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Show GE1I-BGI BUT FOUGHTTHE KAISER Young Chicago Teuton Tells Why He Is Against Land of His Birth. Didn't Want Country of His Adoption Taken by the Hun Hordes. By PHIL PAYNE. Written Especially for Universal Service PARIS. Oct. 30. (By .Mail) "W hy am I, a (jerman by birth and a former soldier sol-dier in the kaiser's army, fighting against Germany?" said Sergeant Andrew Kisch, a member of tho crack First division, In response to my question. "I'll tell you one reason, and it's the same reason that six other Germans in my battalion have, and lhat my two brothers who aro in tho United Ktatc3 navy give: "Because, wo knew that if the United States had not gone into this war, within five years from now the Germans Would bo half, way to Chicago. Of course, eventually the United Slates would b-ivo beaten them, but the loss of life aud property to our adopted land would have been terrible. "We have served in both armies. "We were forced into tho one against our wills. Our answer was that the seven of us all at one t imo Jaegers in the German army enlisted in tne First division di-vision within two weeks after war was declared." Sergeant Kisch, whoso home is at N'n, 240 River street, ilenasha, ir;.. was born in Germany and lived tin-re until lie was 10 years old. He told me much of his remarkable story when J met him in the headquarters of tho Knights of t'olumbu-. in this city. Sergeant fcaseh had gone to the K. of C. club after being discharged from a hospital, where he was recovering recover-ing from an injury sustained at the front. Studied at Chicago. At present Sergeant Uisch is not quite -2 years old. lie was a student at tho Chicago Institute of Technology when the United States tinally accepted Germany s defi and entered tho lists against the iJochc. Jn 1913 Sergeant Kisch visited Germany, Ger-many, and when he was there was forced into the army. In vain ho protested, and j within four months after being drawn inlo ' the service ho was sent to South Africa. I to help show the deluded Africans who were revolting' in a German colony the latest sample of kultur. After tighling in Africa some months, Eisch and some of his companions succeeded suc-ceeded in deserting and making their way to a British colony, from which place they boarded a ship for the United States. When the great war started, Kisch and his two brothers received papers from Germany ordering them to report for service serv-ice in the fatherland. "I've reported for servic Jn Germany and I hope to be able to march into Kerlin w itli the American troops," said Kisch. At Soissons, Sergeant Kisch saw one of his uncles brought in with a gang of German prisoners, and in the recent push in the St. Mihiel sector ho had two of 111.1 cousins piacea m a wuuuug nui under his charge. "Believe me, I made them work, too, and they told mc who t would happen to me if I was ever ca pt ured by thi . Germans. I got their photographs and ' sent them home to my folk to show them," Kisch said, with a remtuiscent smile, as he mentally pictured his two cousiua helping to clean up some of the damage they had dono when the JJocho forces retreated. Used as Interpreter. Because of his German birth, Kisch. has frequently been called by his commanding com-manding officer to interpret Tor German prisoners. He noted a great change in their attitude toward the Americans m tiie past six months. "The Gertniiu prisoners I have talked to lately admit they are beaten. They sav now that Germany is fighting a defensive de-fensive war. They intend to fight their hardest to keep us off German soil, but. I think that within two months they'll be running so fast that they won't stop 1 this side of the Khinc," continued Elscli. He acMed: "All the Germans I have talked to express ex-press surprise at tho good treatment they receive at the hands of the Americans. They have- been told by their officers that the Americans Kill all of the prisoners pris-oners they take. "I have noticed that tho finality of tha I bread taken from German prifoners late-, late-, ly has been much worse than ever, but the men still have good clothing j.nd their other rations are good. "My belief Is 1 ha t (hp Germa its still j have about I went y - fi ve di visions in ? e-serve, e-serve, but thai is all they have. Thosft j divisions cannot be held In res-r mu- li longer, and when they aio called in, German Ger-man man-power will be at an end. "Get it1 a 11 soldiers have I old me that moral conditions in (he counlry are horrible, hor-rible, t is against the law for a woovn to reft jsc the allcr.llons of any .soldier. ' whe-tht-r she, is married or not, .Mmy of the prisoners have told ma this. They seem to be. convinced il i:i rich) 'ei:nis'3 it is a law. Might mak-H right, thai is ihe only law a. Cerman knou-i. UVve got to pound sense inlo pcnplu lil.e that. Has Three Ambitions. J f t ever get hold of t hree llu( rri- , ants who were over me. when I waa in the .laegers, I'll take, particular pains to pound some sense into I hem with my automatic, revolver," concluded Kisch. j Sergeant Kisch ha;i bem over Ik i o since June or 1017. All that (imo be ba-x been in the Kirst, division. He ba.j jufit ono complaint to make the. offi'-err. of division won't let him or the cither former for-mer German soldiers hold front-lino trenches. J t. If. not bee a use they don't trust them, but because (ho officers know what a terrible- fato would be in store pr thore German-bom "Yanks if,theV ff-U into the hands of a Boche raiding party. Four of tho seven ex-German soldiers In the battalion Kise.li in in are noncommissioned non-commissioned off fee rs. Kisch has he on. recommended for pi emotion to a fir;-1-elass pergeaiitey. Kiboh has three ambitions now: To rapture rap-ture the German office:-. vho iu : to be over him: lo march lu'o Herbn H h Ihe American troops, and to bad: lo Michigan awnue. C'hie;if;n. ai:.'ln. W. feels, quilo sure of realizing tlie, Jailor two. |
