Newspapers / The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, … / March 15, 1918, edition 1 / Page 6
Part of The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
CHAPTER I. From Mufti to Khaki. It was in an office In Jersey City. 1 was sitting at my desk talking to <1 lieutenant of the Jersey National Guard. On the wall was a big war map decorated with variously colored little flags showing the position of the opposing armies on the western front lu France. In front of me on the desk lay n New York paper with big flaring headlines : LUSITANIA SUNK1 AMERICAN LIVES LOST1 The windows were open and a feel- 1 Ing of spring pervaded the air. Through the open windows came the (strains of a hurdy-gurdy playing in the ?street ? "I Didn't liaise My Hoy to Be a Soldier." "Lusitanla Sunk! American Lives Lost!" ? "I Didn't Raise My Hoy to Be a Soldier." To us these did not seem to jibe. The lieutenant In silence opened one of the lower drawers of his desk and took from it an American flag which ! he solemnly draped over the war map ] on the wall. Then, turning to me with a grim face, said : "How about It, sergeant? You had better get out the muster roll of the Mounted Scouts, as I think they will be needed in the course of a few days." j We busied ourselves till late in the evening writing out emergency tele- j grams for the men to report when the call should come from Washington. | Then we went home. I crossed over to New York, and as I went up Fulton street to take the subway to Brooklyn, the lights in the tall buildings of New York seemed to be burning brighter than usual, as If they, too, had read "Lusitanla Sunk! American Lives Lost !" They seemed j to be glowing with anger and righteous Indignation, and their rays wigwagged the message, "Repay !" Months passed, the telegrams lying handy, but covered with dust. Then, j one momentous morning the lieutenant with a sigh of disgust removed the flag from the war map and returned Guy Empey. to his desk. I Immediately followed t.iis action by throwing the telegrams * "Into the wastcbasket. Then we looked at enoh other In silence. lie was squirming in his chair and I felt de pressed and uneasy. The telephone rang and I answered It. It was u business call for me, re questing my services for an out-of town assignment. Business was not very good, so this was very welcome. After listening to thp proposition 1 seemed to bo swayed by a peculiarly istrong force within me, and answered, "I am sorry that I cannot accept your i ofTer, but I am leaving for England next week," and hung up the receiver. The lieutenant swung around in his chair, and stared at me In blank aston ishment. A sinking sensation came over me, but I defiantly answered his :look with, "Well, it's so. I'm going," And I went. The trip across was uneventful. I .landed at Tilbury, England, then got into a string of matchbox cars and proceeded to London, arriving there about 10 p. m. I took a room In a hotel near St. I'ancras station for "five and six ? ffre extra." The room was minus the fire, but the "extra" seemed to keep me warm. That night there was a Zeppelin raid, but I didn't see much of It. because the slit in the curtains was too small and I had no desire to make it larger. Next morning the tel ephone bell rang, and someone asked, "Are you there?" I was, hardly. Any way, I learned that the Zeps had re turned to their fatherland, so I went out into the street expecting to se?j scenes of awful devastation and a cow ??ring populace, but everything wan normal. People were calmly proceed ing to tbelr work. Crossing the street, I accosted a Bobble with: "Can you direct me to the place of damage?" lie asked me, "What damage?" In surprise, I answered, "Why, the damage caused by the Zeps." With a wink he replied : "There was no damage; we missed them again." After several fruitless Inquiries of the passersby, I decided to go on my own In search of ruined buildings and scenes of destruction. I boarded a bus which carried me through Tottenham Court road. Recruiting posters were everywhere. The one that Impressed me most was a life-size picture of Lord Kitchener with his finger point ing directly at me, under the caption ?>f "Your King and Country Need You." No matter which way I turned, the accusing linger followed me. I was an American, In mufti, and bad a little American Hag In the lapel of my coat. I had no king, and my country had seen fit not to need me, but still that pointing linger made me feel small and 111 at ease. I got off the bus to try to dissipate tills feeling by mixing with the throng of the sidewalks. Presently I came to a recruiting of fice. Inside, sitting at a desk was a lonely Tommy Atkins. I decided to In terview him In regard to Joining the ltritisli army. I opened the door. He looked up and greeted me with "I s'y, myte, want to tyke on?" I looked at him and answered, "Well, whatever that Is, I'll take u chance at It." Without the aid of an Interpreter, I found out that Tommy wanted to know if I eared to Join the British army. He asked me: "I>ld you ever heur uf the Hoyal Fusiliers?" Well, in London, you know, Yanks are supposed to know everything, so 1 was not going to ap pear Ignorant and answered, "Sure." 1 After listening for one half-hour to Tommy's tale of their exploits on the tiring line, I decided to Join. Tommy took me to the recruiting headquarters, where I met a typical English