The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-17


with boorish conduct in restaurants.
He personally saw two young officers
Idliare off for bout In cafe. A
major interrupted the quarrel, called
III an M. p, and caused the offender
Is be dragged out in handouts, to the
shocked and indignant surprise OF the
French gentlefolk, who were quick to
express the hope that the soil OF
France might soon be cleared OF such
canaille.
In view of the many disqu1etlng
stories that are finding their way back
to America, it seems highly desirable
that our people should know the calm
and reasonable truth about all these
things, and the sooner the better. Let
us take up one by one the tales and
accusations that are going about.
How French Really Feel.
It may be that the French are no
longer grateful for American help. but
l do not believe it. Wherever have
gone, in Paris or in the small towns
in the war zone, the French people
are not merely polite; they are truly
and sincerely cordial. Such is their
attitude toward plain Americans VINO
have not borne arms for them. Their
feeling for Americans who helped
them stop the Germans, and who Ia
bored among the sick and homeless
refugees, surely is much deeper. RED
Cross workers will tell you that their
lives have been enriched by their ex-
periences, and that they will forever
feel repaid for their efforts by the ex-
pressions Of gratitude that have come
to them.
Let us consider the attitude toward
the doughtoys. 1t is true that our sol
diers universally call the French
frogs" often to their faces. It seems
to me that this Is wrong, much as
admire the splendid young fellows
who make up our army, but Amer cans
will understand that tho term is not
intended to give offense. Our youth
is always irreverent, and when 1t calls
Frenchman a frog, it does SO In
good-natured, thoughtless way. Prob
ably some Of the French people resent
the term. We could not blame them
if they did. However, the most OF
them seem to understand that there is
no desire to hurt their sensibilities,
and pay no attention.
Army IL Sound.
Our army in France. taken as
whole, is made up of big, modest, man.
ly, and kind-hearted lads, who go
about quietly and behave themselves
as they should. There may be few
muckers, but they are very few In
number. Americans may be confident
| that the feeling for the army here is
based on the judgment of the big,
clean, sound majority, rather than on
any opinion that may be deservedly
entertained in regard to the misbehav-
| ing few.
Are the French people ungrateful?
| There does not seem to be any sound
basis for thinking SO. Certainly we
cannot expect them to be telling us
| constantly how thankful they are; We
ought to be satisfied with their ex-
| pressions of gratitude on armistice
! day, which Americans then in France
will not soon forget. The reception
They gave our president, and the man
jner- in which they have SO often de-
ferred to him in the peace conference,
ought to satisfy ,is further
| We should not forget that France
has troubles of her own. which would
naturally give her some preoccupatlon.
Few of us realize that the country
is in very bad way industrially. II
we will recall the spent and wasted
condition of the Southern states after
our Civil War, we can grasp some
thing of Frances problem today. The
enormous losses in men, in capital,
agricultural enterprise, transportation,
and manufacturing and mining equip
ment present staggering difficulties.
| The whole nation, engaged In Win
ming the war, must now extricate itself
from activities no longer required, and
reorganize it peaceful industrial life
all over again. The job is colossal.
Explaining the Crouch.
| This brings us to a consideration
Of the commonly repeated charge that
the French people are trying to gouge
the doughboys. When soldier has
| S33 a month to spend in a country
where prices are two or three times as
high as they once were, he Is bound
to accumulate a crouch. He wouldn't
be quite human If he didn't. Let US
investigate the situation.
| A Paris newspaper is said to have
published recently news item to the
effect that certain barber shops
charged two scale Of prices, one for
Americans and one for French pa
irons. The paper ventured to ask
whether American boards were harder
and wirier than the French variety.
I have not encountered any two-price
system anywhere in France, in bar
Der shops or elsewhere. In all the
stores have visited, all articles were
marked in plain figures, and the prices
were the same for one customer as
for another Prices are high, to be
sure, but it must be remembered that
production and manufacture are pref
ty badly dislocated in France.
What Hotel Meals Cost.
At the large hotel where / have
stayed while in Paris, breakfast
comprising an omelet, pot OF choco-
late, marmalade and bread, costs