Batavia, N.Y., Aug.10, 1914.

My dear John:

I wrote you a letter this morning, which fortunately has not been mailed, because on an earlier mail this afternoon, I received a letter from your mother, enclosing a copy of your telegram to her, and a copy of her reply to you. I am sorry that she did no send this telegram and copy of her reply to me earlier, as I would never have let her send the telegram to you which she did.

Fro the life of me, I cannot see why you wish to join a regiment at the present time. You cannot possibly have weighed this matter in the manner in which you should, or you would never want to get into this fracus.

You cannot appreciate what this war means. It is one of absolute extermination, and is far different from anything that any Canadian or Englishman, or in fact, any one ever dreamt of, as is daylight from darkness. Men will be mowed down without seeing each other, and the loss of life is going to be appalling.

There are thousands of men who are looking for a fight, hundreds of thousands of them, let them get into it at the present time, and then, if at a later date, as I have already written you, it is necessary for you to join some regiment in defense of you own country, why go ahead and do so.

Many men are going into this, with the idea that they are entering into a frolic, but I am afraid they are going to be sadly fooled. There is no frolic about this contest, it is one for absolute supremacy of Europe and it is going to be fought out at an appalling cost.

You are a young man; you have got everything in front of you; you can show your allegiance to your country in a thousand different ways through being a good citizen, and doing the things that a good citizen should do.

The Canadian troops that are going abroad, will after a little be shoved to the front; this was the case in Africa, and it is simply done because the blood that is in these men, is the blood of a young nation, not the worn out product of Europe, and you will find, that in every instance they be shoved right into the very heart of all the trouble.

You say in your telegram, that many of your friends are joining; that is undoubtedly so, because your friends are young, if they were not young, they would not join until and absolute requirement takes place.

I want you to think all these things over, and to wire me, at my expense, what definite decision you have come to.

Very sincerely yours,

R.C.S.