Arizona republican., 1918-05-13
FRENCH GUN NAMED FUR ARIZONA WOMAN
 HUSBAND IN SERVICE

in "" work in France. It was in compliment to the efforts of the Prescott jurist in behalf of the Frenchmen that the courtesy was ex- tended Mrs. Smith.
 Mrs. Smith declares that it relieves her feelings after giving up her hus- band and home to know that a big gun named for her is blazing away at Kaiserland. The most splendid thing my gun could do would be to help win Alsace back for France says Mrs. Smith, whose mother was born and reared in Alsace.
 Mrs. Smith is in Cincinnati at pres ent and her latest letter from her husband in part follows:
 SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE,
 April 12, 1918.
 Some of the little postoffices in the tiny villages of France, near the front are certainly unique, to say the least. Think it is a case of first come first served" 'tLe Facteur'' thinks he has done me a personal favor if he gives me letter, and when I say Encore, Encore" he looks much injured and says, "C'est la guerre! Cest la guerre" Cit is war! it is war!o Then, 1 be- gin to look for myself and if I dis cover some on the floor, or on the table and chairs Qor they are every where) he looks heartbroken and says: But some of the boys have none.' I am, indeed, sorry that some have none and wish it could be helped, but I walk off with my own You asked about "Le Foyer du Soldat" at the top of the letter paper-that is what the French call the Y. M. c. A. huts- Eovav- iS thaiT- paaract xuOrly +o a,,r English Home" and it is really very appropriate for it means, the Preside of the Soldier; prettier than our American Y. M. C. A. hut, is it not?
 The huts, near the front are we'll equipped now, for things are so 'ac- tive" the soldier needs what comforts he can catch. Warm rooms, writing paper, pens and ink, games such as chess, checkers. also many French games, a photograph (wish we had some new records!D and the cinema are all there.
 Then, there are good libraries, daily papers, magazines. etc. Hugo, Verne, Coppe and Daudet are favorites and our translation of Sherlock Holmes is quite worn out with much reading The camp l am now in, is all French, | (except the German prisoners), so I am having a splendid opportunity of | seeing the war from the French stand point. I do not know how long I shall | be in a strictly French camp, but am glad to have had the experience of seeing the French soldiers at close range, but sometimes, think I would | give everything I have to hear a good American voice say Hello F. O!' | The Poilu is a wonder! He will snatch a cigarette, seribble a letter, read book, or sing a song just before | going into battle and-if he comes back-do it all over again.
 | They love athletics, not in so strenu- ! ous way as the Americans do but ! less seriously.
 They play football. baseball, cricket croquet and are especially efficient al boxing and fencing. During the cold weather they would go in crowds, down to a small stream, take off their shoes walk along the ice, until they found a thin place, break through with the bare foot, bathe their feet and think nothing of the hardship.
 You said your friends wrote you that Crocuses were out in ouI yard at home-well, Avions (Hun air planes) are out over here tonight. Ex- plosives never break our window glass as we have none, the huts have ar oiled canvas for windows, then we have heavy curtains, red inside and black outside that are drawn over the windows at night.
 When the "Avion Aberte" signal is sounded things get busy around { camp. .. A lot of new German prisoners were brought in today, and Oh! how young they are! One cannot help feeling sorry that youth, even German youtf must be sacrificed to the ambitions o the Beast of Berlin. Some of these boy, speak English, I asked a number o them how old they were, and they saic seventeen, and they had been in Wal over year =.
 In the fields are literally thousand. of soldiers-little narrow gauge R. R cars haul ammunition to the front Everything is done by system-mel stand at crossroads and direct just al the policemen do in large cities-thes men have, many of them, received tn, medals of honor, for they are marks for airmen.
 I do not want to write any horrible details of war-the censor would prob ably call halt on my letters if did but you cannot help mentioning when you see a young girl nurse lyin, so peaceful, with the tri-color o ! France wrapped around her and shrapnel wound in her forehead-o when you see old men and womel demented, raking up the ashes, wit
 their hands, of what was once to them Home, Sweet Home"
 Must tell you about the "Emergenc
 Chocolate" of the Australian soldier.
 The last thing the Australian gets before going in, is a generous piece o chocolate He stores it away mos
 carefully-for future use, for if he
 wounded "out there and cannot ge
 back and is not found by stretche , bearers at once-he eats his chocolat and it keeps strength in him until h
 is found. t. The last act of kind
 ness given a soldier going in, and tn . first act given him coming out is froI the Y. M. c. A. Hot cocoa, tea, b , of tobacco or maybe he'll ask for
 stick of gum, is ready. Some may thin it trivial but I assure you no solaie i would agree that is. A splendi , looking, young French soldier brougl l me some of his cartoons to look at or evening. He is the son of a note
 'Advocat" of southern France an
 wants to come to America after til
 The French have fashion of nam ing their big guns after people. (
 not know if thev think as kiplin v does, that the female of the specie : is deadlier than the male,' or not, bu v they always name the guns aftt women A few days ago a young car
 tain of artillery came to me and in tt s most formal manner requested tl : honor of naming their new soix-antt l quinze cannon for my wife fin apprt V citation of the many kindnesses yo s have shown our men"-so accepte Q the honor, and assured them I woul n inform you of their great favor, ct
 So you've got a French gun named f, g W A M1TiE5M.