Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-23
PHYLLIS ]. WALSH
! PUZZLED FRENCH
"Didn't Know What to
Make of Me-" Says Am
bulance Driver
WON M A FRIENDS
Athletic American Girl Created
Much Interest-She Has Fol-
lowed Adventurous Career

As a type Of the strong, athletic Amer
lean girl who is a novelty to the French,
Miss Phyllis J. Walsh, of Orerbrook.
who has just returned from Europe.
created much interest and amusement
among the French people, according to
her own account.
''Of course, the French did not kno
Just what to make OF me- she said
this afternoon with reminiscent smile
as she spoke of her adventures over
there"
And in that smile one could catch a
glimpse Of the whole-hearted llkable girl
who must have won the friendship OF
young and old with whom she came IN
contact, even though she might have
struck them as different from the women
of France.
Pictures OF her In her own truck and
In her civilian relief work while with
the American Fund for French wounded
gave ample proof regarding the place
which she held in their affections.
Has Won Tennis Lnurels
Miss Walsh, who Is the daughter of
Mrs. Philip Jordan Walsh, Jr., 6O12
Drexel road. has already won her lau-
rels as a tennis player in this country,
although when leaving for France she
was barely twenty-one years old.
The energy which she put into her
fast game on the courts made her In
valuable as a war worker, when long
and firing hours, with hard physical Ia
Dor, were the lot OF the woman who
drove an ambulance at the front. In
recognition Of her service she was
awarded the Croix de Guerre.
safety in Poor shooting
1.-THE civilians did not leave that sec
ton, which was near Nancy until the
Americans came. All last winter there
were 1000 persons living at places which
were at times one-third OF a mile from
the firing line. Their only SAFETY lay IN
the fact that the Germans were really
very poor shots. Out Of $50 m
there would sometimes be about thirty
five casualties, which Is so small a num-
Der as hardly to be considered.
or this principle, the munition plants
did not stop work during raids. To show
how indifferent they were, let me tell
of their plans for a celebration In com.
memoration Of the first American SOL
diers to be killed in France.
There were three soldiers, and their
graves lay side by side near Bathele-
mont, each fenced In with a wooden rail
and marked with a wooden cross The
French decided to have a great white
monument in honor of these men and
as a mark of appreciation for the help
of America. They chose a site at the
very top Of the hill, which proved to
be a splendid target for the German
bombers.
Only Old Men Left
.np1,, f1,o old ,ar laft to ~ -
the stone for this monument. Inc as
their carts would go along the exposed
road. they would look like camions,
and the Huns would take a shot at them.
Now the old men did not enjoy this, and
the result was that it took a long time
to get the material collected and the
monument built.
"Then they decided TO nave a great
celebration and to invite several gen.
erals of French, American n Other
Allied armies to attend. Plans were
completed before the French realized
that II the Germans got wind Of such q
gathering they would be sure to make
u special effort to bomb 1t and literally
kill many birds with one stone SC
they finally had the exercises at u place
further away from the firing line and
every one in the vicinity attended"
Miss Walsh had much of interest to
tell Of the camoufage. about which
Americans returning from the war zone
have necessarily, until recently, been re-
ticent.
1T was sometimes amusing to see a
town which had just been taken from
the Germans" she said. The streets
would be ~camouiaged on one side in
German style and on the other side in
French style.
A army of French women was kept
busy painting the wooden ammunition
houses so that they could not be dis
tinguished from the fields. Many of the
women were artists, and they we're bored
at the idea Of just laying the paint on in
meaningless splashes. so they painted
pictures. These pictures were Of cartoon
type, and would represent such subjects
as Apollo thumbing his nose at the
Crown Prince.
Held CamouRage Ball
Speaking Of ~camoufage, the night of
the armistice the American boys gave
French, American and English workers a
camoufiage ball. 1t was a wild night,
at Mousson, where was at the time,
and every one Joined in the torchlight
procession OF the celebration. The Sec
ond Army started a drive that night at
Mousson, and took one hill, as their
final contribution to the victory.
ut was near Mousson that the drive
toward Nancy had been checked. and We
could sec the remnants of the old bridge
which had been blown up to save the
towD5 After hat time they threw to-
gethef one bridge after another, for this
was a spot which was often bombed
Over these fragile bridges, only two or
three civilians were allowed to cross at q
time. The sign stating this order caused
much amusement among the Americans
for. translated literally, 1t read: you
must circulate In small packages