The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-13
AMERICAN SOLDIER
AS seen BY SWISS
He Irtumphs When q Great Deal is to
Be Done at Once.

He Triumphs When a Great Deal is to
Be Done at Once
Berne. June 1o.--Last autumn the
United States government committee
on public information invited a mum
Der OF Swiss journalists to visit
America and see the efforts it was
making to help win the war Alto
gether seven Swiss newspapers, Ger
man Swiss and French Swiss sent
representatives, who assuredly did not
waste the opportunity afforded them.
When they returned to Switzerland the
Central Empires and their allies had
already collapsed, and the subject OF
American help in the war had lost
much of its interest for the Swiss pub
lie, and likewise for the German pub
lie. which reads certain Gerran-Swiss
papers great deal.
Nevertheless these seven Swiss
Journalists did write much about what
they had seen and heard-articles
sometimes good. sometimes Indifferent.
and occasionally babyish: while one
writer let his enthusiasm run away
with him to such an extent that a
witty Genevese paper. La Suisse.
gravely reminded Its readers that it
was not this particular journalist who
discovered America. but Christopher
Columbus Other wags asserted that
no doubt Christopher Columbus did
originally discover America, but that
this Swiss Journalist rediscovered 1t:
otherwise, the world might have for
gotten all about 1t.
All these writings about the United
states. however. cannot possibly be
summarized within the confines OF one
,aYt{rln Arntha~ =,
NJ Robert de Traz. one OF the ablest
Swiss writers. series only juS con-
c!uded in the Journal de Geneve, and
dealing with Americans not In their
own country but in Europe, ID OF real
interest. and though the writer is oc-
casionally critical. he is never un-
sympathetic. The articles, six in mum :
Der, cover such subjects as the diff
ference between the popular concep-
ton of Americans and the reality: the
of the American SOL
der. what France might learn from
America and what America might
learn from France. In fact, these ar
ticles. as we'll as some of the others
which have appeared in Swiss news
papers. might very well form the sub
ject of book entitled: las Others
See Us"
NJ. de Traz begins by acknowledging
that like nine~tenths OF Europeans.
we had a wrong notion Of Americans.
ly dissipated. The psychology of ma
tons Is science which needs bring
ing up to date every day" OF late.
however. II has not been necessary for
a Swiss to go to the United States to
correct his notions OF Americans.
since so many OF the finest American
citizens are across the frontier at
present In France. In Paris, on the
Riviera, and in the provinces
In Paris alone there are 10000
American men on leave daily They
are to be seen everywhere, says their
Swiss observer. "all alike in their mus
tard-colored khaki. we'll set up. well
fed. well clad, broad -shouldered and
with powerful hips, their clean shaver
faces mostly ornamented with enor-
nous horn-rimmed spectacles. and
with their everlasting chewing gum in
their mouths" He particularly ad-
mtres the equipment Of the American
officer and soldier-their rain-cloaks
their sou'westers. their leathern waist
coats. their india rubber boots, and
everything else they wear. In short. he
says, From the humblest soldier to
the general every one is alike COM
fortably and extensively equipped
General impression: There's a soldier
who Ia well on" Besides his English
and French comrades. the American
soldier, he says, looks rich strong and
very much Of boy.
while contemplating him and
talking with him about all manner OF
different subjects you perceive in him
the ingenuity Of a healthy animal en-
joying his existence. a freedom which
gives no offense, and absolute straight
| rrr ~ Gull N$ y, :
ness. Like a child. he is serious and
then suddenly merry, but never Aironi-
cal. Fine distinctions and yelled hints
astonish him IL he notices them, and
likewise embarrass him. AS with a
child. you Immediately sympathize
with him and want to fraternize, play,
and laugh with him. He has the de-
lightful charm OF spontaneous and
imaginative beings. II ignorant. he is
honestly ignorant. 1t would be pleas
ant to be his teacher, so eager is he to
would learn likewise. Moreover. he
possesses the main thing in life--a
heart. natural easy generosity, and
in the highest types a comprehension
Of life no less valuable than high in
tellectual virtues"
One quality. however. with which
the American Is generally credited M.
de Traz denies him. He will not allow
him to be an organizer. On the faith
Of many who have worked with Amer
leans he grants them to be good at inn
browsing. But the American, he says.
has space and money In his own coun-
country. and does not concern HIM
self about the third element-time-
nor Il he troubled by any constdera-
lions Of respect for acquired rights.
tradition. or economy HE does not