The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-11-13
By q. X. CheStertOn.

w broken past the Chapel OF Our Lady OF
Consolation and held the heights above
Lens, while at the same time the French were
driving she enemy through the dust Of the
Champagne. there We're some who really under
stood for the first time that the understand
ing with France" was a fact I'm practice well
sentiment
IL seems extraordinary enough that such
news should be to anyone; but II was. The
CHIEF organ of our pessimist press had actually
suggested. in all seriousness. that the heads OF
The allied commands should take counsel to
gether. but shook its head over the improb-
ability OF so bold suggestion being accepted.
1t might we'll have urged with equal appropri-
eteness that trenches be provided for the
protection OF our troops. that the recent inVen-
ton known the bayonet should be attached
~ rifles during hand-to-hand conflicts, and that
map OF Northern France might be very useful
10 our Generals at the front. We should be pre-
pared, not only to agree with our gloomy Jour
Ealist upon these points, but even TO tighten his
gloom by assuring him that these things had
occurred to other great minds, and even been
partially carried out
But there one part OF the news which
would still, in some corners OF England. cause
q deeper II a more subconscious surprise. II Is
the repeated report, by all observers, OF the
calm" of Paris after the victory. We had be-
gun dimly To realize that Frenchmen cool
il defeat We shall know a great deal more
about them when We understand how and why
they are cool even In triumph.
] believe our false notion OF the French
character was very largely founded on the
French cabman. And believe that being to be
a subtle II not sensitive spirit, who Is much
misunderstood. Not all English travellers. per
haps. fell into the merely verbal error OF the
old lady who observed a certain coldness in the
cCcher she had tremendously addressed as
cochon. The type has teen better appreciated
IN the admirable mystery tale OF "Trents Last
Case" Mr.. Bentey's hero did justice TO the
French cabman's cultured vocabulary, safe
guarding himself with the remarkable quotation
from Keats: Happy is England sweet her art
less cabmen; enough their simple loneliness for
ne" That deepmiuded democrat, Mr. Dooley
said that II he were a Frenchman he would be
efraid Of nobody but the cab-drivers; and
wouldn't be afraid OF them long, for I'D be cab
driver meself." But II has not yet fallen in the
way Of any social philosopher to anslyze the
French Cabman; II any had done so. he would
have destroyed many false ideas about the
French citizen.
For instance. the three main impressions
Termed by the poor old woman about her cochon
probably were: % that he drove wildly;
(2j that he shouted. cracked his whip and
Kicked up d general shindy, 90 that he was
rude. The old woman reported this to the
ether old women who write authoritative books
Oh foreign policy and imperial travel and the
result was a picture OF the Frenchman as mere
y excitabie and undiscplined that to speak
o. the French calm still seems like a paradox.
But In truth our old mistake about France
falls under three heads which exactly CORE
sgund 10 the three facts mentioned First
tally unfamiliar. but morally colorless. Thus
much OF the impression OF wild driving CthouRh
rot ALI comes from the fact that the rule OF the
road De- reversed, and he who Is on the tight is
81 the right. This mere unfamlliarity has had
many Sections.
All kinds Of jests. criticisms. suggestions OF
vanity. loOseness, stnginess. slackness gaudi-
pess have been deduced from the French
soldiers red trousers. Even Mr. DOOley had a
fling al them. But, after all. there could hardly
te a very profound spiritual chasm between the
"a a " rod
cad the soldier who wore red coat with blue
trousers. Or again. 10 BIS a French custom 10
keep the windows Of a re taurant mostly closed
] do not know the reason. very likely there is
nc reason. But certainly the reason cannot be
o clustered terror Of the mere open air for the
same FrenChman will take his whole dinner and
dtpuer-table bodily out into the street, al which
the English old lady, while uutravelled might
possibly faint man cannot be hiding behind
windows when De can do without walls Much
o. the Misunderstanding. then o. mere local
custom. Ike the rule ~ the road.
Next comes the matter Of noise To some
Il Nin seem paradox. but the noise does not
come from the Frcnchman being rgrIed bur
rather from hls being unrun.ed SEE has no
nerves. a. ~ say when we mean that be has
very good ones. Ills amazing bowls do not
amaze him. Noise d. fln normal. Ike the
murmur % Drcczes or 're roll n the blatant
river. His Sigh is a huiiabal.oo. his whispers
horrible yell ii.s fathers have followed the
cannon Ga hundred campaigns
% ls true that there ml1r'es with this ner.
volI immunity a touch OF fcrcaness that is
not Oh much emotion as merely Impotence
often o. is AN intellectual Impotence
might almost say cold Impotence % De- the
lmpa'iruro Df IA ctess.pIagar Who cannot La
bored with "a long game tHru no. already fore.
sees t.a last move. Hgf his abrlpfncsa
sometime appr1actiuE t1 brutality. has loss
90 DO 9Th 'he u'I.iurHH than that other eIe.
mont 70 ilsIIuerali.fy ln the nerves ma
streets NJ Paris DO DOT solely OF primarily
provo what racket Che French can raiss.
taey prove even more what racket The
French can endure.
And .n fHs matter Of Dolifoures the truth
HlI aFlin appear paraIuKirai WHAT nakes
"a poor Frenrhman uuriFI Is the same fbinr
fhf. makes him civil Dr. IH the civil or civic
idea The idea 70 human euuaIf. Many rir6
old ladies' from moro ar..forraf.r soIrtri..
no really 'i.t as Dr. cDch0u stra pretty much
ln' -amf pr corner To t.r poor man strikes
back Dr. is not '1 destroy the social sfrlicft-.
1ut rt.tnr i1 preserve b. fie Keeps he end
~. NJ r'Irso since human nature Is inner.
ieri 'haf 'H' combination ~ flr demor.aff.
inaNn'' . describe nIfh The tenueranertsr ir.
paNfr.r have already 10frf doc. ...r...
- - ,s-y-----------r