18

April 1917

THE UNITED STATES JOINED THE WORLD’S WAR. THIS FOLLOWED WEEKS of indecision, after Germany had sunk four more U.S. merchant ships, and American flags waved on every storefront on every street in the Valley from Calexico to Calipatria. War posters hung on the sides of movie theaters and post offices, beckoning to pedestrians as they strolled past. Every day, Amarjeet followed the news and reported to Ram what he learned: in its quest for Indian freedom, the Ghadar Party had allied itself with Germany, Britain’s enemy, and now America’s enemy too.

RamChandra Bharadwaj, Ghadar’s leader, who had visited them three years earlier, recruiting Valley farmers and drawing Jivan’s ire, was arrested with several others in San Francisco. A month later, he was indicted.

Now, at the dinner table, at the park on Sundays, any occasion when the Hindustanees met, Jivan warned: “Buy war bonds, and buy many of them. We must show our allegiance to the American government.” He insisted that Kishen expand her vegetable garden, that she sign and mail a pledge card stating that her household would follow the practice of meatless Tuesdays, wheatless Wednesdays. He spoke about this with Clive Edgar and the banker Jasper Davis, with Stephen Eggenberger, with the sheriff, with the clerks at the general store, and made sure they knew. Amarjeet was aware why he was doing this: if they were ever suspected, even though they had done nothing wrong, all this would protect them.

Amarjeet did not like Jivan to pretend to be more loyal to the United States government than he truly felt. At one time, three years ago, he had wanted to fight for the Ghadar, but that was when Ghadar had aligned itself with the words of Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, not gone against America. It was true that when the Singhs went into town, some Anglos would stare at them, but he did not like the way his uncle cowered. He would not hide behind the purchase of Liberty bonds. Not even when Ghadar’s impending trial and RamChandra’s face appeared on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle.

AMARJEET TOLD RAM that he was required to register for the selective service. “We will go together,” he said.

“Register for what?” Ram asked.

“The draft,” Amarjeet clarified.

“Only the Americans are required, Jeetu,” Ram said.

“Everyone,” Amarjeet said. “Between the ages of twenty-one and thirty years. You and me.”

“Everyone between those ages,” Jivan agreed.

“What does it matter?” Ram said. “I am a foreigner. I will not have to fight.”

“We must follow the law. We must be faultless,” Jivan said. “If they ask us to register, we should register.”