captain, lie asked my nationality. I Immedi ately pulled out my American passport and showed It to him. It was signed by Lansing. After looking at the passport, he Informed me that he was sorry hut could not enlist me, as It would he a breach of neutrality. I insisted that I was not neutral, be cause to me It seemed that a real American could not be neutral when 1>!k things were In progress, but the captain would not enlist me. With disgust In my heart I went out In the street. I had gone about a block when a recruiting sergeant who had followed me out of the office tapped me on the shoulder with his swagger stick and said : "S'y, I can get you In the army. We have a Mef tenant' down at the other ofllce who can do anything. lie has Just come out of the O. T. C. (Officers' Training corps) and does not know what neu trality Is." T decided to take a chance, and accepted his invitation for an In troduction to the lieutenant. 1 entered the ofllce and went up to him, opened up my passport and said : "Before going further I wish to state that I am an American, not too proud to fight, and want to Join your army." ITe looked at me In a nonchalant manner, and answered. "That's all riglft ; we take anything over here." I looked at him kind of hard and re plied. "So ! notice," but It went over his head. He pot out nil enlistment blank, and placing Ills finger ou a blank line said. "Sign here." I answered, "Not on your tintype." "I beg your pardon?" Then I explained to hlin that I would not sign It without first reading It. I read It over and signed for duration of war. Some of the recruits were lucky. They signed for seven years only ! Then he asked me my birthplace. I answered, "Ogden, Utah." Hd said. "Oh, yes, Just outside of New York?" With a smile, I replied, "Well, it's up the state a little." Then I was taken before the doctor and passed as physically fit. and was issued a uniform. When I reported back to the lieutenant, he suggested that, being an American, I go on re cruiting service and try to shame some of the slackers Info Joining the array." "All you have to do," he said, "Is to go out on the street, and when you see n young fellow In mufti who looks physically fit, Just stop him and plve him this kind of a talk: 'Aren't yon ashamed of yourself, a Britisher, phys ically fit, and In mufti when your king and country need you? Don't you know that your country Is at war and that, the place for every young Rrlton Is on the firing line? Here I am, an American, in khaki, who came four thousand miles to fight for your king and country, and you, as yet, have not unlisted. Why don't you Joiu? Now Is the time.' "This argument ought to get many recruits, Empty, so go out and see what you ran do." He then gave me a small rosette of red, white ami blue ribbon, with three little streamers hanging down. This wan the recruiting Uislsrnla und was to be worn on the left side of the cap. Armed with a swagger stick and my patriotic rosette, I went out Into Tot tenham Court road In quest of cannon fodder. Two or three poorly dressed civil ians passed me, ami although they ap peared physically fit, I said to myself, "They don't want to join the arrny; perhaps they have someone dependent on them for support," so I did not ac cost them. Coming down the street I saw a young dandy, top hat and all, with a fashionably dressed girl walking be side him. I muttered, "You are my meat," and when he came abreast of me I stepped directly In his path and stopped him with my swagger stick, saying : "You would look fine In khnkl ; why not change that top hat for a steel helmet? Aren't you ashamed of your self, a husky young chap like you In mufti when men ure needed In the trenches? Here I am, an American, Swearing in a Recruit. cnmc four thousand miles from Ogden, Utah, just outside of New York, to tiirht for your king and country. Don't be a slacker, buck up and get into uni form: come over to the recruiting of fice and I'll have you enlisted." lie yawned and answered, "I don't care if you came forty thousand miles, no one asked you to," and he walked on. The girl gave me a sneering look; I was speechless. I recruited for three weeks and near ly got one recruit. This perhaps was not the greatest stunt in the world, but It got back at the officer who had told me, "Yes, we take anything over here." I had been spending a good lot of my recruiting time in the saloon bar of the Wheat Sheaf pul? (there was a very attractive blonde barmaid, who helped kill time ? I was not as serious in those days as I was a little later when I reached the front) ? well. It was the sixth day and my recruiting report was blank. I was getting low in the pocket ? bar maids haven't much use for anyone who cannot buy drinks ? so I looked around for recruiting material. You know a man on recruiting service gets a "bob" or shilling for every recruit he entices Into joining the army, the recruit is supposed to get this, but he would not be a recruit if he were wise to this fact, would he? Down at the end of the bar was a young fellow in mufti who was very patriotic ? he had about four "Old Six" ales aboard. Fie asked me if he could join, showed me his left hand, two fingers were missing, but I said that did not matter as "we take any thing over here." The left hand Is the rltle hand as the piece is carried at the slope on the left shoulder. Near ly everything In England Is "by the