RESPONSIBILITY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 283, 19 August 1918, Page 7

RESPONSIBILITY

OR THE KECUMATJLOX OF A "KNUT." "Smart fellow that," said the major as out visitor departed. "You've met linn before " "Ves." replied tlie adjuUiit; ''no was a gunner in my old battery. I take j some of tlie credit for the lMikiiw of him." "How?" "Well, he enlisted in the ranks; liml too much money, and no sense of discipline. Quite willing to work, but no idea that an order was an ui'dev—and had to bo obeyed- Ho seemed to think that tlie proper thing to do was to have a lush old time and help others to have the eame. Wo had a deuce of a lot of trouble with him in England. Notliin? very serious, you know, but little acts of insubordination and absence that wo couldn't pass by. If lie wore put on 'jankers' he'd wait until his punishment was over and then he'd set revenge by taking half tlio battery down town and getting everyone most hopelessly drunk. As you tan see, he,has had a pretty good "education; that, and his cash, gave him a certain standing with the men, and it seemed that lie was on the way towards putting tho whole unit on "the rocks. "AVe thought thni when we came to Franco .he would settle down and we could handle him, but he went from bad to worse. "Tho climax came when we wore on the Sonime. He »ot drunk and raised a row that we could hardly overlook. Wo talked it over, and the Old Man decided on a court-martial as the brst moans of disposing of the case and getting aim away. "I had an idea, and put it to tho colonel. 'Why not give him a etripo wid make him responsible for something" They thought J. was mad, but finally consented to the experiment for ono month, "It wqrked. ]3y George! tlio way I ha. fellow bucked up was surprising. lie be came an awful disciplinarian, and put the fear into every man under him. After a time ho found his feet and learned how to handle men. Wo made him sergeant, and soon he liad the best subeection in the battery. Last year ,ie . got the I).CM., and now his com.mis- • sinn. I feel a bit proud of that." "Bit of a gamble all tlie same," said tho major. "Sure it was a. «nnil)le," .returned the adjutant, who is rather yoiWR. "But ■ don't yon flunk we could do with a iew i more gambles liko that?"— John Jay, in thf "Daily Mail."