The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-25

ISLANDERS ARE ESSENTIALLY
FRENCH, BUT ARE LOYAL
TO ENGLAND
QUAINT LANGUAGE MIXTUR1
How France Has Gradually Lost the
sympathy of Its Close Neigh
bor-Of Great Strategic
Importance.
Special to The Globe.

Special to The Globe.
LONDON. Dec. .21.-There is scarcely i
day passes but that some rumor is re-
ceived here of the theatrical invasion OF
England by France.
This week the attempt is to be made by
way of Little Jersey, one Of the channel
islands.
Little Jersey is one of the oldest and
sweetest places in the world and one OF
the strangest anomalies.
One thing the French may not expect
to meet in the way of their plans Is that
they will get no sympathy from the in
habitants who, though essentially French
by origin, are very loyalty English
Little jersey, with its two summers, Its
cabbages ten feet high, it's French look
ing houses, streets and public squares, Its
| mixture of languages, and its foreign
| looking population is as essentially Eng
lish as any spot on the face of the globe,
! being especially loyal to the king ana
crown.
The most essentially foreign looking
population is as essentially English as
| any port of the population.
| The mixture of languages in the TWEEN
| tv-nine square miles comprising its TWEEN
| ty-nine parishes is exceedingly quaint
| In St Heliers, the London OF the lSiand,
and In st. Aubins, which may be called
| it's Brighton, English-speaking people are
| in the majority, but the language they
| use and the accent differ very little in
quality from that of the so-called Eng
| fish of the waiter in a Partisan restau-
! rant. who offers you "bifteck, "copo-
| Zee (cup of teal or a "wiskisoda" IN
boulevard restaurant.
1t should not be considered, however
that the Jerseymen of Great Britain are
any more French than the Jerseyman OF
America.
street ragamuftins: !alk TO lm[an, oue
T did talk to i'm with my fists-bah! lie
is a French boy-his father is F'rench.at
school we will have nothing to DO Win
i'm" This is quite typical OF Jersey
feeling Take for instance a man porn
of French parents who tempted by the
luxuriance of the vegetation, the COM
paratively good wages and the cheap,
ness of Everything eatable, drinkable and
smokable on the island has settled there.
The mans English will be very little. as
he has probably been living wiz French
people since he arrived. His favorlte
mode of expression is most likely hor-
rible jargon Of French and English.
French mingled with French, in strong
English accent. Just see what that man
will do if you call him French to his
face. To suggest that he is anything
but a Britisher will make his blood really
Jingle To suggest that he is anything
but English will, IN TACT. make 1t ooll.
jerseys house Of commons and lords
combined-known as the states general
| uses French as the official language.
This is to be changed shortly by general
consent of the members and already it is
permissible for the members to express
themselves in English if they wish to
do so.
There are fifty members in the two
houses, very few of whom speak pure
English or pure French.
The names of residents of Little Jersey
are altogether French. For long time
it was under the domination of Nor
mandy, although the English finally took
it from France.
Little Jersey is only fifteen miles from
France, while there are 40 odd miles
dividing it from Southampton.
The French have been steadily losing
such close neighbors, through their az
tempts to ALLEVIATE the affections of the
children from the English throne. In
fact, the strongest efforts have been made
to change the tide Of affection as 1t has
gradually flowed away from the mother
country.
I have been all over Little Jersey and
can Vouch for what 1 say as to it's 10y
atty to the crown.
Strategically, it is considered a very
advantageous point for France to make
her first attempt to reach the British
island would be an easy one for her, and
could be quickly followed up by an at
tack on Southampton, which would, if
conquered, mean the actual conquest of
London. the height of Johnny Crapauds
ambition today.
however, Portsmouth near by being q Sc
we're menace to any advancing army.
An incident which shows the way feel
1ngs stand at the capital of Little Jersey
ha2pe1led on the night of the relief Of
LekBsmith. One or two inhabitants Of