New-York tribune., 1918-01-04

the Englishman none is so wide Of the
remark as the constant accusation that
he has no sense Of humor. 1t never was
true and least of all now. What we
mean is that the English don't under
stand our humor. If gentleman from
Mars should be invited in to judge, Pm
sure he would find "Punch" ever so
much more amusing than Life" and
he would probably declare that Ian Hay
or Bairnsfather had been inspired with
n deeper, truer, finer humor in his re-
action toward the war than our own
Ring Lardner, who compared the battle
Of Verdun to the worlds series. No
nation has been able to keep the edge
of its humor sharp in the face of war
as England has done. Only the Eng
lish have been able to look things as
they arc in the face and grin. And
while they grin they plug and stick and
fight.
All American soldiers and most
American officers who come abroad are
prejudiced against the English in some
degree. This widespread American
prejudice may have been one of the
reasons why our army trained with the
French. There was no military reason
for it. There is none now. 1t has
meant hours Of time wasted in the
process Of translation which is not al
ways accurate. Somebody has said in
classes, those who know no French
those who know no English and those
who know neither
The French "Call Down
The French have taught US much
They have been surprisingly tactful
with us and considerate Of an army
which is not quite so humble as green
army should be, but, after all is said
and done, we belong with the English.
We should train with them and fight
beside them. We have ideals in com
mon with the French, but in every day
1outine we differ at every turn. We arc
pretty much the same as the English.
"Rlpping" may sound peculiarly in our
cars, but it is bit nearer home than
tires gentil."
They used to say in the American
army camp that we could not train
with the British because we would.
hight with them, but finally some wise
men decided that fight or no fight it,
would be we'll for our soldiers to know
something of what the British had
done with the bayonet. The French
had taught US many things, but we
did not know enough to discount their
polteness: If they had any criticism
to make they prefaced it with so many
compliments before the "but" that the
average American officer did not know
ne was being called down.
When they begin to tell me about
my m! division" said one major general,
II fancy | hear hundreds of thrushes
and nightingales singing in the tree
tops"
One day there came into the train
ing area huge English major. He
was pink and white and immaculate
and he used phrases like "fed up" and
such like. He referred to the we'll
known boche, as the Hun. He began
mildly enough by telling a group Of
young ofhcers who We're training to
aug trench certain depth by a GER
tam time. He returned at that time
and the trench was not finished
Ihat's rotten" he said briefly. The
American officer in charge straight
ened up. He had not heard language
like that for a long time. Probably
not since Pershing's last inspection
You see, sir" he said, "this is very
bad soil: The men can hardly get
pick in it,"
II don't want to hear anv excuses"
SAID the English major; "that's rotten
work. That is all there is to it,"
Our Dislike of the British
He stayed until the trench was COM
pleted, and two weeks more, for that
matter, and when he left American
olcers were unanimous in their praise
OF him. He was all business and he
p,,%
dislike of the Englishman will be dis
slpated by more things than the reali-
zatlon that he has the will and the
knowledge and the courage to fight
supremely we'll. After all. this disIiko
or the English is q vapor puffed up by
Germans and Hearst and soma Irish
lrreconcilables. When the American
soldier comes to know the English SOL
der ne will like him just as the Amer
lean officer who meets the British Off
Ger almost invariably admires him.
~ laIc a number of young reserve
officers have been sent to the British
trenches as observers, and eyerv ona
with whom | have talked has come
back singing the praises of the British
and | mean Of the English as we'll as
the Canadians and Australians Many
OF them confessed that they had ex.
pected to find the average Englishman
a good deal like the silly ass Villain in
The Man From Home" They found
HIM a good fellow and a good fighter
There was no swank about the Brit;sh
they met. Men who had the military
cross of the D. S. O.. or the Victoria
Cross, could not be induced to saw
word about their prowess One young
American told me that he met Young
British officer who had the Victoria
CROSS and after he knew him little
ne tried to get the story out of him.