Martin's Goat-Cart

In 1914, the Great War had started in Europe but did not yet include the United States. Eight-year-old Maurice Martin Merson lived in Portsmouth, Virginia, where a German battleship was making a port call. The boy's parents, Jenny Cohen and Charles Merson, were excited about the arrival of the German warship. While they were observant Jews, they were especially proud of their German heritage.

Jenny said to her friends, "We must enter the War!"

"Why should we enter the War?" said her friends. "Americans want to stay out of it."

And Jenny answered, "We must help the German."

"Jenny," explained her friends, "if we enter the War, it will not be to help the German; it will be to defeat the Germans. If you know what's good for you, don't talk about helping the Germans. It will only get you in trouble."

A short time later, it was determined that, under the laws of neutrality, the US had to intern the German battleship. The German crew had to be held for the duration of the war. A committee of citizens was appointed to find homes for members of the crew. As a fluent speaker of German, Jenny Cohen was appointed head of the committee and managed to find homes for all of the German sailors. Her wish to help the Germans was granted.

Soon the US entered the war and eventually the sailors were sent home in exchange for American prisoners held by the Germans. Before they left Portsmouth, the German sailors gave their ship's mascot, a huge black Angora goat, as a gift to the young son of the woman who had eased their stay in America. Included in the gift was a goat-cart and harness. Soon young Maurice, now nearly twelve, was driving the streets of Portsmouth in his shiny new goat-cart. He must have felt like the Kaiser himself!