Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-04-01
Story From "The Wild Rose" Pub.
lished by Men Of 16Sth Division
Shows How Americans Treat
French Riddles.
KIDS GUESTS AT MOVIE SHOW
American Pictures Brighten TOung-
Sters.-Write Note of Thanks
Next Day.

France" One of the most common,
everyday happenings at home was re-
ceived with the greatest delight by the
boys and their guests-tWenty-five liz
tie French children. So many of the
boys in this division are from Webster
N City and Hamilton county that the ac
count OF the movie program will prob
ably be read with interest by all. It
follows:
Twenty-Five little French kids, the
"eleves" of Madame Cheriot, school
teacher of b, were the guests
of the First Battalion of the best regi-
ment of the A. E. F. at a motion pic
ture show at the Y. M. C. A. last We'd
nesday night.
1t was their first cinema for most OF
the youngsters, and the first in sew
eral months for the soldiers, so one
not present can understand in slight
measure what sort of an entertainment
it was.
The fun began when Capt Chas. W..
Atkins, battalion commander, in the
absence of Major Worthington, invited
the children to the show. Kids are
kids the world over, and the news of
the fact that they were to see flicker
show, and an American" one at that,
furnished the chief topic Of converse
ton in young B. for the day
Kids We're Glad.
"Cinema! Oh la la," Bon Ameri-
can" and dozen or more similar ex-
pressions greeted the invitation. Did
they accept? Ask the captain. He
gathered enough of the ten thousand
or more French words that were pour
ed out to him to understand that they
did, and were more or less glad of the
chance.
At o'clock the school assembled
and, headed by the teacher, marched,
or rather waded, through the mud to
the Y. M. C. A. to learn as they arrived
that the machine had failed to come
But while the clouds were the darkest
aY. M. C. A. jitney wheeled in with its
load Of sunshine and this part OF
France forgot the war for a couple OF
hours. The machine, the flash OF white
light and the work of getting ready
entertained the youngsters until the
pictures were ready, and then, whether
the pictures or the kids amused the
soldiers most during the first film
would be hard to tell.
Fooled the Youngsters.
The first picture showed two eques-
TRANS out for ride The pair was
far in the distance at first, rapidly
coming nearer. Finally they grew to
life size and were galloping straight
ahead. That was too much lot tne
five, six and seven year old French
kids, who had never seen movie be-
fore. There was squirming ana
squealing growing almost to panic
as the children expected any moment
to be galloped underfoot by the riders.
But the horsemen kindly turned OIL
to one side at the right time, and a
tragedy was averted.
For four reels the children chartered
and the soldiers suggested sub-titles
for the pictures. Monsieur Gauche'
French Interpreter, read in French the
subjects of the pictures for the teacher
and her brood so that they could better
understand what they saw.
A rather interesting feature or the
show was the display at the finish OF
French pictures of the visit OF the
American congressional party at the
French front For the kids, the revie"
of the French troops and the sub-titles
in French furnished home touch
for the soldiers, true, life size picture
of our senator from Iowa, w. S. Ken
Won. member of the congressional
party, did the same.
The next day, on paper decorated
with line drawings of beautiful fes-
toons of flowers such as school chill
dren make, came the following note IL
Capt. Atkins and the officers OF the
battalion:
"Messieurs les Americans
'Nos cheers Allies.
"Nous avons ell beaucoup de plaisi-
erede votre cinema, nous noublierons
mas raffectueuse pensee que vous
averz cue pour nous, petits Enfants.
Lies eleves reconnaissance dc
lEcole de B.
az Fevrier."
Which, translated, means:
Gentlemen from America
Our dear Allies.
We had very much pleasure IRON
YOUR moving picture. We won't forge
your affectionate thought you had io'