The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-16
FRENCH SOLDIERS
CLAD TO RECEIVE
AMERICAN Gifts
Surprised at Their Good
Luck When Presented
With u. S. Gifts.

New York, Nov. 17.-How the
French soldiers receive gifts sent
from America is told in a letter from
Philip O. Mills, given out to-day by
Eliot Norton, 2 Rector street, to
whom it is addressed. Mr.. Mills is
attached to the ambulance unit, Of
which Richard Norton is chief. The
letter is dated cat the Front" and
follows in part:
To-day we have been having rath-
er a lively time at all Of our hospital
posts. OF course, you know almost
every hospital at the front is within
range of enemy artillery, but you
would expect a hospital marked plain
ly all over with red crosses would be
left alone-but, in this war it seems
that a red cross is Fritz's pet target.
He has been Smelling the hospital
buildings all afternoon, and we have
been helping to move out the wound
ed to safe places. Poor fellows, 1t
seems as if they ought to get little
rest from being shot at. This isn't
new trick of little Heine's at all, and
it is one of his mildest pleasantries.
''Some of our new men got their
first sensation of working under fire.
The Almighty is not, altogether on
the Boche's side, for He is certainly
taking care of ambulance drivers
here.
Winter in the Trenches.
1.-the weather is and has been vile
cold, of a mean, piercing quality
rain and mud all over everything.
Even the hard-metalled roads are
inches deep in molasses-like mud, but
we are so we'll off in comparison to
the wonderful French soldiers that
we shouldn't mention any little dis
comforts. I wish I could describe
their cheerfulness under it all in the
trenches.
'sTo give you a picture of it. Imag-
inc yourself out of doors in a cold
Boston winters night-in a mean
rain-and no waterproof; then get
gun and stand in ice-water and mud
up to your middle, with the ever.
present prospect of a shell landing on
you and then, and then only, will you
begin to get the idea. Pile a few
nights and days Of the same kind on
top of one another and the picture
will grow clearer, but it doesn't seem
to dampen the French ardor, for
every Poilu in the army knows they
have the Hun beaten, and it is only
a question OF time before his squeals
will grow louder. For even now the
Boche prisoners coming through
every day are all telling the same tale
I'VE have had enough"
1--WE are taking on what we are
commencing to carry out with en-
thusiasm and pleasure, viz, distribute
ling the gifts from America to the
French soldiers as they go into the
front trenches. +
Before left home I used to won
der sometimes If the men and women
at the Lafayette dances ever thought
much about the fellows who were
going to receive, the Lafayette Kits
and under what surroundings the
Poi1us would finally get them into
their hands
From Ballroom to Trenches.
zone day last winter I strayed into
one of the central offices Of the La
fayette Society in New York, and
| there saw some of the girls who had
been dancing the night before, sort
ing and packing the kits. My pride
and confidence in our American wo-
| men was rewarded, and now it is our
opportunity Ct wish it was the girls
also) to see and hear the gratitude
and thanks with which the soldiers
receive their personal gifts from
| America. They are amazed and elat-
| ed that the Americans think enough
| Of them to send them gifts. The
chain is complete from the ballroom
| to the trenches.
"The American Clearing House at
5 Rue Francois Premier in Paris, was
started at the beginning of the war
It is run entirely by Americans, and
receives all the American gifts Of all
kinds, and starts the distribution, and
we take the packages from the rail
heads to the soldiers and distribute
to each battalion in turn.
"Some days ago was our first dis
tribution. Company by company the
men filed UP to the loaded camions.
The French captain generally made
a little speech explaining that these
were personal gifts from Americans
Ito them, sent from American, and
handled from start to finish by Amer
| leans Could you have only seen
them gathered about in a semi-circle
stocky, hardy, well-set-up, well-fed,
young fellows, serious-faced but with
bright, smiling eyes listening in at
tentive admiration to their captain
Then their expression of thanks to
America as they took their gifts
candles sweaters, raincoats, towels
soap, neeOloS, Unread, SOCKS, UNDER
clothing, mufflers, gloves, etc, would
have amply repaid any American who
ever made a gift to France. It was
wonderful.
Need of Pillows.
1--WE are also distributing bandages
and hospital supplies Of all kinds di-
rectly to the hospitals and any gifts
sent to- Richard Norton, s. S. V. No
/, z, care of American Clearing House
Paris, will come on directly where
they will be a real benefit.
1--WE are in this service-every one
of us-to be as much help as we can
and any money you can collect fol
new cars and repair expenses will
help us carry it on.
every wounded man for our car:
gets a little pillow put under his head
as he lies on his stretcher, while VIZ
, slide him into our ambulances, ant
that pillow stays with him until h,
gets to his bed in the hospital. I
, helps to make him a little less un
, comfortable, and we have use for al
the little pillows any one sends US
and the wounded appreciate them I"