The New York herald., 1922-11-22
Came to Find if Old Romance
Betueen Nations Is Still Alive

"The beauty OF this, was that there
was romance between America and
France. ] do not know any other peo-
Plies among which there is such a stretch
of imagination. That is the thought
that brought me- here. After all am
an old man. although you may not think
so, But am very. very old man, and
after lam gone / don't know in what
measure ] will be introduced TO some OF
the questions that have been most In
teresting in my life.
Tn my life-that is the romance Gen.
Pershing could tell IVA when he came
to France. The first thing. he said
something. He went to Lafayette's tomb
and said. Lafayette, we are here And
here YOU were, and there you stood dur
ing the worst days. saw the man and
saw the chief. very often he may
have thought, but I was comforted by
the sight.
II wanted to speak with them and
sometimes had quarrels with Gen. Per-
shing, beautiful quarrels said, I
don't know what Is your power TO say
yes, but I know what is YOUR power TO
say no.
"A bad quarrel between us was that
as soon as the American soldiers came
/ wanted them to go 10 the front and he
wanted them to go 10 the front too
But OF course. he couldn't send then
as they were. He had 10 organize, he
had to prepare he had TO concentrate
the whole thing under the American
flag. He did not want 10 go TO battle
without an American army, and he was
right and so was |. l was right too.
Because our men were falling dread
fully, | win speak OF that in a moment.
And / was In 9 great hurry.
1T was a LONG time before the first
American soldiers came, after the dec
laretion OF war. and We had TO wait.
and waiting meant hundreds OF thou
sands of men falling and falling. And
50 whenever ] think of the yeallty of
the brave and magnificent American
soldiers and officers and chiefs that
have seen at the front. or whatever,
consider that magnificent story OF '76,
when YOU brought into the world that
wonderful nation. when you fought for
the right to live and the equal right to
pursue happiness.
1T was the first time ii had been
heard in the world. l am not sure the
enemies of that time, the European
armies, did not laugh at it, and that
it was all nonsense. Now they may
come and see what these children have
become. what giants they have become
and what things have been accom-
plished
~ came here with the idea that i
want to get romance. And If i have
not met with the feelings / hope, then
the romance is over. But l must explain
TO you in what feeling | was. Now |
am not going TO ask you for money.
You have too much of II. 1 want some
thing much more than that, much more
valuable.
II want yourself. your heart and soul.
want that thing that we call In
French tho thing that cannot be
weighed in human scales; a little thing
which is a kind of kin feeling of one
human being toward another. That may
exist and does exist between such ma
tons as ours, and that is what | want
of you.
II don't Come TO make you take any
decision or try to have any influence
over your political meu 10 come 10 any
decision or plan whatever. Mono of
this. ! am not an official. have no
mission and am glad OF II. And don't
think ! have any right To influence any
American decision whatever,
But l come here with this idea-that
the explanations that I am giving you
may change your minds IL you have
been thinking in different way and
hoping that they will change your
hearts. as Frances heart has been
changed toward America. have some