The Alaska daily empire., 1920-02-18

TOOI over HIS H6du at dii hio was not the fault of France, who had given up millions of her young men before the United States had entered the war.
 The American soldier got along famously with the poilu, whom he understood. He knew the fighting man of France had something in com mon with him, and with his ideals. The shopkeeper class of France, how ever, was not popular with the Americans, l mean by that the great majority of them. Most of the shops were tended by women well past middle age. These, like their sisters in other lands, had an eye out for the American dollar, and profiteer- ing ran unchecked in many towns and cities, for some time. American soldiers paid more for goods than did the soldiers of other countries, but the American soldier pays what $ asked, and seldom questioned the price. Naturally, many were taken adVantage of because of this fact
 But the shopkeeper class does not represent France. the French people told us. They are very unpopular with Frances own poilus.
 It must be taken into account, when stories are told of the re- lations between the French and Am ericann soldiers. that the American soldier received higher pay than any other soldier serving in Europe He received about $32 a month, while the French soldiers pay for the same period was $50. Often the French remarked that while they were grateful for American support. in men and munitions. the coming of the Americans with their full purses, had made the French suffer from prices charged by shop profit eers. The Frenchman Is not extrav- agant. He has never been, and on his miserly pay. which was all his stricken government could afford he could not compete with either the American or the English troops, in 'uv,ng necessities and luxuries in lis own land
 Often one hears that French wo. nen and girls made much over the American negro soldier. No greater falsehood could be told Race con 1itions in Europe are much the same IS they are in America.
 Very few American soldiers re- main in France. In Germany, al small unit is left, those on the job coming from casual camps. They are settling claims, and looking after U. s. Army property.
 According to information received from American headquarters at Cob lentz, claims for damages to streets, buildings, farms and even individuals all reputed to have been done by American soldiers or American equip ment of some kind since the Army of Occupation left the Rhine, aggre- gate something more than 5000, ,009 marks. Those allowed total approxi- mately 250,00O marks. Many claims are unique and some without justi- fication.4
 A woman who contended that her facial appearance had been marred for life, owing to cuts caused by flying glass due to an explosion at an ammunition dump sent in the modest claim for 250 marks. II was allowed.
 Another woman, whose husband had been killed by an Aemrican military policeman who was chasing distributors of coptraband liquor sub- mitted a claim for 250,00O marks, con tending that her sole support had been taken from her. The Ameri- cans contended that the German had been killed by the American soldier who was acting within his rights in line of duty. The claim was dis approved.
 Some of the claims are humorous. Last summer. the Eighty Ninth div isiOn borrowed goat for a circus at its headquarters. Recently a claim was filed with the American town major asking damages on the contention that the health of the I goat had been injured. This claim was pigeonholed.
 A. Rhineland farmer recently de- manded five marks for a bean pole alleged to have been stolen by an American soldier. An army com mission heard the claim and threw it out on the grounds that there was no evidence to show that an American had committed the theft.