Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-24
FRENCH IN NEED
AMERICAN TOOLS
John Saaholm, Paris Representative
CT Deere l. Co.. Says United States
Machinery is Required.

is the word that is contained in a let
ter which Mayor NJ. r. Carlson has
received from John Seaholm. Paris
of Deere & Co. Trac-
tors from the United States are al
ready making the land blossom as the
rose" asserts the Moliner.
Since his arrival in France he has
met many Pillow City boys. including
Leonard ALL. Howard Bredt, Winfield
Bredt, Howard Cooper, and Arnold,
Paul and Arthur Gullberg.
After telling of the trip across the
ocean in which special care was taken
when the submarine danger zone was
reached, the writer continues:
ION arriving at the French port and
while our ship was being docked had
the unexpected pleasure of seeing and
talking to one Of our Moline boys
whom l saw from my position at the
rail of the main deck of the ship. This
incident again groves that the world
is quite small, as neither this boy nor
l had any knowledge as to each 9TH
er's whereabouts at this time.
1.-THE boy in question is Leonard
ALL, who, incidentally, is cousin OF
my wife He is one of the boys who
volunteered for service shortly after
war was declared by the United States
and is in the U. S. marine corps. The
following day l visited the camp where
Leonard ALL is stationed and there |
met three more Moline boys, all of
whom are volunteers and in the same
branch of service.
They are Howard Cooper, Arnold
Gullberg and Winfield Bredt. The
boys are looking fine and were feeling
fine both mentally and physically.
Some of them have gained in weight
from 10 to 20 pounds. That is an indi-
cation that all is well with them and
that they are well provided for by
Uncle Sam. Another Moline boy with
whom l frequently visit is Arthur
Gullberg, who is connected with the
aviation service in France. He has
recently received his commission as
lieutenant.
Il might state here how it happened
that Leonard ALL was at the dock
when our ship landed. He was one Of
detail of men assigned to get the
regimental mail expected on our boat.
Receiving mail is one of the things all
the boys in khaki over here look for
ward to with great interest.
while our ship was slowly steam
ing along and close to shore we were
greeted with cheers from hundreds of
our boys along the shore. and among
the many questions called out by them
was. Have you got any mail for u.s.
Along the shore at this place there
were signs Of great activity by the
Z. S. forces.
Il am in Paris at the present time.
While | do not know what life in Paris
is like in peace times, l can hardly
realize that am only short distance
from the great battles raging some
where on the western front. Business
and life in Paris seems to be normal
to the stranger. The cost of living
here is higher than in the United
States, but practically everything can
be had if one will pay the price
There are of course some unmis-
taxable signs here of the results of
the long and great struggle, such as
crippled men, scarcity of young men
| in civilian clothes and the unusual
number of young women in mourning
! But all this seems to be taken with a
calm cheerfulness and a determination
j to keep on with the struggle until the
end sought for is won.
! Outside of seeing soldiers of all
shades and in great many kinds OF
uniforms, the only military activity to
/ be seen in Paris is that of the air
planes. Airplanes are numerous in
Paris and can be seen on patrol duty
above the city at most any time of the
day or night. l was in hope of being
able to see some of the old battlefields
and to get near enough to the firing
lines to at least hear the sound of the
guns. But find this is impossible fol
one who has no business there.
NO one can get nearer than large
number of miles of the battle from
without a pass, and these passes are
not issued except for good reasons
My impression of France, after seeins
two of its principal cities, Bordeau,
and Paris, and the country between
the two cities (about $50 miles,, i.
that it is wonderfully beautiful
country. l do not wonder that thu
French people are desperately de
Tending it.
MY mission in France Is one o
farm tools for Deere & Co. There ap
pears to be serious shortage of farm
tools here at the present time, as some
of the factories have fallen into tn,
hands of the Germans and those tina
are in the hands of the French ar,
being used largely for the manufac
ture of war material
But | believe the American man
ufacturer will see to it that Franc,
will have the tools it needs in shor
order. American tractors and plow
have already started to turn the sol
here The farms in France as a rul,
are too small for tractor outfits, Blu
with government aid communities ar
+ buying such outfits. Then all tillabl
land in that community is plowed b,
the community tractor regardless O
whether or not the tenant can pay fo
the work.
In conclusion. want to say that
am very much impressed by the appre
citation shown by the French peopl
in our coordination with them in tn
fight against kaiserism. Their appre
citation is everywhere evident"
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