Evening journal., 1916-03-30
We Call Ourselves Americans---Ihere Are Others
BY WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD.
United Press Staff Correspondent.

.
I'm an American" you say
proudly 10 a French officer.
"Ahl North or South Ameri- ?
can?" he says.
"North.
"Ah! From Mexico or from Lab :
rador?'
United States
"Ah. yes. understand"
"rm an American" you say to
Canadian.
so am IT, he says, delightedly. .
sim from Canada"
ann from the United States .
you explain.
Shake" he says. Always glad '
to meet an American
"rm an American" you say TO
"a war correspondent from South
America. speaking In French
$50 am l." All you speak Span
ish then? What republic do you
come fromg'
"From the United States.
Lucky none Of us Americans
are i'm this war, isn't?' he says.
After a few experiences like
this. you make your claims TO ma
tionality more definite. You say
.Tm from The United States.
The big question is, who Is an
American!"
sALONICA, Greece. Feb. 27.-lBy
Nain There were three parsons in
our hosnital staff One was an Ep's-
copalian from Toronto. He had peeh
member of committee Of clergy
men from that city who had gone 10
Philadelphia TO look into the matter
of inviting Billy Sunday to Toronto
and had reported on their return that
"there was nothing doing; TOO strong
medicine"
But this one parson, here In Salon
ica. was for Billy Sunday strong.
.it isn't the right way to preach
religion" he said. but he'st right
about vhiskey. and his work in that
direction Is beyond criticism. He IS
in Toronto now, I believe, or, at least,
he was scheduled to be there at about
this time"
The parson was right Billy sun
day was there and the next batch or
newspapers that came IN from To-
ronto we're splashed with Sundayisms.
The nurse began talking Billy Sunday
So did the Canadian orderlies. The
British officers began talking
"Nho is this extraordinary person.
Sunday"
The nurses tried TO explain. So
did the orderlles.
Gle breaches slang was the gist oil
their explanation. He's a revivalist'
"Who goes 70 hear such sermons as
that?7
Everybody" said one nurse. THE
papers say that thousands Of Toronto
people go 20 hear him.
Il never can understand you Amer
leans" said the officer, who had asked
the question.
"lt's lust as hard for us Americans
to understand you old country folks,
said the nurse
The question. "who is this Billy
Sunday person." became persistent
All the home newspapers from Toron-
10 told of his meetings, and all tho
home talk of the Toronto nurses was
Of the Sunday meetings.
One British officer finally appealed
TO the Canadian Episcopalian parson.
"I've got a book about him and his
work." said the parson. quietly. That
viii answer your question better thar
can"
The next day a big book on Billy
Sunday appears in the ward. Il be-
came so popular that the parson do
mated IL TO the hospital library.
No growth of grace was evident as
e. -o.,,l. 81 pillv'c rolfqfon. no abatc-
ment was noted in the usual, vain,
evening demand for hot toddy, as a
result of Billy's anti-alcoholism. But
there was tremendous rise in respect
for American slang and an increase in
wonder at American institutions.
'Nost astonishing place, America .
was the verdict OF most Of the officers
after they had completed the book on
Sunday sermons.
But the last you saw Of the book
which was number 3l2-it was the
grimiest and most bethumbed volume
in the library.
Every morning at els. into the dim
morning twilight OF the tent stepped
a huge man in military uniform, walk
ing carefully so as not to disturb the
sleepers He went to the cot next 10
YOURS, and bent over the blanket-bur-
ied form OF an Irish officer, who had
taken 200 men onto hill in Serbia,
and had come away with only 26-and
wound. You heard the huge man
whispering. and in the dim light you
saw him making the sign of the cross
Then you saw him tip toe out again
--------------------