AN AMERICAN WAR LEGION.
[TO THE EDITOR 07 THE "SPECTATOR.")
SIRt—Herewith news-cutting from the Victoria .Daily Colonist o B.C., Canada, re the " American " Infantry Brigade now being raised in Canada of United States citizens. I think it originated with Rev. S. C. Bullock at Ottawa, who is a U.S. citizen and now Major and Chaplain. These may be of interest, as in a recent number you devote some pages to the position of the United Stites and the world war. As a Surrey Territorial officer, now National Reserve (ill-health), whose home is in Victoria, B.C., and where for four years I was attached to the Corps of Guides for coast intelligence work, I naturally take a great interest in this aspect of the U.S. " man in the street." You will note that when a U.S. citizen joins up in Canada he generally writes to a great friend in the States to come and stay with him. There is no advertising over the frontier.—I am, At Ridgelands, Wimbledon, S.W. late 5th Du. East Surrey Regt.
" Mr. J. Carrington writes to the Colonial, under date of April 13th, with respect to The American Legion,' which is recruiting in Victoria and Vancouver, as follows : ' Your article in this day's issue does not state clearly whether citizens—either by birth or naturalization— of the United States of America are being enlisted and armed for service with the British and French forces. It may be that the great majority of this American Legion were formerly naturalized citizens of the Republic who have lost their rights owing to length of residence in a foreign state, or foreign immigrants who had not renounced the Govern- ment under whose jurisdiction they were born. Should a United States citizen by birth, in full possession of his rights and privileges as such, join this Legion, has he the same legal status as a -British or French prisoner of war if captured by the enemy ? It is easy to imagine his being tried by a German martial court and being addressed by the president in the following terms : " You, John Smith, a citizen by birth of the United States of America, with which state Germany is at peace, have been found guilty of openly bearing arms and killing subjectsoethe German Empire. The sentence of the court is — 7' Should John Smith be taken out and shot there would most likely be a howl of indignation and much reviling of the Huns, but it is not hard to imagine Uncle Sam saying " You poked your nose into affairs which did not concern you, thereby dragging me into a quarrel, there- fore die." And Uncle Sam might add that he has great difficulty in keeping his own army up to full strength and would be glad to sign on some thousands of recruits.'
An officer of the unit, when seen yesterday, gave the following answer : `The American Legion is enlisting men who are Americans either by birth or by naturalization. It is officered by American citizens. Only American citizens are accepted. Citizenship is not affected by the man joining the Legion, with the exception that during the period of his service he could not look to the U.S. Government for aid. He is entitled to the protection of the uniform which ho wears, and would be considered a prisoner of war. It might be said that 48,000 Canadians did not hesitate over what might have been the findings of a Confederate court-martial, but rallied to the help of the North because they were convinced that ight must be supported. That is why we, as Americans, are hero. Because the U.S. Government has not seen the way clear to defend its honour in tile ease of the "Lusitania" as it did in the "Maine"; wo are coming here to express what we believe is the true feeling of the great majority of American citizens. We as individuals intend to do what we believe our beloved country should have done as a nation. If the United States needs ten thousand recruits, we could suggest a manner in which she could raise ten million. We do not intend to have posterity believe that there was no feeling of patriotism nor sense of rational honour in America. We do not care to pocket the wealth of the world while another nation rapes it. The war does concern us. Germany has made war in such a way as to antagonize a vast majority of the citizens of the United States. Our friend is afraid of a German court-martial. I wonder If Lafayette or Von Steuben ever worried about the rope around their necks ? We are recruiting to fight against a nation which has forgotten every law of mankind. And we shall con- tinue to recruit and fight until our nation, seeing the murderer, shall come and stand by our side in the struggle for the freedom of the world.' " [Not only did British subjects fight on the side of the North, but they also fought on the side of America in the Spanish-American War.—ED. Spectator.]
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