The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-12-23
PICTURE BY
kE0kUk man
Sergeant Who Went from keokuk to
MarseiIIes Wildly Portrays
Actions and Feelings Of
the French.
WHEN HUNS SURRENDER
The People Went Wild with an Inter,-
sity Of Deep Delight That Grew
Out Of Four Long Years
Of Conflict.

One OF the good descriptions help
ling Keokuk people to understand
what occurred in France on that
Monday when Keokuk itself went
wild with the joy of victory Is In
letter to his family from Sergeant G.
L. Alling. now Of Butchery Co. 319.
Sergeant Alling paints a vivid picture
| in words. in his letter written at
Marseilles on the evening of the day
| the arnistice was signed. Part OF 1t
is as follows:
This is the long looked for day of
days. No doubt at this moment Amer
lea like France has gone wild. But
France has about four times as much
reason to celebrate as America mas
much as they have. suffered for four
years to our one. l can imagine that
it is a gala day in the land of the
stars and stripes, but am glad that
today / am here in a great city of
France because today the people of
France are heralding the name of
America everywhere and greeting
with unbounded joy and gratitude
every American soldier they come
across.
The headquarters of the American
base here is situated in big new
university building that was not quite
finished when the war broke out.
This building is located on an abrupt
hill about fifteen feet above the
street. The road leading to the upper
level is cut through the little cliff.
The Band and the Popuiace.
r Our band, which / believe is the
only one in the city, marched proudly
down this incline and off toward the
city shortly after the great news that
will commemorate this date in his
tory forever had been received. That
was about o'clock in the morning.
1t occurred to me at the time that
you would probably get the news
about four hours earlier than we did
that very likely The Gate City
would have a big extra out about 1t
before you were up even. If that is
true, you would wonder at first
thought why we received it so late
until it occurred to you that there Is
about five hours difference in time
between here and Keokuk.
Well, it wasn't long before the
band came back. for what reason |
don't know. 1t was nearly noon and
for dinner, but they didn't stay long |
enough for that.
Cheering the Americans.
The reason that their coming back |
is worthy of mention is that with |
them came a large part of the million /
population of the city. They thronged |
all about the boys and swarmed be-
hind them for blocks. AS the band /
came up the incline to the camp, |
they played the Marseillaise amid the !
cheers and flag waving and spas |
modic singing Of the multitude who /
crowded up the road with the band |
as many as could-which were few !
compared to the thousands who I
up the steep hill on the /
run and besieged our stronghold as !
it were. Such a sight! Such I'M !
bridled joy expressed! And the DOM |
inant cry was "yive rAmerique!"
How proud l was as / stood at the |
point of the terrace and watched that |
irresistible flow of humanity towards |!
me and my comrades giving all honor /
to the great country that we hail
from. How proud we were to reflect |
that we were from that much herald |
ed rAmerique. L'Amerique, the land !
of the brave and the home of the |
free, and the redeemer of the world! !
The Coming Generation Know.
Even as l was writing this during
the afternoon, we were furnished I
with another thrill.
We all rushed from the office as we |
heard a peculiar chant-like noise OF
what seemed to be formidable host |
from somewhere. We were |
right The France Of tomorrow, boys /
and girls together, of all ages from !
eight years TO twenty years or more, !
about 600 and marching I
route step in column of tours. ,
What were they chanting? 1t was
hard to distinguish the words 4
went closer to the column, waving i
my hat in the air in answer to their
and shaking hands with ,
dozens of them as they passed. Fin ,
ally one four pulled me into the |
column with them and as we walked /
along 1 asked one of them to repeat I
their cry for me slowly. 1t was time |
that / know they were saying, "Vive !
over and over again, vary
ing at times with "a la yictoirei"