Evening star., 1927-09-20

Mix" at the cowboys from Texas
! Tnev cheered several small American
citizens, aged or !. who carried the
S:ars and Stripes with long strides
and solemn spirits.
They were astounded by the heroic
drum major from Boston, who played
magic tricks with his baton, tossing
il high in the air and twiring it with
incre dihle deXterity Best OF all per-
haps, they were delighted with the
Statue of Liberty. who had stepped
down from her pedestal and waved
| her trident at the French crowds
But that official march past was only
more orderly form of the continual
procession of American La=ionnai' es
: hich surges in an endless tide
through Paris. 1t is IN a carnival
spirit after Sundays solemn visits to
The churches aud cemeteries
Old Memories Stirred.
1t is hard to think back to war
scenes and to death or tragedy when
one is surrounded by. these groups
of young Americans. who have come
to enjoy life AS Paris offers it with
an open heart. Yet, once or twice. old
memories stirred in me today ana
gave significance to this astounding
visit
| remember the day after America
entered the war. | was under Nimy
Ridge among masses of German prls-
oners. who had Just been captured,
spoke To a German officer and said:
do you know that America has
entered the war;"
He shrugged his shoulders and said
They have no army and America
- far away. They will never come to
France"
But they came in millions. and the
first day | saw them | was standing
in atield of a place called Agincourt.
An old battle had been FOUGHT there
by English nrchers when Harry was
king, before America had been dis
covered.
Tides of Americans.
Suddenly | saw American troops,
,ettalion after battalion. tall, fresh.
splendid. untouched as yet by wars
agony. An English officer standing
by my side spoke words which | have
never forgotten. as they were pro
ph~tic:
This is the most astounding thing
in history. The New World comes
back to the Old World and the Atlantic
has become u bridge"
After that saw the tides of Ameri.
can youth>surgins along the old roads
of the war and now in Paris I wonder
if the faces | see about the street
we're those same faces | saw under
Steel hats. powdered with the dust of
French roads. wet with sweat, grim
and tired after long marches. haC=ar"
as saw them in the German trenches
among their dead up by BelleCourt and
Bellenglise.
One More Crossing.
I am certain that the American
Legion now in Paris will not revive
the spirit of militarsm or national
hatreds.
see their mission here as one more
crossing of that bridge which does
not divide America from Europe, but
links up our human family in sympa-
thy and friendship and moral co-opera
ton in the essential progress toward
a better chance of peace, at least for
some time ahead.
France knows now and once again
that. apart from petty differences and
the squalid arithmetic of trade. the
heart of America S represented ny
this Legion is strong in friendship and
good will. -
1t is its big meaning behind its car
nival spirit and behind that pilgrimage
of graves of those American soldiers
who will not see the Illumination in
Paris tonight nor walk among it's
laughing crowds.
Copyright. 1927 by New York Times Co..