Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-12-01
A Visit to the Seat of War

years over that part OF France which
our party saw.
The south has the tradition of the
civil war. The idea Of ragged and
hlOmst starving soldiers, OF civilians
reduced to the most dire poverty. A
newspaper tells OF calamity OF the
exciting. the sensational and the un-
usual That II news. CurlOusly
enough, ] had pictured. printed and
read OF the horrors OF war, until |
FOUND that ! had oycrest.matcd them
In some regards.
For example, expected to find
suffering and poverty among tho
masses of England and Scotland. |
do not recall at this writing that |
SAW single person In England, Scot
land or France who was in rags
There were few beggars in Paris.
perhaps, but none In England and
Scotland. The prices OF food are
nigh, and certain articles OF food
are hard to secure, but the men.
women and children OF England ana
Scotland appear to be well nourished
ana well dressed. vigorous and physi-
cally III. The same statement Ia
true In part Of France. There. food
seems to be more plentiful, fuel even
scarcer than 1t is in England and
Scotland. | am inclined to believe
that the statement had heard some
time before leaving America In true.
That is, that the British deliberately
cut down heavily on their ratiOns
In order that France might have
more food for her civil population.
All Of the allied armies are well
fed. saw English soldiers going
into battle looking as spick and span
as they ever appeared on parade. ]
did not notice patch on shoe or
boot even or the French soldiers,
and the French soldiers have not
the style or equipment OF the Eng
lish and Americans. BY the summer
OF 1918 English munition factories
had been developed beyond the
point OF possible consumption by the
armies OF certain essential munitions.
But more interesting than the
modern and material England were
the English people. Banquets, public
functions, Interviews, give an oppOr-
tunity for formal and diplomatic ex-
change OF greetings. Life, the real
thought OF men and women, the real
attitude Of n people, is TO he secured
rather by informal conversation. 1t
grows out OF acquaintance and con-
grows out OF acquaintance and con-
cluslons too quickly.
Carlisle is north Of England
town, typical Of many towns in Eng
land. The most OF our party had
dragged through a cold. rainy day
visiting munition works, and had
gone TO bed, There was one fire in
the hotel and Richard Oulahan and
l wero hugging this, when there
came from the station nearby some
familiar sounding yells. We went
out to explore.
A troop train was In tho station.
From the compartment windows OF
scores Of cars the heads OF some hum
dreds OF American soldiers were
sticking. The boys were shouting.
singing and looking things over gem
orally. They had come from some
northern seaport and were twelve
days on transport coming over The
voyage had been rough. They had
been loaded on train and We're due
to travel all night. Inquiry de-
veloped the fact that these soldiers
were from about every state in tho
Union. They were part Of a convoy
OF 25 thousand Just landed.
In the station were you~- girls,
old women and men, perhaps hun
dred in all, citizens of Carlisle.
Every one of them was busy furnish
ing hot tea. coffee, sandwiches and
refreshmens free TO these tired
soldiers.
The train pulled out; another
pulled in. The performance was re-
peated. All night long this went on.
Somehow l wished that the mothers
and wives and sweethearts of those
boys could have seen what these
folks IN England were dOin". 1t was
not speech making, or editorials, or
discourse, about international friend
ship. But II was Just the kind Of
thing you would be glad To do for the
boys OF your friends who were going
along To fight for your country Az
well al their own.
II your boy happens 10 get sick
or be wounded and liz sent TO an
English house or hospital TO be
cared for, he will receive Just the
same kind Of attention you would
give sick or wounded English
soldier. And II he Is located In a
camp in England he will have the
opportunity OF meeting Just as many
nice people az he would have II he
were located in your home town.
| brought this very definite i'm
preston away from Great Britain
that the people there will do any
thing within their power to extend
courtesies and kindnesses to Amcri-
cans. that nothing has touched their
hearts more than that the people
who speak their language and are Of
their blood have come from Aus
tralia and New Zealand, from Rho
desia and Canada, and from the
United States, to help carry on" the
great war.
Perhaps Europe had wrong idea
OF America nrInr 10 this Mar Thn