The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-02-20

HEADQUARTERS Convalescent Camp, A.
P. o. $50, France, Jan. Gath,
1919.
This probably is my last letter
from abroad to the paper. At any
rate, I hope so. Dating from yester-
day this camp is officially closed. My
work in France is practically finish
cd. Hence, I shall use a little of
my spare time to write further of
events and other things on this side
of the pond.
While the French people are un-
reasonably slow in all business un-
dertakings, / must concede to them
q complete thoroughness and ef1cien-
cy in whatever job they undertake.
They labor under the old theory that
what is worth doing at all is worth
doing well,'' while we in America
are prone to rush through and put
over anything on the public that we
can get by with and collect the mon
ey for. The general idea that
France is immoral, in fact, I might
say immoral, is exaggerated. Appa-
rently on the surface of things it is
more so than America, but the main
point of difference lies in the fact
that the French are open and above
board with their mischief, while in
America we are inclined to slip be-
hind the corner and try to hide the
same things.
While in Vichy, which was a
month after the armistice was sign
ed, saw munition factory where
the famous French 75s were being
made with the same steadiness and
regularity as during the war and
were being stored by the thousands.
which is an indication that France,
Tavaged by warfare from time al
most immemorial, believes in prepar-
edness. However, it is significant
truth that the one weapon which
Germany stoutly maintained to the
very last would win the war for her,
was the turning point in the strug-
gle and proved to be undoubtedly
the indirect cause of the downfall of
Prussianism. / refer Of course, to
the submarines, for had it not been
for their murderous use do not be-
Neve America would have entered
the war, and had America remained
neutral Germany's hordes would
have unquestionably conquered Eur
ope. The barbarous methods of Ger
man soldiers at the front in cutting
our wounded mems throats and
hanging captives before the eyes of
their comrades, was, Of course, prac-
ticed with the idea and for the pur-
pose of intimidating their enemies,
but it produced exeactly the op-
posita effect upon American sol
diers who then became more
determined than ever. OF course
cannot say of my own knowledge
that such things were done, because
I was not there; I have been in the
army, but not in the war, and for a
time I was inclined to discredit such
reports. But I have been told so by
more than one whom I know were
there and who claim to have seen
, euch things personally, and now
consider my information as authen-
tic.
My travel over here has led me to
completely change my opinion on a
big question of national Importance,
namely, government control, opera
tion and ownership of our railroads.
Before I left home 1 was inclined to
compare our railway service with the
very excellent postal service of which
America can boast and to acquire
the idea from the comparison that
governmental control of the rail
roads would obtain for the public at
large the same excellent service it
gets from government operation of
the mails. However, the railroads
of France are controlled and operat-
ed by the government, and the SER
vice to the general public both from
Sthe standpoint of freight and passen-
gers is bominable, and too, accidents
are not infrequent The mail lines
are double tracked nearly all the
way. Yet two trains never pass
each other moving in opposite direc-
tions; one invariably stops and
waits for the other to go by, Gus
tom which would be laughed at as a
joke in America. As an instance of
the service the people get, the Paris,
Lyons, Mediterranean system ex-
tends through this section, is proba-
bly, the leading system of the country
and is handled by the government