Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-02-27
M. PICARD AROUSES
ENTHUSIASM FOR WAR

Mr.. Jean Alcide Picard an officer Of
the French army, spent four busy days
among the Young Mems Christian Asso-
Citations OF camp last week This was the
thirtieth camp ne had visited and few, II
any kept him more busy than this. He
spoke during the evening in each OF the
buildings sometimes to Officers and
to enlisted men. He spoke in the morn
ing at two different times to regiments of
artillery He spoke on the drill field to
the entire 10th Regiment. He addressed
the Sanitary Train and Motor Supply
Train from the out-of-door stand of the
Field Hospital He spoke to the doctors
and the attendants at the Base Hospital;
to the men at the Remount Station; and
to various other groups of men.
The women of Angus = and especially
the wives and relatives of enlisted men
heard him at the First Baptist Church,
He had one theme for all but with
varied message. His theme was What
the Soldier Boys viii Find in France" A
warm welcome awaits them. Friends
will be found in the mothers OF boys who
have gone to the French front, some
never to return. Safeguards are provid
ed against strong drink, though not as
yet against beer or Wine. But, said he,
France stands ready to prohibit all alco-
holic drinks if the American boys do not
know how to use them without abuse"
In France the boys win find the people
sobered by the war People do not dance
in France.
Life in the trenches is not all hardship
Rest comes at stated intervals when the
men are sent to biilets in quiet section
of the country. Then especially is it de-
sirable that the soldiers have some
knowledge of the French language III or
der that they may ask for the necessities
of life He who speaks French generally
gets the best accommodation. In M
Picard's phrase, "a soldier may eat pork
and beans and sleep on straw in English
or he may eat roast chicken and sleep in
comfortable bed in French" In going
to large cities for a ten days leave the
boys must be chaperoned by some good
family acceptable to the authorities, or by
the Young Mems Christian Association.
Nj. Picard allowed questions He said
that the French soldiers pay was cents
per day and the British SIS per month,
and that General Pershing had asked that
the American soldiers be allowed to retain
but six dollars of their pay. AS a rule
| American soldiers in France have too
much money to spend, He could not tell
when the war would end except to say
| that the harder we fight, the sooner it
will end And the longer we delay our
! training and preparation the longer the
war will continue. France has more men
| under arms than ever before. And Eng
land has more than France. Now the
brave soldiers of America are added to
the allied line Also. the allied armies
have more ammunition than ever. He
| called especial attention to the twenty
| one inch French shell. seven feet tall,
| weighing one ton, which is shot an aver
| age distance of twenty miles
! All of Mr. Picard's lectures tended to
0eFeIop enthusiasm Aot the aIldcN on
! Germany and to give a reasonable basis
! to our soldiers for the desperate efforts
which win be required of them. He en-
/ couraged discipline training, and the
/ development of the highest military eff
| fcienCy in order that our armies might
successfully combat the most dastardly
and barbarous warfare of the militaristie
| Prussians. M. Picard went from here to
Macon and will continue his good work in
a number of other camps before his re-
turn to New York. His intimate knowI-
| edge of the situation in France, as well as
! his previous acquaintance with the
/ United States fits him almost ideally for
! this important mission.