The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-10-01

lot Of old men, veterans Of the
Franco-Prussian war, they said, who
were not slow in taking off their
hats and shouting "Vive LAmeri-
camel" From that moment on, we
have been the recipients of all sorts
Of favors. The people help us with
their language and smile and speak
as we pass along the streets.
/ want to say right now that we
Americans should be ashamed Of
ourselves for the impatient way in
which we dismiss foreigners who are
bit backward with our language.
These good folks here get out die
tionary or our French books and hunt
through until they find the phrase
we're struggling so hard to say, and
then they smile-and there you are.
1t is quite a contrast to the surly
way some of we Americans have had
in Diminishing the foreigner with a
curt nod, or short answer.
Call Us Their Best Friends.
The French people themselves de-
clare us to be their greatest friends.
One old woman last night, in con-
versation with one of our men who
understands French, said, with tears
streaming down her face, that 1t was
too bad we had to leave our homes
and come SO far to help them, but
that it was our help which would
turn the tide. A young lad whose
acquaintance l have made, and who
is studying English and Spanish as
we'll as French, said last night that
Lafayette and the great Franklin"
were comrades and like brothers.
His face frightened when l, in
the best French l could, explained
how America appreciated the help
of Lafayette and the French soldiers
in our revolution. | told him Ameri-
ca was trying to pay back a little OF
the debt she owed to France, but he
insisted that Lafayette was proud to
fight under Washington, and that
France regarded the United States
with the kindest feelings.
Comrades and Brothers.
1--WE are comrades and brothers,
he said, and brought out history
book which showed some pictures OF
Franklin, Lafayette, Washington and
the king, and pointed to them with
great pride.
Everywhere 1t is the same. The
men in many instances uncover as
they pass us, and in return receive
a good old army salute The women
smile and bow as we pass, and we
are trying as best we can to uphold
the record for courtesy which the
French seem to think belongs to the
American army. We can't touch
them for genuine politeness, how
ever. "Merci" is q much used word,
and one that is used much more
sincerely by these folks than we
employ our thank you"
French and American soldiers fra
ternize like old pals, and it doesn't
take long to decipher a tale OF
trenches and wounds, even though
most Of the language is the sign
language, which after all is the old
est and, guess, most satisfactory
of all, at times at least.
Recalling the Past.
We were two weeks on the ocean
on our trip from America to the
port at which we landed in England.
You can imagine how queer de-
scendant of revolutionary soldier
felt, marching up the street of an
English city, to the tune Of Yankee
Doodle" whistled by the soldiers.
We were well received through
England, but nowhere was the cor
diality so marked as in France. l
wondered if the English soldiers who
took Philadelphia that winter, or
rather, as Franklin said. "Philadel-
phia took them" didn't have as
much the same sort OF welcome as
we did in England, but 1 can i'm
agine that the enthusiasm OF the
French towards us was much like that
shown towards our French allies in
the revolution, coming as they did in
our hour of need.
England is a pretty country, and
the neatness and orderliness or
things strikes you as you ride across
the country as we did. The cities,
however, are like picture from
Dickens or Eliot's books. You could
imagine Little Nell or Silas Mariner
coming down some of the crooked,
narrow streets. In France, one could
easily see Millets inspiration for
some Of his peasant and field pic
lures.
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