New-York tribune., 1919-02-10

T ONDON, Jan. II (By maiD When
IL Ambassador Davis made his maiden
London speech before the Pilgrims Club
he said that while he bore the title of am
bassador there had been sent to this side
some two million others who had been the
truest ambassadors of America. He said
great truth.
Go where you will over here and you will
hear stories of the American soldier and
sailor. Our fighters who have come over
here have won the love and friendship of
the people. If they didn't like our million
aires and our Cooks tourists who came
either to look in haste to look in bore
dom-and mayhap to despoil-they do like
our soldiers.
The reason isn't far to find. The SOL
dfer is just natural human being. Mostly
he has come from the small home towns of
America. He is fresh and healthy and he
has no jaded appetites. He gazes frankly and
naturally And it is wonderful how quiet he
is. He doesn't try to be wise bird and
he isn't jay bird. He's just Johnny Jones
from Eau Claire. and he wants to see what
Westminster Abbey and Trafal gar Square
and Piccadilly Circus look like And when
he finds that Piccadilly Circus isn't some
thing under a tent, but is just a sort of
squared circle with streets running into
it, he is properly surprised and admits it.
And there are other stories about Amer
leans, too. With two friends | dined at the
famous old Cheshire Cheese ON a Sunday
evening. We ate the wel-known pancakes
full of jam and remnisced about Dr. John-
son and Dickens and things, rumnating the
while on the relics and legends of the place
Finally wended our way to the rooms
above, rich in the lore of old, old days,
where is to be found Dr. Johnson's old
chair and check for Ga with which Dickens
once paid bar bill.
AS we climbed up the winding stairs, with
their edges worn down by the feet of the
great and the followers of the great a
waiter came in our wake, asking in politest
tones if we would like to see the old chair
and the old porridge spoon and other things
that are up in that dark little room. We
would, of course, and he came, ostensibly
to show us those priceless things. Some
chance remark led him to wax voluble, and
the talk ran to the risk of leaving such
treasures so lightly guarded. And then it
came out
ooh, some one of us always comes up
when visitors wish to see these rooms
now" he said. 1--WE are careful-since the
Americans came"
"Aha, what is this about American
ways?" thought-and then we inquired.
"Well, you see," said the man, with a
half apologetic tone in his voice and with
out the slightest trace of i'll feeling, "when
the American soldiers and sailors came we
found we had to watch things. There was
Y. M. G. A. man who used to bring
thirty forty soldiers or sailors here
every day to the place. One day he
brought a party of sailors. There were
nine cruets on this table right ere, sir, but
when those sailors had gone and we come
to look those cruets were gone Of course,
you see, sir, we inquired about the things,
but Of course it didn't do any good"
All this, with shade of trace of ap-
probation in his voice.
That man probably would defend the
American sailor against all comers-his
voice said much. But he has also an in
side appreciation of their little taking
ways.
This is just little bit of slant-wise
light on American boys abroad
that's what they are, just normal American
boys. That is precisely why they have
made good over here. They are normal
the run of mine" out of the great stream
of American life. England will never again
think of fat men with great wallets when
she thinks of Americashe will think or
thousands upon thousands of robust,
healthy, normal lads half way between
youth and manhood, lads with the fine in
stincts that are in healthy normal lads,
and with the humanness and joyousness
and breezncss of those who have not had
too much Of life,
London Is great city of khaki just now.
Go where you Willis all khaki. Khaki,
with here and there jab of the blue of
France or the lighter blue of the new
British aviation uniform. Never was there
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