The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-03
Rotarians Visit the GraUe of
 Birmingham Boy in France
Attitude of People Toward Americans-Chi Sing "Honneur Aux Soldats dAmerique'

I new" said he. "and they will listen to you" The work of .he settlement house, which is founded as a memo rial to our American boys. is nom sectarian. No formal religious teach i.rg being given. Dr. Wadsworth stated that at least half of the popu- l lation attend no church at all, and while nominally Catholics, they call themselves Atheists. Of the remain ! der one-fourth are Protestants. The public schools of France are non sectarian, al least. in name, and evil i dently the government Is making ev- cry effort to make them truly so, in- stances being given of the arrest of | teachers in the schools of Chateau Thierry for even suggesting the | dogma of their particular creed.
 The contrasting opinion of the way | in which the French people received f this effort of America to assist was | given by one of our military officers still located at Chateau Thierry. Said he, The people do not appreciate the | effort. They regard 1t as outside meddling. In my opinion they have no feeling of gratitude towards the Americans for the assistance rem dered in the war. In fact the very | opposite is true. It so happens that the actual destruction wrought in Chateau Thierry was done by Ameri- can guns in driving the Germans out. The populace, in their ignorance, blame America with their loss"
 "In one village" said he which the Germans occupied for four years and from which they were finally driven by the Americans the people ! Al A,,1a ~f.,n n1r. ho Ar1fF done it the French soldiers would have in a short while"
 It is evident that our soldiers still here in France do not believe the French appreciative Every one Of them with whom I talked said he would rejoice when relieved of duty here.
 present without comment these two contrasting views. On the whole, it is probable that the truth lies between the two.
 Incidents in Chateau-Thierry
 In the relic room of this memorial we saw the wrecked aeroplane in which Quentin Roosevelt was killed.
 In Chateau Thierry one of the women of our party found in the home of a French peasant woman to which an American officers wife di- rected her, number of beautiful pieces of Cluny lace made In the vil- iage. These apparently were offered at bargain prices and were eagerly purchased.
 While at dinner at an English res taurant the beating of drum was heard outside followed by the call of the town crier who reminded Us In French" that this day was the three hundredth anniversary of the birth of the great French poet, La Foun- taine, a native of Chateau -Thierry. A fountain to his memory has been erected nearby.
 Scene at Belleau Woods
 As interesting as we found Chateau Thierry. Belleau Woods was more so Reaching there shortly before noon we were met by the mayor and coun- cilmen of the village, dressed in their best regalia. Not one of them could speak a word of English, and appar- ently were of the uneducated French peasantry
 We were conducted along what was once the principal street to the ruins of, the Chateau in front of which the populace, some 50 or so men, women and children, were gathered Ad- dresses were made by the mayor and by the French general who was doing us the honor to conduct the party Responses for the Rotarians were made by Bert Adams of Atlanta, for mer International president, and by Crawford Mccullough of Canada, president elect
 more interesting part of the pro- gramme was afsong by the school children of the village. Dressed in their Sunday best they reminded one of pictures of French peasant chil- dren Under the guidance of the maitre d'ecole, Monsieur le Profes- sor Abel Benier. who gave us his card, these children sang sonr "Honneur aux soldats dAmerique" a copy of which I enclose. The Maitre