The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-10-30
Bernard Flynn Tells Sim
mons Statesmen Monday
Evening How He Dined
Unawares With Foch.
WAS AT Inn IN CHALONs
Story Told At Banquet Of Simmons
Statesmen and Officials On Mezanine
Floor of Elks Club. G. Simmons
Makes Comments.

How he dined unawares with Mar
shall Foch, the most revered man in
rance, was the story made public Mon
say evening by Bernard j. Flynn, dis
trict sales manager of the Simmons
Company, in an address given at the
banquet for Simmons statesmen and Off
Gals on the mezzanine floor of the
Elks Club. The banquet sumptuous
seven-course duck dinner-was given
by Manager Flynn to acquaint the
statesmen with the conditions which he
had found on a recent visit to France
in the interest Of the Simmons Com
pany.
In an Inn at Chalons.
His dinner with the famous hero of
the war occurred in an old inn in Cha
Ions. The Kenoshan had gone there to
dine and had taken a table alone. At
ter he had been served, two French ar
my officers entered the room, one wear
ing the famous red cap of the high mill
tary officials Of France and the other
a younger officer, evidently an aide of
the higher official.
The waiter brought them to the table
with the American. Mr., Flynn declared
that the men talked but little while
they ate The younger man questioned
the Kenoshan as to whether he was an
" Americaine' and carried on rather
desultory conversation. The older man
talked but little and the Kenoshan did
not recognize him as the great hero of
France.
Inn Keeper Tells Secret.
The French officers, according to the
story, finished dinner before the Keno
shan. They left without any ovation
but the innkeeper hurried to the table
and told Mr.. Flynn that he had had
the privilege of dining with the most
revered man of France.
Then the Kenoshan realized how
honor had been thrust upon him. -
He hurried to the door of the inn to
take one more glance at the hero of
the western front. There he found the
marshal surrounded by hundreds of
French villagers modestly protesting
against the ovation which was being
given to him.
Saw Ruins of Ypres
The speaker also told how he had
gone to visit what had been the once
fourishing city of Ypres. He found an
&,,rI1Sb I
one of the guards to direct him to the
city.
You re standing in the center of
what once was Ypres,' the soldier re-
marked and the Kenoshan looked in
vain for even vestige of the build
ings that had once been there. He de-
clared that Americans could have no
idea of the desolation that the war had
left until they had visited Europe.
He declared that in spite of the de-
struction made by war, France and all
Europe was anxiously waiting for the
postwar trade and that the Simmons
Company might expect great export
trade in Europe.
z. G. Simmons Makes Address.
Following the talk by Mr. Flynn, z.
G. Simmons, president of the Simmons
Company, addressed the statesmen on
postwar conditions and prophesied
record year for the company. He di-
crossed from "shop talk !" long enough
to tell how he had heard General Wood
explain how Foch had used great fore
sight in throwing the Americans where
they would bear the greatest part of
the great drive which won the war.
In an informal round table discussion
the statesmen and officials discussed la
Dor conditions at the Simmons Com
pany plants and showed that there was
every reason TO believe banner year
was waiting for the Kenosha> industry.