The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-12-13
"THEy HAVE COME FOR
THE SAKE OF FRANCE"
An Arrival O.. American Troops In
French Port. and the Meaning OF
the welcome They Received.
az HAWTHORNE DANIEL.

An au,cmobil. was waiting at the
door when III. sis9;alman brought ns
word that q convpy had anchored ten
miles down the river {" wait Tor the
,uru of the tide. Fortunately We were
not busy. and consequently were aole
a. ride down TO in order to be
among the first 70 welcome the arrtv-
ing soldiers.
It was matter OF minutes TO DC
bowling alonE the strip Of white road.
through the American army camp. de-
serted now but 2pon to be filled with
strange little freight cars. between two
rows of beautiful old poplarS on our
way to q point from which we could
see the ships IS they passed. TWO arr
rlaues SCARED overhead on their way
back 10 the aviation field after sweep
ing the river mouth for possible German
mines. Children waved 70 US as we
passed. shouting Americafnei as theE
recognised our nationality
We turned off tho main road before
reaching and rolled down y pref
" little lane. that ended; near villa
Mt tho waters edge. Already tn" ships
had started again. We gould hear the
rattle Of their windlasses as they hcav-
cd in their anchors one b. ".i" thrE
slid up the channel. passing near us as
they rQaQe turn tIltl pf'uSlN lItil
close TO shore The beach was dotted
with delighted French people. On the
low wall Of a garden that sloped down.
from tho villa near which We had stop
rod. a French girl was standing. She
WIS perhaps. sixteen. and She held an
american flag that waved over her head
and threatened TO Eft her from tho
wall as the breeze caught its brilliant
folds A ship passed close IN. and she
oil or r-rh
on the crowded deck OF the transport
the troops waved In return. Another
ssi,ip passed. and again she waved the
tI;Ig. Again the crowded decks answer
I'd And then. steamiug Scdatcly up
The channel. came one OF the former
German liners, once named for men-
h.r Of the royal house OF Hohenzoil"rn.
Its decks were crowded with three thou
sand men. The rigging was filled with
tharn- Tho rails were lined. Er"ry
inch Of the ships enormous length
seemed alive with men in khaki and
sailors in blue.
The girl. on tho wall seized her flag
with renewed vigor. and waved II mad
". We expected to see the same an
Swer the other ships had given. hut in
Stsad. az I trained my glasses IN the
bridge, saw an officer seize a mega
phone The gold on his sleeve gllsteued
in the sun as he spoke to the men be-
low him. The distance was too great
for US to hear his words. but a moment
later the shtp seemed sw-aved by a COM
mon impulse Every hat waved in the
air for an instant. waved again-and
again Then over the gltstening water
came three mighty cheers
The girl stood anaaed- For a mo-
nlent she failed to grasp It all. and
finally It dawned on her that they had
returned her greeting~that the spirit
Of America had answered that of
France. She seized her flag. and waved
it until 1t: snap ped In the breeze. Then
overcome by her emotions. she jumped
from the wall and threw her arms about
TIE neck OF little woman In black
who was standing there.
Chere mere. she cried. lis sout venus
pour la France. Darling mother. they
have come for the sake o. France.9
Stopping at army headquarters on the
way hack To town. we found that the
first two transports had passed through
the took before we reac he'd our office.
the balcony OF which overlooked the
lock at about the elevation Of the bridge
Of the transports as they passed. The
third ship was being warped through
the gates as wa returned. and We found
that our balcony was occupied by sew
er;ll young women from the 7. NJ G..
n. who had accepted our invitation to
view the arrival from our point Of
vantage.
The third ship entered tho lock and
the gates closed astern Of her. while
the crowd In the street below our bal
cong waved their hats. and cheered.
"Allo. Sammes." shouted the onlook-
rrS. whereat the boys who crowded the
decks Of the ship cheered with typical
American abandon.
Cigarettes. candy. fruit were tossed