The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-25

nor does he understand the illnesses
Of the French language. Therefore, he
judges by what he sees-even as o
man who saw nothing OF San Francisco
but the Barbary coast (and many q
stranger sees little elss) might fancy
he city a second Babylon, Y place Of
open vice and sordid crime.
Before I pass on TO the question OF
concrete abuses on the part OF the
French toward American soldiers,
think 1t advisable to say a word about
French currency. To most Americans
SllI R'S Sfs s ;SIn and Tff ill ,,1sSr' r %sy' Sav TRi
the same convincing hfeei." At first
he throws them about like so much
waste paper. A hundred franc note dis.
appears IN a craps Eamea as 4 by magic
number then two-fivs times as large,
evidently, Thus 1t happens that many
q man who would think nothing OF pay.
Ing 81 for a round Of drinks, or for two
dinners, 10 convinced that he Is being
done brown when 10 francs are asked
bear this In mind es we proceed to the
consideration OF prices, etc.
There are, In every community, mer.
chants and rogues. These are, as well,
be rogues-A little--if they believed they
could get away with It," Into the
shops Of all pour American soldiers,
we! supplied with money, insufficiently
endowed with a sense OF real values, or
an appreciation Of the causes which
Ing the war. The inevitable results are
honest merchant abahdons ali srfupies
when he .perceives the gain OF his com
petitor OF easy conscience. Think OF the
combination; A soldier offering money.
nj NtyhINh hA khAvua MT fhn NkMYNtA ~ a
shopkeeper who is c~unningly aware OF
the fact that his customer Is, SO to
speak, Q lamb for the shearing. It 10
not to be wondered that there IL
thieYerv on the n hand and disgust
on the other, Efforts, fairly successful
efforts, have been made to remedy such
abuses, but the sting remains. And
from this arises q persistent suspicion
on the Americans MIND that he IL being
oyerchArged for everything he buys In
France.
I shall not discuss here the Amsri-
cans attitude toward the French sol.
der. toward HE courage, endurance and
achievements at the front, etc. DO
not consider II really important. The
Amsrican has formed he opinion q.
the front, or even things that he has
seen himself, often seem to confirm Il.
Whether hiA opinion Ia juetified BY the
facts or not, l do not think 1t is worth
wits 10 discuss. l nave, IN q measure,
succeeded I conveying what ! believe
10 BE- the essential cause OF the aver.
age American soldiers discomfort, die.
satisfaction and contempt for the
French, with only such presentations OF
the "other eiae"-the French side--A0 I
have Thought necessary 10 make my
meaning clear.
Briefly, our soldier has a preeon-
oeIyeA distasts for things with which
he 10 not familiar. His voyage Is un-
pleasant, his fret impressions OF France
disagreeable, He does not understand
the language, He has deep-rooted con
victions that the French are immoral
and silly. Rare, indeed, are his oppor-
tunities OF seeing the better clAss Of
French people In their home environ
ment, He Is frequently overCharsed FOR
the thinae he buys, Thus Is his long.
ing for home acoentuated.
Yes, for home-where he can get
ham and eggs (and pay 70 cents Tor
a portion)-fop home. where the cele-
brated Florida expresses are often 20
hours late; for homo, where he. may
pass his day, perhapa, In the field, and
his evening In the corner grocery in 4
western town Of implanted wood
shacks; for home, In short, as he knows
II and loves II. Nobody blames him. 1t
Ia only regretted that he cannot see the