Blacked Out

When the Ottawa Rowing Club unveiled its honor roll last week the name of one of its greatest scullers, the onetime single sculls champion of Canada and North America, was covered with adhesive tape.

The name was that of Theodore Dubois, 33, private in Canada's Home Defense Army. The club's president, zealous Captain Roy Longworth Byron, assistant to Canada's director of army recruiting, had written to Dubois suggesting that he volunteer for overseas service so that there would be no "blackout" on the club's honor roll. Dubois had stood on his rights (Canada gives its draftees a choice between overseas and home-defense service) and refused.

Then someone made his personal letter to Byron public:

"When inducted, the Army examiner told me ... that [home service] men would be sent over the pond as soon . . . as necessary. Logically then I do not see any sense in doing any more than necessity calls for. . . . Now if Admiral Byrd was to come and ask for volunteers to accompany him on an Antarctic expedition ... I would jump at that type of adventure. Just as in rowing, it seems my temperament is such that where I can punish myself ... it is just fine and dandy. But when it comes to handing it out, I just cannot do it."

The club officials felt different about it, handed it out humiliatingly to Private Dubois.

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