The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-19
SMOKES BIG FACTOR
IN RECONSTRUCTION
Americans Still at Work in
France Say They Are More
Needed Than Ever.
JOB is FAR FROM DONE
Letters Continue to Tell of
Great Good "The Sun" Fund
Is Doing for Boys.

Travellers who have had permission to
visit the scenes of the great battles of
the late war remark how few Frenchmen
they see in these districts, while Ameri-
! can troops and German prisoners are
seen In great numbers They notice that
tho great work OF rebuilding the wide
highways of northern France, which
were called the national ways and In
their best days reminded archeologists
Of famous Roman roads, 10 in the hands
OF American engineers, who use Ger
man labor for tamping in the crushed
stone to I'LL enormous holes. The work
or restoration in certain sections
amounts almost to making new roads.
This should give persons who have
carried the thought that the presence of
american soldiers since the war In
France was superiuous an explanation
OF why they are being kept there. The
task before our engineering crews Ia
enormous, but 1t must be completed be-
fore the villages left like phantoms can
be restored to real life again.
our soldiers, as long as the big trucks
bring their rations regularly from the
army centres and as long as THE SUN
Tobacco Fund keeps them supplied with
smokes. are content to do this impor-
tant work. In their letters from France
the men, while frankly saying they
would like to be replaced and permitted
to come home. do not grumble. but on
the contrary seem to be glad that they
are there to see through this important
job. as much a preliminary to living
under peace conditions as the signing of
the peace terms.
Letters Tell of Work.
great bunch OF letters from these
isolated workers has recently come to
the donors to the smoke fund, in which
after acknowledging their gratitude to
the fund they give some details Of their
lives under these conditions.
I'VE are billeted in out Of the way viii
lagos when there are no barracks for US
in the vicinity OF our work." writes one,
but the big lorries always seem able to
md us. and our material welfare Is all
to the good. We know that our work
Is OF the highest Importance. and we
are doing 1t cheerfully. But let me tell
you that the gifts OF smokes from you
SUN people Is a big factor In our con-
tentInent to remain here. 9
1T hits us pretty hard to hear of the
great doings in New York and other
cities when the boys have got home, for
we know pretty we'll that all the shout
ing will be over when we get back. But
what hits us harder, for we are not as
Jealous as we seem and do want all the
boys to have every bit OF noise they can
stand-what hits US harder. I say, Is to
get letter from home which complains
that we are doing nothing but standing
around and that We ought to be urging
our return. We would like the people Of
America to know that We have a pretty
big task on hand and are working at II
every day. It's real work. as you may
well imagine"
Louis Wally and George Singer, pri-
Yates In Company A. 337th Machine Gun
Battalion, are at Gondrecourt, working
hard al whatever they can do to aid in
this reconstruction. They are n cheerful
pair for in their letter to Private Peat,
who donated some money to the fund for
soldiers smokes. they say so.
we are always pretty cheerful under
any circumstances and even II II should
rain every day through May as 1t did
through April we can smile At this
moment we are more happy than ever
because of the receipt of your smokes,
cigarettes sent over through THE SUN
Tobacco Fund. We want to thank you
very kindly. and you being a soldier
,
happiness these smokes will give us My
home address lwally'sl is Cedar Rap
ids, Iowa"
Glad to Get "Ready Mades."
Private Robert H. Hepler OF s5lst
Field Hospital Corps, 313th Supply Train.
was at Jewellers France, on the last OF
April. He wrote to the Prudential In
surance Company then. saying: Il re-
ceived the cigarettes to-day and beg to
return many thanks for same. Ready
made cigarettes. which we almost never
see, gratefully appreciated by all in
the A. e. F. Please thank THE SUN
Tobacco Fund for u.s.
John P. Morgan, DR.. and Mrs Nor
ris. Miss NJ Bresched. Mrs. A. o. Ran
dali and Miss May Leslie are among
the donors who will receive cards from
soldiers In Germany. which arrived at
the end Of last week. Mr. Morgan's
card merely says with thanks of an
American soldier on the Rhine" but
others say good deal more That to
DR.. and Mrs. Morris reads: 81 am
thanking you for the tobacco which
came to-day to cheer the signal