Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-04-16
By Jay Jerome Williams.

NAoI11NOlO YIN, AJFll IO.-l the
people of the Atlantic seacoast towns,
which every day now see the return
of American soldiers, could picture
the cherries, gloomy departure of
those soldiers from France, they
would keep the flags flying, bands
playing and all reception committees
goin gull blast until ever ylast Yank
had stepped from overseas trans
ports.
The American doughboy, despite his
wonderful fighting ability, is senti-
mental, and all the weary months
spent in stronge land, among
strange people, who somehow don't
seem able to understand him, increase
the sentiment that overwhelms him
when he sees the shores of his home
land peering over the horizon.
To obtain correct perspectice of
the average doughboy's feelings one
must go back to those stirring days
of last spring and summer when the
German horde was sweeping over
France, and when France-chilled by
the dread Of horrible waited
numbly for assistance.
End Changes Everything.
Then the khaki-clad columns o.
American youths who stepped from
transports in practically every French
port, were hailed as deliverers. Moth
ing was too good for them. The pop
ulace greeted them with cheers
Pretty girls tossed flowers and kisses
at them. Inland towns turned out
en- masse to hail them as they
marched forward to that particular
bit of hades once known as west
ern front.
Those were the days when the
memory of Lafayette was awakened
and those were the days when the
Yankee doughboy struggled labori-
ously to master the new language
and struggled good deal more
laboriously to hold whatever the high
command happened to order him to
hold.
But-and one might say "alas!'
times have changed. Once the words
"Fini lie guerre" were heard, times
began to change. The thousands of
marching men, their work done,
have begun to retrace their steps to
the coast towns and to embark for
America.
No Flowers Now.
These past few months have seen
no flowers tossed to our soldiers,
NEITHER have they seen the plaudits
of the crowds, neither have they seen
the happy comraderie that character
lied the other days when danger
threatened and we were the young
Colossus come out the West"
The doughboy cannot understand it.
To be sure, he does not expect enter
tainments, flowers and speeches, but
he would like some little token of
gratitude and wonders why none is
forthcoming. This is not written in
condemnation of the French, for the
ignorance that strange language
engenders prevents many quiet
word of thanks to the Yank soldier
from the average French man or
woman.
And then, too, France is weary of
war and weary of men in uniform
for the latter have constituted her
chief spectacle for the last four and
one-half years. The authorities, how
ever, cannot escape some criticicm.
Brest Jumping Off Place.
Brest is our chief embarkation port.
1t is the jumping off place for the
American soldiers and he comes in
swarms to it every day. Ten months
ago when he cameron the
West and not from the East
Brest welcomed him with all the
warmth she possessed. Today she
sends him away without a hand
shake, without word-not even a
thank you.
And when one considers that this
same American soldier has travelled
to Brest through hundreds of other
little French towns and villages
where conditions are exactly the same,