Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-12
ERMAN MARVELS
All FRENCH PRIDE
HiGh Officer Writes Admir-.
ingly Of People in Occu.
pied Territory
NO COMPLAINTS HEARD
Ffcnchmen Never Finch, but
Preserve Child's Faith in
Cruel Trials
NO COMPLAINTS HEARD
By EDWIN L. JAMES

Special Cable to Evening Public Ledger
Copyrfoht, 1918, by Ne,o York Times Co.
With the American Army in France,
Sept. IL.
In common with all other Americans
who have seen only to admire the
spirit Of France at war. the brave
French suffering most cruel blows but
never complaining, I have come to
marvel at the invincible soul OF the
unconquerable people. But of all the
tributes paid to the soul of France
surely none is more eloquent than the
following. 1t came from the pen Of
high German officer. Read now
what he has to say of the French:
II have been living for years now
in this joyless country. From month
to month I have seen It become more
pitiable. And what is remarkable is
the Frenchmans mind. the French
man who does not make any COM
plaint against the man who has settled
as his unwelcome guest by his fire.
side, and consoles himself with the
well-known saying, 'C'est La Guerre.
80 when we go home on leave of
absence and we hear our wives and
parents whining, we feel like taking
Them by their coat t-sleeves and drag
King them down here to the invaded
country. They would learn what little
misery is theirs who have remained
masters in their own homes.
x .sThe French of the occupied coun.
try hate us. but don't complain They
state their pride Is forbearance of com.
,plaint. I am never weary of marvel
ing at this grit Of theirs. But you,
Uncle Fritz. and Aunt Nina. Of Mains
or elsewhere. how would you behave
IL the enemy were in your country? I?
TO Judge from the small trials which
YOU bear so poorly you would lose ali
confidence. You are always f1inching.
'You feel hurt If the Hindenburg ham
mer. does not crush. as he is wont to
do. q whole hostile army. What the
wrench could teach you Is this child's
Faith that they preserve in such cruel
1ffials. Or, to express 1t more bruitally,
II am Jealous of their impertinent
pride.
"Ndany Germans could learn a good
heal at the school Of misfortune which
the Inhabitants OF the occupied coun-
,fry bear up under so proudly. Let
u consider the question once more.
How many French people in the
course Of these last four years have
learned German? Not one in a thous-
and. But will wager anything that
'lx Mannheim or Aschaffenburg If the
Hrsnch ruled there, there would be no
|shop girl with whom the conqueror
Scould not talk in his own language.
Il would be a fad to speak French.
French women and girls who COM
promise themselves with Germans are
branded. Their honor is lost even
should the boche be such a fool as to
marry them. But in an occupied Ger
many? Let US remember Napoleonic
times"
.sThe Frenchman himself is never in
sclined TO become sociable, in spite OF
the fact that many Of our comrades go
more than half way to meet him, and
sdssplte the little advantages he would
derive in his daily life. He has ma
national pride akin to passion. I ad-
mire the French.
: "Iet every German man and woman
ask himself this question, If the enemy
were in my country would he be COM
PEELED to admire my pride?"