Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-15
SAMMEES TASTE
FRENCH RED INK
Poilus and American Soldiers
Spend a Happy Holiday
Together
BY HENRI BAZIN
star Correspondents Of the Ever'nO Ledt

AMERICAN FIELD HEADQUARTERS
France, Aug. s.
T TATTENDED today the most contra.
l. ternal soldier party ever expect to
see In this wartime work, and certainly
one in which the spirit OF unison between
the poilu and the khaki-clad was truly
exemplfed. It was a genuine half holiday
and picnic combined, and fttingly
proper, in view of the circumstances
surrounding II. as well as full of the
thing that binds closer together men
with hearts having a common cause.
On July IA, the French national holi
day, the French Government issued a
modest ration OF red wine for each Amer
lean soldier and noncommissioned officer,
and like ration of champagne for each
American officer General Sibert was at
once confronted with a problem. He did
not like to refuse, nor indeed could he
well do so. and yet he did not like to
make the distribution because the SAM
! mee's regular liquid refreshment Is coffee
| and the "pinard" of the poilu n refresh
ment barred from his menu, while the
soldier of France looks upon his red ink
I as something upon level with his daily
| bread.
! The commander OF the American forces
! now entrainins turned tho matter over
! in his soldlerly mind. He finally came TO
| the decision that n regular soldiers pic
mic would permit the use, judiCiously. Of
| tho French Governments gift, because
| the poiu would help drink it. So he sug.
| gested TO tho commander Of the French
entraining division that after the usual
mornings work the noon hour should
mark the end OF an entrainng day and
that officers and men should gather
| around their MONDAY sward for real
feed and spend the rest of the afternoon
IN pleasure bent as their fancies might
prescribe
The French commander agreed. SO TO.
day. instead Of the regular lunch given to
| Sammees on the entraining field, camp
Kitchens were muled up to the grounds
and a real dinner cooked, the Americans
for the first time preparing regular
meal in the field. The French always
do this, as dejeuner is a serious matter
with them, and the sandwich thing with
a cup of coffee on the side contrary to
their Latin temperaments.
"Red Ink" for Sammees
Each Sammec received his tin cup full
of red wine instead Of coffee and drank
it as coffee with his food Each poilu re-
cciyod likewise, Of course. And the food
was passed to and fro, interchanged with
a spirit of brotherly love. Tho poilu ate
American beef and canned corn and to- !
matoes and the Sammoc ate hot ragout |
of mutton with salad. Some ate both |
meals entire. And everybody drank his |
red ink. And everybody drank his coffee |
aftcrward, his demitasse from the Ameri- |
can point of view, his cafe from the |
French In the meantime the officers of |
both armies ate the same fare with cham |
payne for theirs as the beverage.
After the meal was over the bands of |
tho French division played "The Star !
Spangled Banner" and the bands OF the |
American division played THE Mar
seilaise" And then the American mUsi- |
clans played "Dixic" and Marching
Through Georgia" and a bunch of coon
song music while the French followed |
with tho "Sambre ct Mcuse," "Reveil"
and a lot Of enlivening French music.
Some of the Sammees initiated the poi
lus in the mysteries of the foX-trot and
the one-step, and some of the poilus
showed the hoys from over tho sea a
thing or two about French dancing That
this diversion took place upon green
sward where dancing was rather a diff
Guilty did not in any extent affect the
agility of the soldiers, who entered into
the festivities in true picnic fashion. 1t
was interesting to see more couples than
would fill any American ballroom floor
dancing the foX-trot, while the French
chasseurs looked on in something of ig.
norant understanding.
Regiment Teams Play Ball
Because baseball is the only game on
the map, it of course had its part in the
festivities. A team from one regiment
trimmed the team from another to the
score Of to in seven innings. Others
strolled off into the woods; others still
gathered around n chasseur who was in.
structing the Sammees about him in the
mystery of manufacturing briquets from
mitrailleuse cartridges.
At s in the afternoon tho Sammees
formed in line and were marched back
TO tho several villages where they arc bill.
leted, each full OF the pleasure that comes
from an afternoon free, each helped
through the relaxation that comes from
an afternoon Of pleasure, and each, too,
little closer to the French soldiers who
are instructing them.
There was considerable wine left be-
cause the French ration was the generous
quantity of liter or a little over the
quart the man. But 1t was possible to
give this to the country people and the
villagers without offending the French,
as it was wise not to give each Sam
NEE his full portion, since a full liter of
red wine is some quantity to a man
whose daily beverage with his fodder is
f,, lin