Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-10-02
FORMER PEDACOCUE
TELLS OF FRANCE
Former Principal 0. |. Snyder
of H0oqe Street School.

S>rasburg, VA, Methodist Episcopal
Church South has received a most
interesting letter from his brother,
formerly Principal O. l.. Snyder of
the HODGE Street School, now in &C.
tive service with the Quartermaster's
department in France With his Gus
tomary modesty MIR. Snyder has here
tofore sought to keep out of public
ity, BIZ he has so many friends in
this city who are deeply Interested In
his career that letter from him rs
donbly welcome. The letter follows;
August 80, 1918
Dear brother
Your letter and paper mailed Aug
ust 9th came today. was mighty
clad to get them as it is the first
mail have received this month I
have received only two of your pre-
vious letters. They were the ones
you sent to Camp Hill. None of the
mail you sent via New York has
reached me yet II will all probably
reach men some time The handling
of the mail is quite n difficult prob
lem when mail is not sent direct to
some post office number. think mail
sent me to the address gave you
will come through promptly.
/ ] am very well and still att the
same work, | have been changed to
e day SHIFT now and | like 1t much
better This is great life here
among these French people The
work | am doing. | have an oppor-
tunity TO see something or the way
they work.
II has been the surprise of my life
to see the backwardness of this coun-
try in things modern. You doubtless
are reading about the French learn.
ing from the Americans. The papers
are not eYaggerating at all. The com
ing of the Americans will mean much
TO the future France. or course the
Americans are all getting new views
OF life. In the short time | have
been here I am convinced wine and
women have been the great inter
rational enemies of France. am
quite sure thousands of Americans
who never favored national prohibit
ton in The United States are heart
lily in favor of IL now certainly hope
1920 will see America ebone dry"
There surely Is no better time to
work for 1t than the present. The
wine habit Is so strongly fxed upon
these people that they take their bot
ties with them to their work, just as
we do water in America Both men
and women carry their bottles. or
course you understand many women
are working In France now, | certain
ly hope no American woman will
have to do some of the work have
seen these women doing These peo-
PIE have an entirely different moral
standard to what eve think we
have in America. | shall not give
you my opinion of them in that re
spect now, but l certainly shall have
something to tell you when | get
back across the Atlantic
Doubtless you wonder what think
about the war. / don't know any
more about it than you do in the
States. or course we are all happy
TO see the Allies advancing and rea-
lie 1t is the beginning Of the end
When that end will be is a question
upon which many will speculate.
am glad to see the administration Is
not taking any chances and are pre-
pairing to increase the forces over
here until the victory is won. The
fact that we have men who can and
will fight is evidenced by their deeds.
! hope the people in the states 70
right ahead with their. shoulders to