Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-12-24
A GREAT DAY IN FRANCE.
An Interesting Description IN Letter
From Lieut.. Knox Kreutzer.

| A letter dated November II was re-
! cieved recently from Lieutenant Knox
| Kreutzer of the 127th Field Artillery
stationed at Clermont-Ferrand, France
describing the celebration in that city
after the armistice was signed. The
! editor asked permission to print parts
of the letter feeling that it would be
OF interest to the readers of the Pilot.
November IL, 1918.
Dearest Family:
Two days such as 1 have just ex-
perienced could never be equalled
again in dozen life times. You simp-
ly can't begin to realize how frantical-
ly happy France is. Yesterday, the
ever-to-be-remembered 11th- of No
vember, marked the signing of the
armistice by Germany and so the con-
clusion of the war.
Poor France, she has gone through
four years of untold hardship, suf-
fering and agony. She has been the
victim of Germany for seventy years.
Now she has won, triumphed, van
quished those who nave oppressed
her, and her joy and rapture is un-
speakable. l couldn't even begin to
picture it. She seems to be literally
crazy with joy. AS l write the crowds
from the square below my hotel win
dow are singin, crying, marching,
laughing and yelling, all in the same
moment. Over on the corner a large
gathering is cheering a band of Italian
soldiers who are singing their national
anthem. On the other corner a huge
crowd are singing LaMarsellais and
yelling and crying. Chains of girls,
all decked out, are moving here and
there in the Square and surrounding
Americans and dancing in a ring
around them. l saw an old French
Grandmother coming down the street
carrying French flag. Around her
was a huge crowd. Poilus and Amer
leans made a path for her and she was
crying for joy. She had been thru
1870, lost her husband there and now
two of her grandchildren had been
given up in this magnificent struggle
for liberty and justice. | went into
store to read the bulletin and a
pretty, vivacious French girl, siezed
me before a huge crowd and asked if
she might kiss me. l said "Que iris
grande compliment a moi, Madamoi-
selle," and so she embraced me then
and there to the immense joy of the
whole crowd of people. Since then
other French girls have not asked the
liberty but before the crowd would
come up, and smack you right on the
cheek or lips. America means almost
the same to them as France. l never
realized until today how tremendous
ly much the French adore America
and her boys. You see more Ameri-
can flags than all the others put to-
gether. l never saw anything in
America to begin to compare with
this fete day. America is openly well
coined above all and they can't seem
to do or say enough in appreciation.
The first thing that happened yester-
day after the news came of the sign
ing Of the armistice, was characteris-
tic of the American soldier. The
French hadn't quite grasped the full
meaning of it all but down the boule-
ward With a swinging pace and spirit
ed march came a "doughboy" (infan-
try) American brass band, an immense
crowd following them. They went to
the Square and, amidst indescribable
enthusiasm played the Allies Nation
al hymns, etc. France and America, of
course, received the lions share of ap-
plause. Perfectly immense crowds
filled every street, old and young,
women, men, boys, and girls, the uni
forms of every nationality on our
side were to be seen. The picture
was one which l will never, never for
get. Fire works were being thrown
into the sky. Long professions of peo-
pie marched everywhere, and every
where the American seemed to be-
Really the French will do anything
for us. You can imagine how, at the
fair grounds at home, during the best
and biggest day of the county fairs,
horns blowing, everyone happy, stores
closed, bright sunshine and happy
faces. Well, this thing here was some
thing like that only magnified thous-
and times. Horns, whistles, every
thing that can make noise combined
One procession had a German flag
over which flew the flags of the allies
Rank was forgotten most of the time
The colonel as well as the Buck Pri-
yate was in it for all he was worth
1t was some time. l wouldn't have
missed being here in France at this
time for anything in the world. 1t
was an experience which will be in
valuable to me always, a wonderful
memory of wonderful France. She is
marvellous country. "Vive la FranceI
Vive la "Amerique!" They are surely
brothers now One IS so conceitedly
proud of being American here that you
almost bust. l had dinner with ten
brother officers and friends In the