Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-29
tically everything 1t ever knew AZ
start all over again"
Figures outcurve on Grenade.

How that start has been made 1 am
able to Judge for myself. America may
not be considered a military nation. but
the Americans are certainly a fighting
race. Sammy has taken hold of this
now way to fight better and more
quickly than any other soldiers on the
allied line. Show him. a new tangled
machine gun and he takes it apart and
finds out all about 1t for himself. Give
him a hand grenade and he has already
figured out an outcurve on the way to
throw it that bids fair to heat the dis
lance record of the entire allied line.
French soldiers responsible for our
training are frankly and delightedly
amazed. A French liason captain of an
American machine gun squad told ME
yesterday that his gang knew more
in twenty-four hours than even his
own ehasseurs could learn in two
weeks. Not man in that squad had
ever handled a machine gun before.
yet I SAW them go through drill that
for snap. quicknesS and chic. as the
Frenchman called it. was so near per-
lection that several British callers who
knew the particular gun in hand very
well were goggle-eyed with wonder.
Although there are plenty of inter-
prefers, Sammy does not need interpre-
tiers. he gets on by himself. and as one
Of our colonies said yesterday:
These interpreters all learned Eng
lsh instead of American. anyhow.
But one French officer best dismissed
the subject OF Interpreters. He said:
"Your men do not pay any attention
TO interpreters. They watch what our
men do, then they do the same thing
themselves.
Finest Brand of Fighter.
SO. you see. taking everything into
consideration. there is nothing the mat
ter with Sammy today. and he will be a
great deal better tomorrow, and i'll
brand of fighting man that the war
has produced. The countryside In
which he lives already loves him. He is
lovable chap: that Is why. He liz n
gentleman. this Sammy of ours, despite
his cuss words and his noise. He is
often noisy, there is no gainsaying
that, but he has inherent Eallantry
that appeals especially to the French
In dozens OF French villages where he
Is billeted-tiny hamlets where all the
men have long ago gone to war-the
coming of Sammy has brought the
greatest joy. When he is off duty, he
usually has all the children of the place
in tow and seems to enjoy it as much
as they. Samny's fondness for chill
dren is also aiding him to learn the
language. for the children speak far
more slowly and distinctly than their
elders, and inasmuch as Sammy's
blunders are so amusing. they have far
more time and patience in making him
understand.
On an old stone wall found Sammy
sitting beside a little girl of six, SOL
EMMY teaching him how to count. He
held up his fingers and the child told
him the number in French. while he
repeated it over and over until he got
the pronunciation. It was funny, 1t
was pathetic Sammy seemed so far
away from home, and look into his
future probably would not indicate
anything very gay or enduring. Later
in the day l ran across the same lad al
peddler's cart telling his pals he could
speak French and he would interpret
for any who wished to buy. He did not
do so badly. either. The teacher had
taught the numbers well.
Fields Their Workground.
With the polus assisting him in
training, Sammy Is equally popular.
For every battalion Of Americans there
is corresponding battalion Of French
billeted in the next village along the
road. The fields, valleys and hills be-
tween are their workground from
morning until night, and they share a
common midday meal, hot from the
camp kitchen on the field Each batta-
lion Of every regiment has already laid
out its French systems of defense and
begun minor operations which will
gradually develop until the full scale of
mimic front Is established which will
be held against mimic assault and
modern war action
Custom has established that on alter
nate Sundays the poilus and sammies
entertain each other in their home viii
lage to the music of the regimental
band. SO already the fraternity Of the
two armies is a matter of firm fact
OF course, there have been minor diff
ficulties on minor subjects. Sammy does
not like French tobacco. and shouts his
dislike at the top Of his lungs. He has
to learn that common French table
wine. which has no kick whatever IL
consumed the way the French consume
1t, cannot be imbibed by the barrel
without trouble. There have been other
little annoyances on which he vented
verbal displeasure. but. as one of our