The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-26
AMERICAN CHRISTMAS
IN FRANCE
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Americans billeted in stables, sleep.
ing themselves in the managers.
An American hospital-sick and
wounded receiving bounteously from
the Red Cross-tobacco, candy
sometimes the recipient was sternly
forbidden to eat--and plenty OF pres
enls from home folks
Thousands Of little French refugee
children, who learned of San Claus
for the first time and got that i'm
measurable thrill that comes with
the opening of queerly bullying stock
ings. Thousands more who learned
all about Christmas trees and VINO
treasured all through the day the
wonderous toys and candy which
moist-eyed Sammies getting ready TO
fight the Boche had bought for them.
Plenty of turkey and trimmings
everywhere-even to thousands OF
American railway engineers, strung
from close to the front to seaport.
The United Press correspondent Is
writing this close to the point where
that Minneapolis symphony mar is
teasing melody out Of the jangling
wires OF that resurrected piano. The
bunch" has finished Holy Night"
now.
One hears a shout: Here. can that
sentimental stuff"
And Immediately the pianist has
to slam the worries like mad to race
on with the believing, swelling
chorus taken up by the voice of
every man within hearing
Goodbye Broadway, Hello
France"
And SO it was a merry Christmas.
Overlooked by Santa Claus.
by ]. w. Pegler, United Press Staf
Correspondent
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE Dec. 26.-Santa Claus over
looked a certain famous division or
American militia asleep in hay lofts,
with snow sitting through chinks IN
the wall.
Mote: The only militia division
which the war department has OIL
cially permitted to be announced now
in France, is the Rainbow division.
The United Press asked its cores
pondent at the front to cable a story
on how the rainbow fighters spent
their Christmas day.
Christmas day came to the division
in the midst of a long and important
march. The men Citched their camps
in q dozen villages, transported their
own turkey and their own Christmas
mail many miles overland In motor
trucks and settled down for a a
celebration.
Every clock was pushed back on
Christmas morning. 1t was comfort
able to snuggle deep in the blankets
and watch the snow whirl down
49, -nI 1r>oyrtnnc " PyIt nv
noon everybody was astir. Stores of
dolls and toy '75s-and miniature mod
els of the famous French field pieces
were dug up from caches in the hay
lofts and assembled for the edification
Of little Garcons o makesh1ft
Christmas. trees.
The American mt1itiamen played
Santa Claus in the places Of many,
many French daddies. who may never
play that role again.
Il the afternoon bands gathered and
under the irresistible syncopation OF
the tunes set every one dancing
even including a flivver ambulance.
The festive Tin Lizzie butted it's nose
into a tree and badly needed first aid
treatment.
In the evening hospital nurses and
surgeons marched over a snow covered
path under fir trees and stationing
themselves outside the hospital wards.
sang Christmas carols and good old
American songs.
A certain famous major general
sent this Christmas greeting to those
training back home:
christmas makes us the happier be.
cause it brings nearer the time and
means of upholding the rights Of man
against German ruthlessness and bar
barism."
The First Shell.
by w. S. Forrest, United Press
Staff Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES IN
THE FIELD, Dec. 26.-The German
shell which wounded the first Amer
lean soldier in the European war is
preserved today in b form OF
thirty-nine fragments, each identified
by three file marks and declared
authentic by a unique document
drawn up and signed as soon as pos
sible after it's historic explosion.
Two copies of this document exist
one in the hands of Alva Burton
Mckie, American army surgeon, the
other by Maurice s. Berton, French
army ~surgeon-who attended h first
wounded American. The first wound
keQ was LieuL. -. II. EldIuih, CuiLCu
States signal corps.
The enemy shell vas a high ex-
.plosive of los enthusiastically
four inches calibre. Fourteen pieces
of it are held now by the American
surgeon, twenty-four by the French
physician and one by the United
Press correspondent.
The official attestation, translated
verbatim from official text and with
! the anne signed is as follows:
"In souvenir of the first Ame rican
soldier wounded by the Germans in
French trenches:
ION October % at 1920 a. m, five
yards east of the first aid post Les
Jumelles' the first soldier of the
United States was wounded in the
line-Lieut. d. II. Harden, signal Off
Ger attached to the regiment-struck
meter shell. The wound was on the
external face Of the right leg, three
centimeters above the knee.