left," even general traffic keeps to the port side. I took the applicant over to head quarters, where he was hurriedly ex amined. Recruiting surgeons were busy in those days and did not have much tiiue for thorough physical exam inations. My recruit was passed as "111" by the doctor and turned over to a corporal to make note of his scars. I was mystified. Suddenly the corpo flil burst out with, "Bllrae me, two of his fingers are gone." Turning to me he said. "You certainly have your nerve with you. not 'alf you ain't, to bring this beggar in." The doctor came over and exploded, "What do you mean by bringing in a man in this condition?" Looking out of the corner of my eye I noticed that the ofllcer who had re cruited me had Joined the group, and I could not help answering. "Well, sir, I was told that you took anything over here." I think they called It "Yankee Im pudence," anyhow It ended my recruit ing. (To be Continued.) Debate at Pomona School. On Friday night the 15th of March there will be a Debate at Pomona School between the debating socie ties of Pomona and Brogden Schools. Ice Cream will be served for the ben fit cf Sanders Chapel Church. Ev erybody invited. ? Teachers. NOT A LUG CHILD UNDER 3 III POLAND ALL HAVE SUCCUMBED TO STAIV VATION, WHICH WE COULD HAVE ALLEVIATED. CRYING FOR BREAO WE WASTE Editor Clarence Poe Sets Forth Need of Informing Our Rural Popula tion of True Conditions. (Clarence Poe In Progressive Farmer) She was a good woman and she talked much about how good the Lord had been to her and to her children. But at the same time she said; "No meatless and wheatless days for me! I've got wheat enough and I've got meat enough laid up In my pantry, and my children like It, and they ura going to have it as often as they want iL and as much of it as they want." After hearing this well-meaning woman talk, the writer picked up that night a European paper that comes to the home and read this paragraph: It is said that there is not a living child In Poland under eight years of age. "Not a living child In Poland under eight years of age!" With little bod ies unable to endure the hardships and starvation of a war-ruined land, they have died by thousands and teni of thousands. Thousands and tens of thousands of mothers as good as the woman who made this thoughtless ro mark, mothers who loved their chil dren as much as this mother loved hers ? they with heart-breaking help lessness have seen their children slowly starve before their eyes, while American mothers say, "No, I will not even vary my diet in a harmless way. I will not even make substitu tions to save meat and wheat, in order that part of it may save the lives of starving babies and little ones in Eu rope ! " r'.? : J No. wo don't moan that any Ameri can mother is saying this in words. Certainly the good woman of whom we write would not have said it or thought it ? and yet by her acts, that was what she was saying. If someone could have shown her a photograph of one starving Polish child, with wan, pinched face and hollow eyes, crying to its mother for bread she did not _have ? oh, how quickly this American mother would have said: "Yes, I have plenty of wheat and I have plenty of meat, and I'll gladly divide my last crust to save the lives of little ones like that!" With such a picture before her eyes, how quick ly would this American mother have called to mind the Last Judgment's awful curse on all the uncaring and hard of heart, "I was an hungered and ye gave me no meat!" But she didn't know. And thus ? gain the Lord she tries to worship might lament as of old over His peo ple, "Israel doth not know! my peo ple doth not consider!" To this good woman the Hoover rules for meatless days and wheatless days were simply Government regulations? simply offi cial red tape She didn't know they were meant to save the lives of littl? ones once as fair, as merry, as bright eyed, as love-lnsplring as her own dear boys and girls! And today there are thousands of others like this mother who do not know! Well-intentioned people, good hearted people, God-fearing people! Rut they simply "do not know." Friends and readers, it is our duty to help these people know! Let us gfre of our money, but let us also give of our time and efTort for a campaign of education in these matters to show the need of food regulation. War Savings Stamps, Liberty Bonds, Red Cross work, Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. campaigns! We must save food for the starving; we must give money to protect the wounded and to provide wholesome moral recreation for our soldiers instead of unwholesome and immoral dissipation. And if our farmers ? as is so often charged ? have not supported these movements as they should, it I3 not because they are more selfish, more hard-hearted, less patriotic, than city people. It is only because they have not been informed. And all of us who do really under stand must here and now resolve to help inform them. In every school, in every Sunday school, in every farm ers' club, in every farm woman's club, and even as a part of almost every church service, our men and women of light and leading must do their part to arouse rural America. In the Revolutionary war it was the "embat tied farmers" at Lexington who "fired the shot heard around the world!" In the Civil War It was the stubborn courage of our farm men and the steadfastness of our country