Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-22
Nor+h-Sou+h
Romances Bud
For Draf+ee's
Northern Boys Speech
Foscinates Bellies
BY EDWIN C. HILL


IN OUR defense organization
there is. as yet, no statistical
department keeping track of
affairs of the heart, but there
is abundant evidence that the
shifting of, the draftees to new
regions and new allure Is STIR
ring up a lot of fresh romance.
Just one or two moons over
the palmettoes and camellias
of the South have served to re-
veal this trend of once Grant
fancies.
The news is. most specifically.
from the big camp at Fort
Wilmington. n. c.
There the northern boys and
the southern girls have found
bonds of affinity which makes
them wonder why anybody ever
dreamed of fighting the Civil
War.
ONE of the odd things about
" all this is the report that
the southern girls are fascinated
by the speech of the northern
soldier boys.
So it does seem surprising
that anybody in the melodious
and mellifluous southland, par
ticularly a pretty girl, should
ever find our line of talk par
ticuiarly interesting or enchant-
ing.
But the fact is that the SOUTH
ern girls find it strangely appeal
ing, and there's the beginning OF
many a beautiful friendship in
this new discovery.
| WHEN you get TO shifting
w vast numbers of men over
thousands of miles, within few
weeks, you are short-circuitiry
some long processes of history.
Wherever speech habits have
been imposed on one people by
| another. or when there have
1 been mergers of speech. IL
usually has been the result Of
slow infiltration. and the his
toric fiux of languages has re-
suited from long slow tricks and
migrations.
/ A FEW days ago we noted tn
"A this corner that Washington.
/ becoming boom town, still
keeps the mood and the tempo
/ of an old southern city.
In the tropics or the near
tropics there is a tendency 10
easy conformity.
A visitor from the North is
more apt 10 talk and behave like
the natives than the reverse.
1t would be safe conjecture
that our northern boys, If they
stay long enough down there.
will come back with much nicer
manners and will be saying we
all and ''you-all.
/ A s TO this interesting matter
"A of the moon over Camp
/ Shelby. il is TO be observed that
/ this is the first instance in which
large numbers of northern lads
have achieved pleasant social
relationships with southern girls.
II isn't any catch-as-catch-can
( juke-box milling, either In this
war. social diversions are care
I fully and intelligently managed.
with strict regard for all the
/ proprieties. and the official
hosteSSes OF the camps know
how to keep everybody both
decorus and happy.
So. of course. the visiting boys
and home state girls put their
best foot foremost, not only fig
uratively but literally. and the
dancing isn't of the heebie- jeebie
brand which has swept the
North in the last decade.
/ COUTHERN girls are much
~ more conservative dancers,
and here's astonishing news:
My informant. young leu
tenant who gets back and forth
lot, tells me that our boys are
forgetting swing and DOGGY
woogey music. and all that. and
ecstatically catching the stately
southern rhythms-and. says he,
they love il.
My young officer friend tells
me that in his particular social
precincts the best equipment for
any northern gallant in the
South is genuine appreciation
of Sydney Lanier
If you happen 10 think that
Lanier was a great poet and
you can quote from The
Marshes of Glynn," and have
made pilgrimage TO Lanier's
monument at Brunswick. Ga,
the chivalry and beauty of the
South will take you into their
homes and hearts.
But you mustn't try to fake
II. They will discover the fraud
and you will be an outcast.
THIS intelligent shavetail made
Il an interesting observations:
"If we would meet the South
half way on decent manners"
he said, land show some under
standing and appreciation OF
thinnS eInSn IN fhotr haar