The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-09-10
BY ELoISE

by ELOlSG nO6iTNSON.
Since early in the war there have
been numbers Of Chinese with the
French and British armies in France
not in the fighting line but in that
enormous army of laborers which
makes 1t possible to carry on the a
Nearly a hundred thousand of these
are working with the British in north
ern France, and more than forty thou
sand more are scattered all over the
country with the French. Now they
are coming into the American lines In
large numbers.
Most of these men come from north
ern and central China, and for the
same reasons that many of our Ameri-
can boys came to France before the
United States entered the war. Some
of them were attracted by the high
pay and the chance to better their
own condition, som of them out of
pure love of adventure, still others be-
cause of their appreciation of what
this struggle means in their own fu-
ture history.
And there are, too, not a few Chi
nese scholars and men of some dis
tinction in their own country who
have been forced to leave for political
reasons, as well as young students
from England or America. They are
engaged in making ammunition, In the
construction Of buildings, in paving
roads, in loading and unloading ships
md frninS-fn oil tho fhnt1Cond aud
n "war industries" that have direct
ly and indirectly to do with the main
tanning of the allied armies In France.
Lack of Understanding.
Merely for the sake of efficiency Ii is
of Importance that a feeling of mutual
understanding and sympathy should
exist between the Yank and the Chi
who has come to be his neigh
Dor. Officials recognize it's military
value and have met with appreciation
the efforts of the Y. M. c. A., which Is
carrying on the work i'm most of the
camps where Chinese are located.
Most of the difficulties were due to
lack of understanding. For instance,
a quiet, Woodworking Chinaman had
some trouble with his eyes and was
ordered to the only place where he
could have protection from the light.
which happened to be the guardhouse.
No doubt the Yank tried to explain to
him on the way just why he was be-
Ing sent there, but his efforts were not
noticeably successful. All that Ching
Chinaman could comprehend, and all
that his friends could comprehend was
that he was being shut up In the "Hei
WI Use" when he had committed no
offense. Or, when the energetic dough-
boy wanted to hasten along the DELHI
crate coolie he would wave his arms
wildly In the air and, with the idiotic
instinct we all have to believe that
the man who does not speak our Ian
guage is hard of hearing, yell at the
top of his lungs.
"Come on, you fellows, let's CO."
Unfortunately, however, Ego" In Chi
nese means dog, the laborers supposed
they were being "bawled out" for some
inexplicable reason, and there might
have been trouble had not a "Y'' Sec
tCNuiy WIN Iidu OuCt pttu u IulSSlOildTy
to China Strengthened things out. As
1t was, coolie and doughboy went off
together with grins ON their faces.
Cinnamon car appreciate a joke, as
well as Yanks, and a new word was
added to their vocabularies.
Anxious to Learn.
Some of the men have already
picked up a considerable knowledge
of French, and they are eager to learn
English. Both American officers and
enlisted men have volunteered to con-
duct classes In English.
Beyond the immediate benefit to the
men themselves and their increased
efficiency to the army, there is a larger
benefit of this work with Ching China
man. After the war he is going home
to the interior of China to be looked
up to by his friends and relatives and
by the whole community as a man of
Information and Importance. He will
be a leader in his village, and his
word will carry weight. The engineers
directing Chinese work will be among
those to go to China to have a share
In the great industrial development
which Is sure to come at the close Of
the war.