San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-20
A SAMPLE OF AMERICA

| An American woman-an equal
Fighter from Massachusetts,. if YOU please
has rebuilt an ancient French village
that was destroyed by the Germans in
the war That is, her money was used
in carrying out the project But appar-
ently-and quite naturally. one might
think-she had something to say about
the way the new houses should be built
And thereby hangs an idea.
Hatton Chapel (that is the name OF
the village is, or rather was, 1000 years
old when the Germans began to bonn
bard it. When they ceased firing it
wasn't old at all; it simply wasn't IN
less, of course, a site can be village
Rut the American woman had been there
before the war, and she liked the place
because it reminded her of New Eng
land scenes. The reminders gone
swept away by German shell fire-she
set out to rebuild the village. Besides
re-creating the reminders of New Eng
land, she would commemorate the fact
that Massachusetts troops had re-occu-
pied the village, or the site of it, shortly
before the close of the war.
The story of the reconstruction goes
on to say that Hatton Chapel, as re-
created, has new town hall, with a new
library-''a thing unknown before in the
long history of the village" There will
be also water System" whicIIis prob
ably another innovation to the natives
and old residents in that part of France.
Thus the idea begins to unfold itself.
Wealthy Americans with nothing. better
to do with their money might confer
a boon upon humanity if they would
each select site in the devastated area
upon which to build, or rebuild a village
in accordance with American rules of
sanitation and with American concep-
tons of convenience, efficiency and pro-
ductiveness. And if such a project were
carried out commensurately with the
needs OF Europeans, it would have to be
extended to not few places outside the
areas devastated by the German armies.
Right in London, for example, there
is need for adoption of certain American
methods. That is unless the English can
show that it is better for the guests of
a "first-class" hotel to have to wait in
line for an hour or So to get their morn
ing tub than to be able to step into
private bath rooms without asking any,
body's leave. Or unless they can prove
that hard boards make more comfortable
seats in railway coaches than do uphol-
stored chairs with backs. Or unless thew
can demonstrate that dark railways and
elevat orless office buildings make ;or ef-
ficiency in business.
Why is it that Europeans admire
American facilities when they come to
visit us, and then go home without any
thought of installing there the aids to
business, comfort, health and happiness
that they see here? One might think
that the United States had a world pat
ent upon the obviously and admittedly
superior facilities which distinguish daily
activities in this country from those in
the Old World.
The only defect in the "idea" sug-
gested is that Europeans would prob
ably prefer that their institutions and
methods remain "as is" than to be put
to the trouble of accustoming themselves
to the innovations which the hypothetical
American rebuilders of their villages,
town and cities would be likely to order.
The slayer of Villa has been sentenced
y