women that won the world's applause for Confederate heroism! Because this war is a little farther from our doors is no reason why we should play a less noble part And there is little time to lose. Many peo ple think that twelve months hence pecae will be in sight. Let us resolve therefore that during the coming year our rural people in every county will make a record of patriotism that our ?ons and grandsons will mention wRh pride even as we take pride in the ex ploits ot our ancestors of the M's. What we do In the next twelve months will flx our place in history. Length, seventeen inches. The broad black band near tip of tail distin guishes this from other grouse. Range: Resident in the northern two-thirds of the United States and in the forested parts of Canada. Habits and economic status: The ruffed grouse, the famed drummer and finest game bird of the northern woods, te usually wild and wary and under reasonable protection well with stands the attacks of hunters. More over, when reduced in numbers, it responds to protection in a gratifying manner and has proved to be well adapted to propagation under artificial conditions. Wild fruits, mast, and browse make up the bulk of the vege table food of this species. It is very fond of hazelnuts, beechnuts, chest nuts, and acorns, and it eats practical ly all kinds of wild berries and other fruits. Nearly 60 kinds of fruits have been identified from the stomach con tents examined. Various weed seeds also are consumed. Slightly more than 10 per cent of the food consists of insects, about half beetles. The most important pests devoured are the potato beetle, clover-root weevil, the pale-striped flea beetle, grapevine leaf-beetle, May beetles, grasshoppers, | cotton worms, army worms, cutworms, the red-humped apple worm, and saw fly larvae. While the economic record of the ruffed grouse is fairly com mendable, it does not call for more stringent protection than is necessary | to maintain the species in reasonable ? numbers Two North Carolinians to Speak Over South. Washington, D. C., March 11. ? It was announced today that Clarence H. Poe and Tait Butler will tour the south for the department of agricul ture to encourage the production of more food crops. The North Caro linians will l>e the leaders in the movement. The message to be deliv ered by these speakers is: "A reduced food production in the south r.t this time would be a national disaster. Food for the south, produced in the south, is a vital item in national de fense. The south must feed itself." Secretary McAdoo announced today that a steamer would be sent to Wil mington to cany cotton to New Eng land. Is one of the quickest - growing green forage and grazing crops for cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry. Is hardy and can be sown a.* early in the spring as weather will per mit. Costs less to seed per acre and will give quicker green forage than any other crop. Also valua ble for soil improvement. WOOD'S DESCRIPTIVE CATA LOG lor 1918 gives full informa tion and al?o tells about all other FARM FOR RENT, ONE OR TWO horse, team furnished. Most any terms you want to rent on. Tobacco Cotton and Corn. 1 mile of Micro, on Selrna road. J. F. Batten, Micro, N. C. WANTED? TWO GOOD HANDS for saw mill and team driving. Good wages. House rent free with one acre of ground and use of team to plow same. Call on or write W. E. Parker, Atkinson's Mill ? Lunce ford, N. C. JUST RECEIVED A LARGE LOT of Now Testaments, ranging in price from ten cents to $1.40 cach. Herald Book Store, Smithfield, N. C. THE RED CROSS NURSES OF EUROPE ARE GIVING TOASTED CIGARETTES TO THE BOYS To anyone who doesn't know of the wonderful advances that have been made in the preparation of smoking tobaccos in the last few years it may sound strange to speak of toasted cigarettes. Strictly speaking, we should say ciga rettes made of toasted tobacco; the smok ers of this country will recognize it more readily by its trade name, "LUCKY STRIKE " ? the toasted cigarette. The American Tobacco Company are producing millions of these toasted ciga rettes and these are being bought in enormous quantities through the various tobacco funds conducted by the news papers of the country and forwarded through the Red Cross Society to the boys in France. This new process of treating tobacco not only improves the flavor of the tobacco but it seal3 in this flavor and makes the cigarettes keep better. The Red Cross nurse is always glad to have a cigarette for the wounded soldier, as, in most instances, that is the first thing asked for. We will have twenty-five head of extra good Kentucky and Tennessee Mules for sale or exchange at D. H. Mc Cullers' stable, Clayton, N. C., r.ext Saturday, March 16. These are all fresh mules, young, good weight, well broke and ready for any kind of work, and if you are in a need of a mule or pair of mules this is your opportunity to buy. Everyone guaranteed to be as represented or money re funded. Be on hand early and get the mule you want. One Engine, Boiler and Saw Mill, 30 feet of line shaft and 2 pulleys. This machinery has been under shelter since used, and want it moved from the lot. The first one comes with $200.00 will get it. If you need it you will buy it if you see it.
The Smithfield Herald (Smithfield, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 15, 1918, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75