The Washington herald., 1915-04-18
GREAT WAR Mint [
FOR new Words
IOut of Trials of Soldier
France Is Stocking
Dictionary.
u. S. FEEDING CANNON
Shell and Shrapnel French Factories
Can't Make Now Coming
from This Country.
by Ia RACONTEUSE.

SpecAI t2OIs 10 fns NabllhsUpn dElld-
Paris. April 1.-THE war creates new
words. Some time when they shall have
more leisure phlologists will study these
with interest. Nobody in France now
piou. by which pet name he was known
before the war. He is now ''Poilu.''
Nobody knows how It happened, but
suddenly one day all Paris spoke of les
Poilus." n slang word which. was imme-
diatcly accepted by the salon as by tho
bistro. The word comes from the fact
that the soldier in the trench has no
time to shave. but let's the beard grow
and thus becomes hairy ''poilu.''
But the word has. besides, another
meaning which is difficult to translate.
To explain this 1 might say that not foy
moment would one hesitate to apply
the word to Theodore Roosevelt, even IL
he shaved off his mustache.
'Poilu'' Is a compliment. 1t means not
merely a man with a beard. but applies
TO mans character. ''un poilu' is
something particularly and strongly
viriie and manly. as a heavy growth Of,
hair on the male face and body was
formerly taken to indicate virility and.
strength.
Word a Compliment.
lie poilu'' is the exact opposite Of an
other war-created word. "um-embusque"
a coward.
lie piolu' is the man from the trench.
covered with mud. despatched with
blood. with his uniform n cake Of per
SEPARATION and dirt. the new man, created
by the war. The hairy man. who re-
sembles Il gorilla. is the idol of all
French women. In his muscular and
hairy n holds
is 10 protect the sacred hearth, he Is the
hero, the invincible. whose praise is
sung by every street singer Of the mod
ern Tyrtaios.
A strange change has como over
France during the time when the word
''poilu'' replaced the sentimental "piou-
piou.' The latter was a jolly and ami
able little Partisan in scarlet boomers,
not too well disciplined. easy going and
light-hearted. who always had time for
another aperitif on his way TO the bar
racks even il he were already late
Trouble with Artillery.
A ''poilu'' is a man who for five months
has been living in a trench. who has be-
come So familiar with rheumatism that
he looks upon It almost as a friend,
whose company You cannot get rid of.
and who is able to take his sleep sitting
or standing. In spite OF all wants and
sufferings ne will stick to his post and
IF you ask the French soldiers, "how
long" he will say with a smile:
Never mind US: We can stick It out
forever II only the civilians will hold
ont
At the beginning OF the war there was
trouble with the artillery. II the French
had then had tho guns they now have
the battle of the Marine would have
been an even greater and far more de-
cisive victory. Now every military fac
tory works twenty-four hours a day
supplying the enormous quantities OF
shells and shrapnel needed. The balance
comes from the United States.
At first the army medical corps was
miserable. Now there arc hospitals
galore which are perfect in every way
No hyGienic details are neglected. and
lately Frances best dentists have begun
10 visit the trenches regularly to NIL the
teeth Of les poilu..'
At first Morocco threatened with re-
bellion and things looked far more seri-
Gus than anybody outside the govern
mcnt suspected. but 3c.oO German pris-
oners were sent there TO construct roads
through the desert, and the colonial
authorities said to the natives: Look,
All these prisoners have been taken from
the Germans by the brave soldiers Of
Morocco" This made strong impress
sion and nobody thought Of rebellion any
more.
Comment on Jap Trouble.
The French nation has proved that it
possesses strength and tenacity which
not even its greatest admirers and best
friends had dared hope for. And now
that everything goes well, all its most
admirable and chivalrous characteristics
are revived A Frenchman who is angry
or nervous, you cannot talk to. He is
absolutely impossible. But by nature
the Frenchman is good, natured. never
vicious. and nearly always chtvalrous
towards an adversary.
At the press bureau the -other day
heard an almost touching story OF
French honesty in a sphere where hon
esty is generally barred.
The famous old Socialist Valiant had
written an article In Humanite In which
he offered Japan French Indo-China for
her intervention. When tho matrfx was
shown to the censors one Of these, NJ
Varennes, former prime minister under
Fallieres. said:
NO. that will never do. You can't
offer Indo-China off-hand like that.
He rings up Valiant
But what may I offer them Valiant
asks.
II don't know-perhaps a sphere Of in
terest in China"
Does China belong to u.s.
NO"
Then I cannot offer that"
Varennes laushingly turns to hi. COL
leagues:
valiant is too honest to offer any
thing we do not possess, not even 20
Japan"
Vaillant's article was never printed.
|
1t has been estimated by engineers that
one waterfall in Iceland can be made to
produce 5000 horsepower and another
&c. CO.