The spectator., 1920-05-28
POlLUS ASK AID IN DEFENSE
Did Not See May Not Unde erstand.

following message from the French war veterans, an organization of ex- service men in France. The letter was transmitted through the New York of- fee of the organization. and reads in part as follows:
 ITO Our American Brothers-1n-Arms : COMRADES:
 "'The Poilus of France make this ap- peal through us to their American brotherin-arms and say to them in the name of that justice for which they fought together. never forget what you came to do amongst us. By the blood which was shed by US together, In the name of our dead who lie side by side, in the name of all the brave men who bear on their bodies the glorious marks of desperate battles, in the name of all the heroes whom our nations have produced, let us not forget, let us continue together their sacred work, let us unite our countries as our hearts were In the face of death, let us not lose the fruits of such generous efforts, of so many willing sacrifices, let us look clearly into the future and con- tinue for the maintenance of our lib erty and for the honor of our race the battle to which our duty calls us.
 America has gained through her sons in this war the right to immor- tality. Nations looked on with admi- ration at the spectacle of millions of young American heroes arriving on the soil of France, to defend the sacred principles of honor and liberty in- scribed in the American Constitution.
 Victory has crowned their banners, that and the blood shed for just cause, that is past which future generations will be proud to claim as q heritage. But the sons of America have not finished their work. our com defeat. he hopes when he will have succeeded In sowing the seeds of dis cord amongst us to renew the fight which he lost. thanks to you. We know that cslumny will have no effect on you who have seen with your own eyes what you saw, you who know us and know what we are, but we fear that those who have not seen like you may come to doubt us and that Is why we send out this appeal to you, comrades, that you may take part In our defense.
 Our cause Is yours also. you cannot go back on us, you saw us in action and you know that we do not need any other proofs than our past records to prove to all men of worth that if we fought this war with so much heroism 1t was because we were defending not only our soil, but the entire world.
 "We held back and stemmed the formidable wave of German invasion. almost alone for four years, from the Somme river to Alsace, bearing the brunt of the hardest shocks, our brave men leaving their lifeless bodies by the hundreds of thousands on the fields of battle. without one word of complaint or without. asking for quar- ter. because they knew that if France were vanquished. the principles of the great Revolution were doomed forever, the declaration of the rights of man and the citizen would have been de- stroyed and trampled on. the poor and humble would have been forced back under the iron rule of lords. might would have prevailed over right. crime and dlshonor would have been written as the very heading of fundamental laws of modern nations.
 Tt must not come to pass that our brave men died in vain, we owe 1t and you owe 1t to their memory. The sur vivors must not sleep on their laurelS in false security. You must not i'm agine that 1t was we alone whom you helped, you must understand that your liberty was threatened just as much as ours; all nations are more or less dependent on each other. As for us, Poilius, we shall never believe that 1t was from pity. nor even out of grati- tude for help given by us to you in former times. that you came to our aid.
 France dead would have meant the condemnation of the whole world and France would have died rather than go back on her principles. Do not therefore let anyone say you have done enough for her; 1t was not she whom you helped, 1t was the ideals and principles for which she always stood and without these ideals of jus tice and liberty free nation cannot exist.
 France is still bleeding and will suffer for long time from the wounds which she received, her young sons cut off in their youth, her lands dew astated, her commerce destroyed, her credit diminished. But what makes the greatness of . people is not alone Its prosperity, 1t Is keeping its honor un- sullied. As long as this sentiment re- mains in a nation, that nation will live in spite of all oppression.
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