The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-06
BUSINESS OF LIVING
Bertran Tells the Folks at Home How
the French Children Revere Our
CarOrniaS
BY Nks. EVA LEONARD


Bertram Tells the Folks at Home How
the French Children Revere Our
Sammies.
Dear Folks at Home:
I'VE are in our new quarters;
moved yesterday. We occupy bar
racks recently vacated by the French
and are to stay here for the final
touches of our military education The
quarters are very comfortable and
have all been renovated for our oc-
cupation The men are in fine spirits
and are so eager to get into the Tray
that the greatest difficulty will be IN
holding them to the schedule. Hou
see every move is very carefully cal
culated and is worked out like prob
lem. The men do a certain amount
and stop Sometimes it is a great
temptation to go on when the OBJECT
of the attack has been easily gained,
but they are not allowed to do it.
Every possible thing is done to con-
serve the life of the men.
81 must tell you of a very affect
ing incident that happened yester-
day. We marched through a little
village. The news that the Sammies
were coming had preceded us and all
the town turned out to welcome US.
The schools were dismissed and the
children all dropped on their knees
on the pavement when the flag passed
as they did in Paris when the colors
were first carried through that city.
1t was a pretty sight, those little peo-
pie paying the flag such homage. They
shouted 'Vive la Sammies as We
passed and the boys full-throated
| 'Vive la France was good to hear
| The commander halted the men and
they sang the Marseillaise, the chill
dren and popu1ace joining in. 1t was
some singing, let me tell you.
t"The French surely know how to
teach their little folks patriotism. One
| little boy came up to our encampment
one evening. The captain could speak
French. He asked the boy how old
| he was and he replied, 1T will be six
years before 1 can serve under the
colors. That was the thing he was
living for; to grow up and serve his
| country. In Germany at the same
time the little yellow heads are taught
to repeat, Der kaiser is Elm liebeI
mann cannot help wishing some
times that their faith in der liebel
mann was not so unreasoning and en-
| tire.
1.-The artillerymen are going into
| the trenches for actual practice in g
short time, 1 understand. 1t can not
| come too soon. When I think how the
! beleaguered land of France has suf-
| fered; how the people have beer
| bullied and terrorized am filled with
| such longing to get to work, to dc
what 1 can to free them from the
! brutal rule of their conuuerors that
1 can think of nothing else. The peo-
| pie of the occupied territory are MOI
| allowed to receive any mail from
| their husbands and sons at the front
| If a letter is found on them they are
/ severely punished, and any one who
| is caught carrying a letter-just q
common letter telling how their loved
/ ones are faring-is killed unless he
| will reveal the name of the person
sending and receiving letters. The
! French people are not allowed to Hf
| their voices in the street. To sing e
French song-especially if it is patri
otto, would bring down unbelievabl,
horrors on their Borrowing heads. L
| is so dreadful I do not expect 20 bt
| believed. 1 must see you and explair
for hours before you will take in the
horror of it all. I have all this from
| French soldiers 1t is true.
Goodbye, dear ones
YOUR BERTRAM"
(To be continued.)