Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-18
Seen in France Where
Bio American Seaport
Base IL Being Built

letter just published. written
from a French seaport to the New
York Times by Theodore stanton
and dated March %, tells something
of how the American soldiers and
sailors over there have taken pos
session of one of the largest and
richest seaports OF France. This IS
the letter:
Il arrived yesterday from New
York. landing in one OF the prlncl-
pal seaports of France, which l lelt
lust two years ago; and during the
last twenty-four hours | have oeen
wandering about the city, observing
and chasing my impressions. III
were to give you these impressions
in detail they would fill a page OF
your paper. What follows are these
impressions, generalized and con-
densed, as far as they have to 90
with things American:
LAS our ship came into port We
ran very close to one shore. where
we saw under construction one OF
our biggest bases in France. Long
wharfs extended out into the bay,
the material having all been brought
from the United States. The work
men are all Americans. The whole
thing will be completed within ten
DAYS said one of them to me, later.
"A special American railway is al
so being rapidly finished 1t Will go
right up to the front. The naval
band on our ship played martial and
patriotic airs as we sailed by, which
called down to the shore hundreds OF
our soldiers and workmen. who
cheered and welcomed to France the
some 1900 soldiers and sailors
whom we had on board.
THE streets OF this city are as full
of American officers and soldiers as
they are Of French officers and SOL
diers., Not even the small boy turns
to look at them, SO habituated is he
to the American uniform. At the
shoeshining stand was soldier from
Chicago, Just back from the front.
All is going on nicely there. We are
we'll fed and enthusiastic
AT the Geographic office was a
youth in uniform who had been two
years in the French Foreign Legion.
He was sending a cable home to say
that he was coming over on a leave
of absence. We shall finish them up
by next August Three American Of
ficers, the perfect picture of health
and energy, came into my hotel res
taurant. Yes, our men mean bust
ness In the hospital quarter of the
city | noticed three American nom
commissioned afficers standing in
the door of an abandoned bakery.
The sign over the door told this.
We are converting this shop into an
annex to our military hospital
There is an important United
States military post office in this
city. | inspected it. We have half
dozen post office clerks, all of whom
have had at least six years expert
ence in postal work. IF complaints
are made from this side that letters
do not come or are late, the fault is
on the other side. Great motor drays
with u. s. painted conspicuously on
them, and manned by American sol
diers, are continually seen in the
streets, busy at their work One of
these was numbered 1877, which
doesn't mean that we haven't larg-
er number in France. At dinner / sat
at a table next to two American Of
ficers. We came down from Limog-
es last night I found it hard to get
a room il my favoTits hotel. The
American officers and their order
lies have taken all our extra accom-
modations.' At the big central rail-
way station are two representatives
of the American military police,
the reason given being because SO
many of our boys come this way
In a word, our soldiers and sail
ors have taken possession Of one of
hn low rSr -
France.
= Since We entered the war last
April, I had been in the United
States. Though l read carefully dur
ing that time both Paris and Ameri-
can journals. I had no idea of the
activity and extent Of our work over