The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-09-26
KISSED PRETTY
FRENCH GIRL
Frances McDermott, of Harrison Coun-
ty, Writes to His Mother at Lo-
gan From France.
Says German Troops Think the Boys
Are French. in American Uniforms
'-Think Americans Can't Cross

We print the following letter, taken
from the Logan Observer, deeming it
interesting reading:
France, Aug. 20. 1917
Dear Mother: ] have not received
a letter from you since left Chicago
Some of the fellows got a letter on
the ship from England 1t made me
every day, so it is not your fault.
Talk about a good country. 1t
(France) is beautiful, the grandest
/ ! have seen, and ! have been in six
different countries since | left home.
In England we saw many historic
places: Buckingham Palace, the Kings
Green Garden, London bridge and
Westminster Abbey. ! would have
recognized the king anywhere from
his pictures. We have some time
talking the French but we get along
fine If we stay here long enough we
will get to be pretty good Frenchmen,
but by the way it looks like we won't
be here long. They say the kaiser is
turning in his last checks. They have
lots of prisoners here. The German
officers tell their men that England is
no more--al blown up-also New
York and Chicago. They Uhe Ger
mans) think we are Frenchmen in
American uniforms. and that American
troops cannot possibly get across, but
when our big trucks come driving up
you would laugh to see them. | can
not help but feel sorry for them the
prisoners); they don't have enough
clothes to make vest, but they are
treated fine We are near enough to
the trenches to hear the cannon. We
are located in a town that the Ger
mans held for some time but you
would never know it now
Yesterday they had little air fight
but it didn't amount to much. We
don't believe that the fellows that are
drafted will ever get across the pond.
The kaiser is backing up every day.
There are hundreds and hundreds OF
soldiers here We cannot get Ameri-
can tobacco here.
August %.
received a letter from you yester-
day and | was more pleased than
the Frenchmen were. and they were
some happy bunch. 1t was a big day.
They captured 1000 FritzieS. They
nave lut INK" VI ~ 1lSi .lIu IItiC, oo
we get the news from the states.
We were playing ball and the
Frenchmen thought we were practic'
ing throwing bombs. They all stood
around and laughed when they found
out what we were doing. was on
guard last night. | could hear the
airplanes buzzing all around me and
it is hard to tell whether they are
Fritzies or not. I thought there was
something in. the wind SO this morn
ing found they had captured a
Fritzie aviator and ulane. You
have seen Rip Van Wrinkles clothes.
They were good besides his. He was
all in rags. The French found one
of their officers nailed to barn door.
Lots of mercy, isn't it. What would
they do with one Of us caught making
sketches of one Of their forts and try
ing to get back to our. people? We
would die by inches. Well, they
caught the Fritzies doing that and all
they are doing to them is making
them march for six hours day for
thirty days with 60 pounds on their
backs | was just down to get a
drink. They had ten Of them carrying
water. They were whistling and Sing
ing. Some of them 60 around and
work without even guard. They
treat them too good.
| showed a f'renchman your letter
and told him you said that the crops
were good enough for food for all.
He said Bon, bon" which means
good, good Well. mother, you
said if it was a pleasure trip ! was
on it would be much nicer. | haven't
looked at it in any other way. AS
long as it is pleasure | am going to
look at it in that way, and when it
comes the other way, I'll be right
there to hold my place in the line. 1t
wouldn't look right to see the kaiser
in the White House. would it
] was through a church that was
built in 1862, and it looks new beside
some of them. All around were the
most beautiful flowers ! ever saw.
Even in the wheat fields they have
flowers growing At times can't
see the flowers and stone age build
ings when one of those black eyed,
black haired and pretty-no not pref
ty--beautiful 1917 French girls comes
along and grabs my hand and says,
"Brava, American Still they wonder
why so many fellows leave home. l.
met a girl and her father. They stop
ped and shook hands with me. and !
gave her button off my coat. The
old man motioned for me to kiss his
daughter OF course didn't want to.
but the old man insisted, so | did. |
don't like to have anyone tease me
in case like that. She sure was a
doll, Since then | have a pocketful
of buttons always with me.
am going to get a German helmet,
but I'll never pick up one on the bat
tlefeld because they use them for
trogers. When you pick them up they |
explode. They are real tricky. You
have to be on the job all the time. Well |
mother dear, | must close.
Francis.
p. s. Forgot to tell you what they |
said in London The day we marched |
from all over the crowd you could |