The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-10

my young and fOrmotive days.'
 said Premier Clemenceau in begin
 ming. "Perhaps, therefore, | may
 he indulged to say few words to
 our allies on the other side of the
 Atlantic. Not by way of advice or
 propaganda, but frankly, as friend
 to friend.
 "Ihe friendship between our
 peoples which have subsiSted for
 century and a half is Il very beau
 ttfuI thing. The like of if has
 never existed for the same length
 of time between my other two
 peoples. This cOrdiaiity. cemented
 by our contact during the war,
 must endure In closer measure.
 ENTRANCE OF AMERICA
 "rrhe entrance of America into the great war was full of dramatic inter est The application of nationwide cooperation without the slighteat disturbance. ~the universal self-denial to supply us with food and all our re- quirements, the unity of purpose and the amazing energy of if00o0.000 of peoples of so varying and complex 2 character. challenged our admiration and gratitude in such fashion as no one but ourselves can know.
 And the way the American soldiers fought Nothing could have been finer Inspired by the holiest ideals. I maN say transfigured they entered upon their task with all the determination all the fervor, all the spiritual pur- pose of the old-time crusaders. Thes did work France might have die' She would not have surrendered But do not mistake me. I do not mean |; minimize the Importance of the Ameri. can military aid, nor of the America Red Cross, nor the Salvation Arm: nor any of the helpful agencies. There never has been In all the worlds his. tory so perfect a coordination of tht holy purpose of the righteous -mindes inhabitants of the earth.
 And now the war is won. Ta' world is made safe for democracy. foi life, liberty and, the pursuit of happ. can declaration Of Independence. An, the future>ts before us.
 DOES NOT BELIEVE RUMORS
 'I am told that some of these Ameri can soldiers. who lived in trenches slept in dugouts and burrowed in the mud in devastated and war-torr France, when they crossed the Rhin. and in an undevastated land found clean beds and baths. rather regre, that they fought on the side of free. dom and would have fought on tn. | U not believe. am sure there Is n, American soldier who does not recog nize that France, the battlefield of the war. could not give him the comfort. that Germany. undevastated. was abis to. T. do not and will not believe SC meanly of a single one of the brilliant warriors who came from the states te our aid In the great struggle for civill. zatton against savagery. It is incred T tc h trN rx,1, t..- devastated France could not give then the comforts that unbroken German, could
 "I believe there Is some criticim tha there have been overcharges by tn, French for food and other things. Well there are things to he said about that First, for many years the Americans have been coming to Europe and witt abundant means and great generost, have been spelling our people. They hay, paid for everything with a bounteou hand. As a result they have taught ou people, who were willing pupils, that the, were very rich and very. very generous It was but human that our people shoul, expect much from the Americans
 Tt is only fair to say that in ever, case where the attention of the Frencl government has been brought to cas- of extortion, an earnest. and I think erective effort has been made to stop it Compared with the United States, Franc, is small country and limited in her re sources. Necessarily she is provident perhaps unpleasantly careful woul, say; not miserly nor certainly intention al'- extortionate. But also you mus know that all the time our own Frenci people have paid the same prices fo what they bought that our American friends have.