The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-06-03
|YANkS FALL FOR
FAIR FRENCH GIRLS
Writer Advises American Girls Who
Would Not Lose Their "Hank
Jones" to Write Real
Letters.
REASON FOR MARRIAGE
Pretty Names, Coy Ways and the
Courtesy Of MadamoissIie
Attract American
Soldiers.
by George T. Bye.l

| 10y SIeOIS6 IL. byo.l
LONDON. May 28.-The Yank has
come to Europe excellently trained
and advised. He has been prepared
for routine and emergencies that are
his soldier lot. He is well clothed,
well fed, quite adequately paid and
almost lowered over by army doctors
| and insistent that his health shall
not fail. His morals whether good or
bad, are up to a standard by compul-
sion.
But in one unmilitary incidental,
which we could hardly expect be-
whiskered war department to antici-
pate, our American has been, some
what like Achilles, vulnerably weak.
He has susceptible heart He has
not been warned to guard it. A mild
love drive disastrously overwhelms
him.
| A great many Yanks in the trenches
are fighting doubly hard because they
have double provocation-this is
their Americas righteous cause and 1t
also is war to drive the brutal Hun
out Of the country OF their wives!
YES" said the high consular Off
cial, "our boys are marrying French
/ girls in droves."
| nCdSOTV IOT IuC VvSoosuSs
| Why they marry, or rather why
they get in marrying mood, is easily
explained. You take the average
Yank who comes over. OF course, he
has left mother and sisters, probab-
| ly, and girl behind him-all deeply
interested, he supposes, In his future.
| He is billeted in an odd little village.
Either the girl back home doesn't
/ write regularly or the letters that
come are not satisfying. Perhaps they
iare too shallow. The Yank In his tray-
els has become a deeper fellow than
the giggler he was in the Palace movie
theatre in Hamletville. He wants the
real stuff in letter. If she writes
silly narrative of swell dances and
cute fellows he knows that the wish
you were here" is only half-hearted.
| Gradually, unwittingly, our soldier
boy loses his acute interest in home
and becomes curious about the odd
houses in the ancient little village and
their funny two-part doors that open
for rather shy, smiling. very polite
people, who seem to want to curtesy,
or even genuflect, every time they
meet him.
! The most surprising of his observa-
lions is that the girls are good, like
his sister. He can tell that by watch
ling them. They are sparkling, these
French mademoiselles, just as he ex-
Ipected, and they wear even old
/ clothes with a manner. There is
something chrrchly in their vivactty.
Something he had not expected.
pretty French Names.
He notices that one girl, or mayoe
1.-TWO sisters, live in a certain interest
ing house-rather neat girls. too. he
hears one call the other and the name
chimes in his memory Rene, or
iJeanne. or Margot or Yvonne. Pretty
names He wonders why they don't
have such Hitting names in America.
Inv and by he notices that Rene calls
Margot excitedly when he is passing.
A big thrill goes through him. mat
lis the beginning of the end.
1 In some way or other he does serv-
lice for Rene or Margot and this
amounts to an introduction to Rene's
!. papa and mamma, and then quite cere-
moniously to Rene herself.
And then-O, pshaw, why don't they
write back home? Fine way to treat a
fellow, And he shines up, brushes his
hair to make a formal call on Rene.
Kisses, he finds, are not tokens OF love,
hut expressions of esteem in frleqdiy
France. hut when Rene kisses Hank
ZONES goodnight, with papa and nam
ina looking their pleasure, 1t makes
+ Hank repeat over and over In ms
straw bunk that night, "Well, that KID
has won a home.
Difficulties for Grooms.
Quite roughly l have traced a
typical Franco-American romance.
some start a little differently. The
how might be billeted in the house
i of the girl. Or ne might be taking
French lessons from her or her
mamma. Or she and her sisters and
mamma may have gone out OF their
way to make Hank Jones and his
comrades a little more comfortable IN
their training camp. There may be
variations in the beginning, but the
ending is quite the same
The high official I mentioned is IN
the general consulate of the United
States in Paris. He told OF the
great trouble that had been caused
for our many consuls throughout
France months ago, when we had
much smaller army than now, by
stacks of applications for marriage
documents.
The consulates were soon so over
iburdened with these love affairs thai
| it became necessary for them to re
fuse the business. An international
lawyer, instead of the consul, by the
prevailing procedure must prepare
the certificate of marriageability anc
the bridegrooms commanding officer
has to certify his age. Then the
civil and religious ceremonies, ant
finally a notice to the surprised pain
ed. offended folks at home.
Pointers TO the Girls.
The only conclusion to come to II
that Won girls over in America hat
IL 81. he