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Show No World's War Need Apply Immediately following the Spanish-American Spanish-American war a story went the rounds regarding a volunteer who suffered suf-fered grievous hardships, first at Chlckamauga, then at Tampa, then in Porto Rico and wound up by having a spell of slow fever. One night, when he was convalescent but still shaky, an officer passing through the hospital ward overheard the invalid as he communed with himself. "I love my country," the volunteer was saying. "I've fought for her and if 'twas necessary I was ready to die for her. But Lf I get out this mess I ain't never goin' to love another country as long as I live 1" For this ancient yarn there Is a companion piece of comparatively recent re-cent vintage. A battered veteran of the regular army, who had been wounded at Chateau Thierry, was visited by a chaplain. The latter Inquired In-quired regarding Ms well-being and expressed the hope that the soldier would live to wear the uniform for a great many years to come. "Well, padre," said the old-timer, "so far as I'm concerned I'll tell you how the thing stands: Before this here World's war came along I thought I'd had a lot of experience and had seen my share of hard cam-pnlgnin'. cam-pnlgnin'. I served in Cuby and in the Philippines, and when the Indians acteJ hostile I went on the scout after them several times, out West. But we didn't have to deal with plzen gases or high explosive shells the size of galvanized Iron ash-cans in any of them little mlxups. Padre, I ain't lost my gimp and I wouldn't hang back If Uncle Sam wanted me to help mop up anybody thnt went on the rampage back home in God's country. But strictly In confidence, I don't mind tellin' you that this here Is goin' to be my last World's war." |