Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-03-07
MARRYING FRENCH GIRLS
Many difficulties But American Sol.
dierS Generally Manage
MUCH TROUBLE FOR TRANSPORT
French Government Has Made Mar
riase Comparatively Easy But Still
There are More Formalitiss to be
Complied With Than in America.


There are More Formaltiss to b,
Complied With Than in America.
There are extra special complica
tions, as far as American soldiers ar
concerned, to keep the course of tru'
love from running smooth in France
Nevertheless, it is estimated that iron
5000 to 10000 Yanks have taken unit
themselves better French halves, AM
no one can predict what the figures viii
be by the time the army Of occupation
has lett Tor home ports. 1t Is quite
problem, this matrimonial entente cor.
dials between American youths ant
Ere ich girls, not only to certain Amer
icaI. girls whose objections have al
read y been heard, but the army author
tiles who have to arrange to ship th'
brid IS over herein those cases where
the doughboy decides not to settle dowr
in france. A correspondent Of the Bal
timore Sun writing from Paris. con-
slders the whole subject, beginning
with the difficulty of transporting
brides:
If you had seen this slip Of a girl
at the American passport office you
would have addressed her as mademo-
iselle, but the French clerk called her
something that sounded like Mrs.
Jones. She had bright red cheeks, lus-
trous black eyes, and wore little gold
earrings half concealed by a mass OF
fluffy hair. She spoke only French.
But Madame JONES'" said the clerk
to her, II can not help you. If your
husband Is going to the United States
I am not able to give you permission
to accompany him. That is something
for the military authorities"
"But 1 want to go with him." said the
little girl, not pleadingly, hut defiant
ly. HE is my husband"
"See your husbands commanding Of
ficer, replied the clerk, but let me per-
sonally give you bit of advice. For
get it, go back to your mother and
let him go back to the States"
The little wife didn't cry. She came
from a race that put in half of its his
tory in fighting the Germans and the
other half in fighting red tape.
81 will see the commanding officer"
she replied. The clerk turned about
with a gesture of helplessness.
Now look at that he said. This
business of American soldiers marrying
French women make all kinds Of COM
plications. Her husband is in the army
and is going home on a transport. She
wants to go, too, but it is impossible,
ior there Is no provision for it yet The
foolish girl belongs at home. She is
only sixteen"
This is only one chapter in the
story of an American dough-boy who
marries a French girl. Although provi-
sion is made in England for sending
brides home with their soldier hus-
bands, charging only 81 a day to the
brides, no orders have yet gone forth
,Jermitting French brides aboard trans
Jorts. This has opened the whole
fascinating subject Of what happens
% a dough-boy when he falls in love
with a Frenchwoman and tries to get
married. Enough happens. The ole
poets often compared love and var.
The comparison still holds good. The
soldiers who declared that trying to
et married in France was like cutting
German barbed wire before a battle"
lad the right idea
There is no primrose path for the
love- -smitten dough-boy. I met him as
ne approached the mayoralty of the
first reimbursement, frowning stone
building standing we'll behind the fam
GUS hotel de Vile, and close to the
church of st. Gervais, where seventy
persons died when a German shell en-
tered last good Friday. Up the wind
ing stone stairs he goes. The stairs
are well worn by the feet or the thous-
ands who have gone before him on
loves pilgrimage. This is the office of
There is an old, smelly atmosphere in
this office which goes with historic
places. A chandelier with two gas
lamps hangs over an ancient desk,
which is a reminder of Lincoln's. The
which drifts through the win
Of oh
a fog. The secretary in charge is very
gracious.
THE American soldier wants to get
he says. 1T is not difficult.
The government has made things easy
for him. In the old days the French had
to furnish the birth certificate three
months before the marriage and GER
tificate Of residence Of six months, as
we'll as the consent Of the father and
mother for all persons up to the age
of thirty, or if these are deceased, the
consent of the grandparents or guard
ians. In every instance he had to
live thirty days at special residence
before marriage was allowed. OF,
course, there were other regulations
also. For instance, military permit
for all men up to the age of forty five,
and also certificates of death If sec
ond marriage was contemplated, or
certificates of divorce and transcript
ton of deceased, and so forth. But
now," he emphasized, I'VE make things
easy for the soldiers"
What do you do now?" he was ask
ed.
"Oh, we ask of the American who
is marrying a French girl only thirty
days residence" he replied. "Of
course he must furnish an affidavit
that he is a native American, unmar-
ried, and also certificate showing
his home address. testified to by a
witness and sworn to before q United
States consul"
"Is that all?"