The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1924-02-01

year ago Wholle trying TO erect
the capture of the infamous
Grover Cleveland Bergdoll,
traitor and deserter from the
United States Army. Lieut..
Griffis has been sentenced to
nineteen months Imprisonment.
His immediate release would be
considered by the American peo-
pie as most gracious act on the
part of the German Government,
but Germany most strangely de-
lays this action.
The following is a copy of the
last letter received from Lieut..
h Grifis by his mother:
Wurzburg Prison, Germany,
November the Eleventh, 1928.
Dearest Mother:
"The church bells are ringing
again this morning, and I am won
dering if they are rejecting in their
tumult of sound the gladstone way
1 am feeling. I dare say their mes
sage today is quite different from
the one that is dominating me, but
they sound cheerful and glad enough
to quite fit in. Moreover, the sun
is shining and shaft of golden light
has made a mockery of the iron
bars and has penetrated into my cell,
where it makes a great difference.
Then, not tobe outdone on the occa-
sion, the prison has finally decided
that it is cold enough for heat-and
the steam pipes are warm, with a
promise of a decided change for the
better in the inside temperature.
So altogether it is great day, a
quite fitting time for thanksgiving,
pride and rejoicing in every way for
me-and one in particular.
Patriot Decorates Cell
81 have already decorated my cell
so that it is no doubt different from
any other cell in Germany. From
the colored advertisements in the
Saturday Evening Post I have been
hard at work with my scissors, and
have cut out and pasted together the
various colors until I have achieved
the desired result. At one end of
the cell under the window is a gor-
geous Coat-of- Arms of the United
Estates. It took me week to make
it and it is inlaid in paper like a
MOSAIC. The background is orange,
good and bright, and bald-headed
eagle with the shield, and all the
rest are in the correct colors. 1t
looks fine. Then over my table
have hung my American flag, and on
the other wall is an American shield.
Altogether, I could not desire more,
and really, it helps.
I started off the day by singing
the "Star Spangled Banner" as l
faced my flag at salute, regardless
of the prison rule against singing.
Then l followed with the Battle
Hymn of the Republic" and the
"Glory, Glory, Halleluiah" had a
strange setting way over here. But
it rang true and stirred my heart
quite as much as had I heard a
chorus of a thousand voices singing
it. After that I whistled the "Stars
and Stripes Forever" but then I
thought I had better write this letter.
shall 60 through my entire program
and will sing and pray all day-even
though I am quite alone.
Fought For His Country
Naturally, my mind reverts back
to the events of five years ago to-
day, when in the midst of our tur-
MOL and hating and Borrowing, we
achieved peace. l can remember my
own feelings in LIE Mans that day
easily, for it is not so far from Wurz-
burg as it is from Hamilton, Ohio.
Then later, I cannot but think of the
days of anniversary that followed
each year at home, and I like to
hring hack tina memories of some of
our celebrations.
How time does change things. 1t
was just year ago at this very day
and hour, that Chaplain Cowley
Carroll and myself went out to the
cemetery where We held our little
service for our dead. Amid the
quiet groves Of Greenwood that day
I had little thought indeed that an
other such day would find me in a
German prison. But even had I
known, please God I would not fall
ter from trust, a heritage, Of brave
fellow countrymen.
For at least it has been given me
to feel for my country as never be-
fore did I feel. Truly it has been
said that they know not their own
country who know no other Thus
it has been with me, for the more I
see of the world and the people, the
more love and reverence America.
And I am sure that comparison is a
great enlightening factor. For that
reason I wish more Americans
would travel-and some home con-
WINGED.
Has Faith In America
I only wish that I had the power
to deliver myself of this tremen-
dous certainty I feel in the destiny
of America, and enlist every Ameri-
can in evangelization until it is
nnhio,,oI a,.a G...a.. 4l.x a..a.. II