Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-08-30
LETTERS FROM FRANCE.
Paris, France,
July IL, 1912.

it ever does, the event we have
ust celebrated-the 4th of Ju1vl..
and of which l want to write
'ou, will have become a matter
If history. Already, no doubt,
you have read an account of the
big celebration over here and
possibly before this reaches you
moving pictures of our great
celebration will have cached the
stage of America and will see
on the screen, and / know enjoy
seeing too, just how an Honest
to God" American day was cele-
brated in foreign country
which we of the A. E. F. now
have the good fortune to be in.
Anyway, a historical account, III
its age makes it assume that as.
pect, may be of historical in
terest to you and, furthermore, l
want to write and tell you all
bout it myself.
Last year on the 4th of July |
listened to good old Champ Clark
as he spoke to us al the foot of
Washington monument III his
characteristic style, recalling
many interesting things in con-
nection with the day and our
(Virginias) great statesman,
Tom Jefferson, who put his
"John Hancock on the famous
declaration. Following him came
the little French Ambassador,
| M. Jules Jusserand who made a
ringing speech Gin England too)
| which l for one listened to with
much curiosity. l little thought
then that one year hence l would
| be over here celebrating the next
same day in his country. have
always regarded it as a sensible
holiday, however sometimes
abused, and now I know what
the day means by virtue of my
iposition at the present time and
eau fully appreciate the signiti-
canoe of the occasion. Time and
fate have dealt kindly with me,
| fortune has smiled on my path
way and l find myself transplant
led from the capital of one re.
public to the capital of another
Last year l stood at the foot oil
lof Washington monument in
| Washington and listened to a
| French Ambassador and this
lyear l found myself at the foot
lof another Washington monu-
ment, this one in Paris, where ]
listened to our own Ambassador
and at the same time helped pay
Tribute to our immortal George
who, more than any other man,
was responsible for the day. We
lof the American Expeditionary
Forces this year found ourselves
to be favored guests of splen-
did people and splendid lost
the French, Republic. Indeed SO
splendid that they like a family
with a visitor helped us celebrate
our own holiday. And celebrate
they did too /! l never witness
ed such whole-hearted and sem
sible celebration. How glorious
that our American independence
day assumes an international
character Fourth of July is
no longer a national holiday but
Ian interna tional fete to be shared
land enjoyed by all those who
know and can appreciate what
| the event means, What a boon
to the Allies that America has
fourth of July to celebrate !.
Think of England celebrating
the fourth of July And Italy
too I'll tell you it makes one
feel just SO good to be an Amer
lean these days.
Without further ceremony
(laying of the stuff we would
say in the army shall attempt
to tell you how our glorious 4th
was celebrated over here so sit
up close and listen. About the
first of July you could see here
and there an American flag float
ing from a window in prepare.
tion for the big day. AS the
fourth approached more flags
came into evidence until the day
arrived the streets were so COM
pletely decorated with "Old
Glory that we all felt quite at
home, rather as if we were on
the streets of our own home
town. For several days the
French newspapers were filled
with the history of our fete day
and its significance, so much so
that war news was relegated to
the last page and was for the
time of secondary interest. Bus