Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-26
j. S. CAN Be PROUD
SAYS GEN. DU POINT
Praises American Fighters and
Work Government Has Done
in France; Had Thrilling
Trip.

8lO everything LncY arc hbluRt Dlr
WAS the most impressive statement
in his al ress at New Church last night
II gave thrills Of pride TO every one
present. The audience filed tho church
Lecture nom To overflowing and many
had TO stand.
While everything said wns of trcmcn-
dous interest and Importance ther WAS
nothing that meant quite go much TO
every one ns this praise of Americas s
army, from an American who has TO
lowed that army and slept in Its trenches,
who saw the tremendous results Of
Yankee energy in France, and who has
heard from French people relatives and
friends and statements in their news-
papers-The almost incrpressiblc adj
mration the French have for the "Yanks.
Although the draft army IL consider
I'd the most marvellous, and better than
regulars or National Guard, we can be
proud of them all Mr. du Pont states.
''They have pep, sen Of humor,
and arc always polite and helpful partic-
ulArly TO French and American women
said Mr. du pont. "All of France occu
pied by America is policed by Arneri-
stand how it WAS possible To get them
a time. They exposed themselves ur-
necessarily in the lighting An Ameri-
can won't stay in the trenches. il any,
thing starts he gets up. The French
people cant say and do enough for
Americans. They say the Germ LIS
would have had Paris If IT hadn I
been for them"
The arnistce WIS asked for while
General du Pont was in France and be
thinks the reason IT Was 40 long being
answered was that every American
from Gen. pershlng down, wanted to
kill Germans America came IN at the
eleventh hour and gets two-thirds Of
the glory
coon uoAps HELLER.
Good roads helped Win the war
Gen du Font says. and he quoted an
engineer who exclaimed that he had been
for good roads before the war, tut'that
now he Is more than ever for them
Frances good roads arc the reason for
America s doing 80 much. More men and
supplies went over the roads than over
railroads. Before the st Mihiel riveGen
DUPONT saw ono train Of fS0 trucks of
ammunition 60 hv liv constant repairing
Of she'll holes the roads to the front were
kept IN working order. and they were
protected by camoufiagc
BErrEn no THAN PRAY.
During one drive Gen du Pont turned
in TO carry chocolate and coffee 20 The
men. clerg man asked hlm If he
didn't think 1t good time 10 pray
You'd better take this bucket Of choct-
late up the linc Was the business man
response, 1t : not the time to say prayers,
bat 10 do prayers The clergyman
toiled till the need WAS over and then he
went to Mir du punt and told him he 4
stop preaching till the war was over
AIR Rtlps AND AIR rLASEs
" hlle in Paris ,cn du pont SAW threeajr
raids, one was on September u and wns
the last the Huns put over Instead 81
needing the warning 10 go To the cellar
he went out on balcony to see Between
500 and COO scarchlights were playing
in the sky to locate the enemy planes.
and one finally located Hun This was
done - that French airnen could combat
the Huns In July when a German oc-
c,Ipation Of Paris seemed imminent. all
Americans were informed on what corner
to be ready with 50 pounds Of baggage
when the alarm would be gwen, 80 that
they would be gotten To safety II possible
One of the many thrills of Mr. DUPONT
trip was going up ID n aIrplano snd OFT
over the German lines The altitude
reached was 9,000 feet and Gen dupont
SAID be believed il was that MANY miles
After the first - minutes he enjoyed il he
said
GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS.
Nobody who has not been there can
understand the devastation, wrought bv
the Huns. or the magnitude of work done
by Americans Cen du Pont sail
He described great warehouses. miles
and miles of docks at Bordeaux. railroads
and every provision to take care Of i
great armv Reconstruction, he thinks.
will not be so difficult as is generally
Frances resources, especially
her deposits and forests, are greatly de
Uletcd, but fortunately the devastated
area Is not more than l5 per cent Of the
country, and OF that about one third is
so shell torn that 1T will tie many wears
before it will again be fit for agriculture
He quoted q bit Of discussion concerning
their staying over, that took place between
two American soldiers, after the armistice
had been signed.
What on earth will we do here for
two years?" asked one It'll take Us
that long ID untangle the baTbed ulre
was the reply And there are literally
miles ol hArbed wire tn be taken up
ten du POnt praised the American
girls who are working for the \ NJ c. A
and the Red Cross over there Their
influence on the men IS wonderful They
cheer them, they write letters for them
and have tea afternoons end evenings
One girl told him she had never worked
80 hard, was never SO tired, never so
hungry and never 50 happy He saw
another bold An artery III 4 mans leg for
two hours, till the doctor could get to
him, and she thus saved life
LUsIrANIA MEDAL.
Among various trophies Cen du Pont
showed American and German gas
masks German bullets and a helmet and
a replica Of the Lust4nia medal, distribut-
ed in Germany two days before the awful
deed
Rev George Henry Dole. rector Of the
church, when introducing Gen du Pont
spoke Of him as the reorgani1er Of a great
company, by which America and the !
Allies had won a world victory, man of
mercy, keen insight broad understanding
md. best Of all fellow citizen
The occasion closed with hearty ap- |
plause for Gen. du Pont and the singing |
i America
Oh ESIEhTG NN, MID.