascer.
tanned by telephone that the telegraph
company would not accept messages
containing words customarily defined
as profane; so the telegram had to be
rewritten. This led to further amend.
ment, and 1t was finally decided to ad-
dress the senators from that state, In
stead Of the secretary of war, and
thus in somewhat modified form the
message was finally dispatched,
Next day, news of what the frat"
had done made great stir in the uni
verslty. Other "frats" sent kilograms,
so did the "Barbarians," haters of the
"frats" but joining them In This; while
small band of "German.American"
students found 1t their duty to go be-
fore the faculty and report these
"breaches of neutrality" They pro-
tested heavily, demanding the expul-
sion of the preachers" rs dlsloyal cit
liens, therefore unfit students but suf-
fered disappointment, for the faculty
itself had been sending kilograms of
similar spirit, addressing not only the
senators and congressman of the state,
but the President Of the United States.
Flabbergasted, the "German-Amcrl-
cans" retired; they were confused and
disguised by this hlgher-up outbreak
Of unneutrallty-it overwhelmed them
that citizens of the United States
should not remain neutral in the dis
pute between the United States and
Germany. All day the campus was in
ferment.
At twilight, Ramsey was walking
meditatively on his way to dinner ut
the frat house, across the campus