Imperial Valley press., 1918-12-16

A picture of the way france ana
the Yanks, those khaki-clad heroes
who helped put the knockout blow to
the body of Kaiserism, received the
news of the armistice, which meant
the victorious end of history's great
est war, is given in letter received
by Mr.. and Mrs. George A. Ragan
from their son Paul, a member OF the
American Expeditionary Force.
The letter follows:
Dear Mother and Dad:
1t is over; Our battalion comman-
der called us together today and told
us the official news. We had been
practically certain of it since yester-
day, but various rumors had been
afloat and today they were all set at
rest by Captain Ranney's words: 1T
is a complete victory for the Allies.
The Kaiser has abdicated, the Crown
Prince doesn't want the job, and a
Socialist now rules Germany!"
Isn't it wonderful? 1t seems al
most beyond belief. Here in this little
ruined. deserted French village, so
recently ly evacuated by the German SOL
diers. where their sign posts still
adorn the streets and buildings, and
their sauer kraut and cabbage gar
dens still flourish. | have ben walk
ing around all day trying to make
myself believe that it wasn't a pleas-
ant dream from which l should pres
emily awake, to hear the old familiar
booming of the guns and to lind that
we were still at war.
And yet it has seemed inevitable to
me ever since the fall Of Turkey. The
opening of the Dardanelles and the
Black Sea. added to Bulgaria's defeat,
shattere1 Germany's hopes in Russia
and in the south. To my mind this
was the last straw for Germany, who
had already resigned herself to defeat
on the western front. And how quick
lv the fall came. The rapidity OF
Germany's crumbling speaks much for
the unstable internal conditions into
which she has fallen.
have lust finished reading Samuel
Harden Church's reply to the German
professors appeal to civilization,
which has greatly interested me. lie
"canot help wondering what the reck-
oning will be between the German
people and the rulers when this war Is
over" That day of reckoning mas
come. as he felt sure it would come,
and we find Germany in the throes
of a revolution, the outcome OF Whlch
will undoubtedly be the end OF the
Hohenzollerns. :.
II is over! Tonight there is JOY In
millions of soldiers hearts, as there
is in mine; there is happiness In num-
dreds of thousands of homes, as !
know there is in mine; thousands OF
bent. weary, home-hungry peasants
are lifting their hearts to God IN
PRAYERS of Thanksgiving. l have seen
them plodding along the roads with
their few earthly possessions, com,
ing back home, their wrinkled ola
faces lit up with joy have seen some
of them brought back from years OF
servitude behind the German lines.
Many of them have nothing but heaps
of ashes to return to, but they are
happy. What a wonderful thing
peace is! And. oh, how / thank God
that it has been my privilege to help
bring it to pass. To see the joy VIII
ten on the face of one of these SIMPLE
kindly French peasants who is com
ing back home-that alone repays me
for the few paltry sacrifices l have
made over there.
And so / am glad tonight, dear
ones; glad for you and for all those
whose duty it was to stand and walt;
clad for the weary, mud-bespattered
French veterans, whose spirit has for
service for mankind and the homes
which have given them are the greater
givers. That l shall never forget.
over ofur years led them on and on,
defeated in many engagements but
never losing faith, their souls ever
CRYING "En avant!" Glad for all our
own boys, whose dash and bravery
has held the interest of the world
o.lal oil thu