The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-04-29
UNCLE SAM AND JOHN BULL WILL
Be FAST FRIENDS AFTER THE WAR
BY G. G. Lyon
Reporter for The Times With the
American Army i'm France.

hhiSTNah army !" AE"hSS'
SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE,
April 29.-America and Great
Britain are going to be the best
of friends after this war.
1t has taken this struggle to
make both nations realize how
silly and useless have been the
jealousies and animoslties Of the
past.
American school histories have
always added fuel to the past I'LL
feelings against the British; and
in very recent years there is lit
tie doubt that German propa-
ganda has helped it along.
The new feeling Of real friend
ship is to be primarily the out
growth of the mingling of Ameri-
can and British soldiers on the
western battlefront.
Have Sent Bad Types.
Americas fighters are finding
their British comrades in arms
bully good fellows.
And likewise, the British Tom
my has discovered that every
American isn't a rich braggard,
forever making odious COMPARE
sons between what he finds on
this side of the Atlantic with
what he has at home.
We've both been rather I'M
fortunate in the past in the types
that have visited the others
country" said fine, two-fisted
British soldier, who Is an in
structor in one of the training
schools for American officers in
France.
Before the war a lot of snob-
bish, bankrupt Englishmen would
go over to America looking for
rich wives. Most of these fellows
had nothing to recommend them
except, perhaps, an illustrious
great-grandfather, long dead, and
badly damaged social position.
Not REAL Ones.
Naturally, this type of fellows
was fruit as you say, for your
caricaturists and humorists and
you Americans got the idea that
every Britisher was a chinless
fop, with just enough physical
strength to lift a cup of tea at an
afternoon party.
ION the other hand, a lot of
Americans would come to our
country and give us a wreng i'm
preston of your citizenship. For
the most part they were new-rich,
whose idea of creating an impress
sion abroad was to make a vulgar
display of their wealth and criti-
cize everything we had on this
side.
snow, the REAL Britisher
and the REAL American
were too busy with the seri-
GUS duties OF life at home to
GO jOy-riding about the
globe. 1t is only since Amer
lea sent troops to France
that 1 personally have had a
chance to find out what q
fine, clean, likeabIc fellow
the average American is.'
The real Britisher that one
meets in the war zone, whether he
be high officer or q private, is a
modest, unassuming man, always
courteous. but game to the core
and absolutely fearless in battle.
He goes on the theory that. to-
morrow will probably be his last
day, so today, when he is at
grips with the Hun, HE WILL
GIVE HIM EVERYTHING HE'S
GOT.
Too Reserved.
If there's any one thing that
handicaps him it Is too much
modesty. Reserve, It is often
called,
He's not a "glad-hand" artist
like most Americans. A social
system at home, hundreds OF
years old, amounts almost to a
caste system, and he is always
waiting for the other fellow to
make the first move, lest he be
considered forward"
But once the ice is broken, he
is a delightful companion. In the
war zone, one very often sees
groups of Americans and British
ers fraternizing, smoking their
pipes, and having jolly good
times. And what do you suppose
they talk about most?
TsIIrIp COMMON TANCJ1AGEf
Most American slang is Greek
to the Britisher and We use terms,
even in fairly polite conversation,
that are vile profanity to him !;
while some of his everyday terms
are absolutely taboo with us.
Real Fighters.
How can we appreciate your
American jokes when we don't
know what you are talking
about?" a Tommy pleaded one
day.
The British have come to have
profound respect for American
fighting qualities.
Hundreds and thousands OF
Americans joined the Canadians
and came to France to fight be-
fore America herself entered the
war and they have given fine &C
counts of themselves.
The American and Britisher
fighting men are making their re-
speetive countries real friends
they're completely undoing the
I ~ N.w