The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-01-01
AIRCRAFT CROWS
IN POPULARITY
ON CONTINENT
Receives Marked Attention
From European Countries,
Writes Nathan Vigran.

Nathan Vigran, now of the American
Army of Occupation in Germany, has
| enclosed in letter to The Palladium
some German papers regarding an in
vestigation of a railroad accident,
transportation papers and railroad
ticket to Metz which were found in
a dugout near Metz.
Vigran explains briefly some condi-
tons he has noted and spoke especial
| ly of the growing popularity of aircraft
means of travel and transportation.
Il notice that France and England
are paying marked attention to avia
ton as means of transportation" he
says. England has gone so far as
to make plans for the guidance Of
aircraft rights-the relative rights Of
transports ton facilities on land and
in the -, and in fact the plans imply
an 4rly transportation of mail and
passengers by aviation through the
kingdom and continent. These fellows
over here do not visably show that
they are getting on" but they are.
Anxious to be Home.
Coming across / had the privilege
VI tdhluS III SdudUd anu LuSlduU, VI
seeing naval aircraft, battleships, sub
chasers and subs. It has been a great
lesson and experience-but paid for
in full.
In regard to the conditions surround
ing him at the writing, Vigran said:
Our boys have been resting since
the armistice, excepting the divisions
first chosen to become part of the
Of 81 hat
ter than when l first came to this
to go into Germany and cross the
Rhine, but ell wish to get back to
Gods country. We are at Toul now,
waiting for transportation to Coblentz.
The towns around this part of the
country are blown to smithers, and
shell holes are everywhere.
Chewing Gum a Novelty.
Yesterday I had my first oppor
tunlty OF speaking to resident of the
territory which has passed from the
French to the Germans, and now from
the Germans to the Allies-Alsace !
Lorraine. was over at Nancy. the
old capitol of Lorraine and met a
dentist who wore the German NOUS
tache and beard, but otherwise I'M
QUtSIiUIldUly udu FIcuCu ldSldl Vial
acteristics. He addressed me in Ger
man and We conversed in that tongue.
asked if he were German and he
told me that he was a resident of
Strassburg but of French descent. He
was bitter against England, having
just been discharged from the army
where he was compelled to serve. He
assured me that Lorraine and Alsace
were French at heart.
Before the signing Of the arms |
tice,' said the dentist, a Frenchman
would be put in prison for speaking
the French language on the streets of
Strassburg-but a German was per-
mitted to speak French with immu-
nifty" Vigran explained
II was greatly amazed at his I'M
conscious wonder about the chewing !
gum was chewing. l had purchased
it at the Y. M. C. A. l do not think
it can be bought anywhere here in the !:
shops. He asked me what l chewed. |
and said that he never before had
seen any.
No Good Germans.
British, Canadian, Italian, Russian,
French and American prisoners come !
here, and the British especial !
ly. are bitter against the treatment |
they say they received in the prison
camps. I talked to a certain British |
prisoner and he told me that there
were no good Germans, but that some
are better than others.
Without the Red Cross and Y. NJ.
c. A. we fellows would certainly be
out of luck, even though the fighting
is over.
I'm one of the German Metz papers
found by lad in my detachment, dat
ed November 5, 1918 (before the arm
istice), the editor came to the con-
clusion that Alsace-Lorraine did not
begin to thrive until it came under
German rule: that France was a de.
country and wanted Alsace-
Lorraine in order to make France a
real country
I visited French fort here on one
Of the high cliffs surrounding Toul
Fort dEcrome. 1t had the old Norman
style of castle which English litera-
lure so often Observation-Disclosures
over the meats surrounding the cas-.
les. and heavy iron gates The coun-
.ry around here would have made a /.
great battle ground for the French
Who command the hills The Germans
cached the other side of Nancy, and
+ they had reached these hills thew
surely would have hen ont Of 1,,o1y s