Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-13
WAR LETTERS
From Local Boys Serving the
Nation.

George W. Villain, in the office of
the chief engineer with the Amer
lean expeditionary forces in France,
formerly of Rock Island in the 10
cal United States engineers Of
fee has written a letter to The
Argus in which he encloses a clip
ping from a French paper telling
of a conference planned to arrange
for the American boys that are now
in France.
The translation from the French
clipping explaining itself follows:
The conference that will take
place Thursday at the city hall,
called by NJ. Gustave Lanson, pro-
fessor of the faculty of letters of
Paris, under the honorary presi-
dency of Madame la Marechale
Joffre, will have for its object en-
gaging the interest of our compat-
riots in creating firesides for the
Americans who are sOjourneying in
our midst
Our allies come to fight at our
sides for the common cause. Our
duty is TO gather them into our
domiciles and have them partake
of our family life, and give them
the feeling that they have found
amoung us home"
In our army our officers and men
have their furloughs during which
/ they enjoy again being with their
| families. and, when they are sick
| or wounded, they are given leave
/ to convalesce.
! Our friends are deprived of these
| pleasures and advantages. From
/ the deck of the ship that brings
| him across the ocean, the American
/ who leaves his relatives and his
! country sees the earth blend into
| the horizon, and, when he diSem-
/ barks on the soil of France, he is
| alone and isolated, face TO face
with his duty as a soldier, in &
| country where he does not know
/ the language and where everything
will be strange to him.
| The American nation mas put a.
our entire disposition her men anC
her resources. and We should throw
wide open the doors of our homes
| to them who bring us succOr witt
| their strength and their fortune.
| This frank and cordial French
! hOSpltdllIy Will De very uluCH ~
preciated by the United States and
will bear fruit in the future.
The committee makes appeal t.
| this patriotic audience, all of whom
understand how beautiful is the sac
! rifice being made by these youns
| boys from over the sea who come Il
ms with so much enthusiasm anC
idealism and how great is the mora
obligation of France to those brave
and courageous soldiers who have
such faith in her success and sucl
confidence IN her destiny.
The people of our beautiful cit,
should respond to our appeal anC
gladly receive among themselve:
our new allies and thus show tina
the ancient virtues and traditiona
hospitality of the French family
still lives In the heart of our beau
tiful France.
r.. Cline OF the Cline and Shaw
Coal Co. has received the follow
ing letter from his son Corporal r
y. Cline. who is in France:
Somewhere in France. April IL
l9lS-Dear Father: Have no
written for about two weeks as W,
have been very busy. Work seem
to come in spells; sometimes 70
few weeks there is little TO &C
and again we are so rushed that w
work day and night At presen
our day is from 500 a. IN. to mid
night. The work is very interest
ing though. for it is not unmixet
with excitement Would like L
tell you about some of our interest
ing experiences. but censorship for
bids mentioning all those connect
ed with our progress at the front
| received your letter of Feb. .
couple of days ago. II was some
what delayed in transit, as most o
the first class mail is reaching US il
three weeks now.
The razor came last week and
was mighty glad to get it. They ar
a scarce article over here. AM
there is more ceremony in getting
shave or haircut in a Frencl
"hairdressing parlor" than there i
az a formal ball. The operations re
quire about an hour. 1 got int
one of the places one day for ;