The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-02-09
Observations
Americans Seem TO
be Beating French
at Own Game
~ HELEN EssARY

watch follow are more than usual
" personal. You must not hold
the sometimes Maynard manage
ment responsible for any OF the FOL
lowing opinions. Here goes
or course. it is shocking to learn
that many United States soldiers
AWOL. are bootlegging gas and
other things in Paris But | am
not too Mortified at the revelation
Indeed it slightly warns my
Yankee heart to see the French
traders outdone at their own game
Before the war many American
civilians went 10 Paris AWOL.
They went TO have the fun. the
freedom and the anonymity they
couldn't have at home.
II was not always the pursuit Of
culture that sent wives to France
on tours and held husbands there
after the art galleries had been
inspected and business transaC-
tions had been completed
Those light-hearted pre-war
Americans had 10 pay well for the
relaxation Of feeling slightly naugh-
~, AWOL. so to speak, from their
own straighterlaCed communities
But now the sabot is on the other
foot The United States soldier
AWOL in flesh and spirit is on
the loose in the France he helped
free. He is the conQueror with
purse and gunpowder.
understand that under his
riotous rule even the French taxi
driver has become chastened In
the old days the French taxi
driver made giddy and gullible
Americans Cringe as he spat in
suits at the smallness OF the pour
boire"
The last taxi driver | had in Par
IS. in pre-war Paris. set me out a
block and a half beyond my hotel
He said it was good for the Amer
ics!ne" to walk And walk back
I did.
Many conscientious French off
cials were troubled by the attitude
toward foreigners shown by taxi
drivers small merchants and hotel
people. They organized educa-
tional campaigns TO stop such un-
wise banditry. But the banditry
went on until the war engulfsd
al.
The taxi drivers are meek now
travellers tell me. They obey di.
rections without even a shrug OF
thu shoulder. In their change in
manner they show the change in
the international attitude OF
France.
II Is a sad spectacle to watch the
Washington pack turn on an about
lobe dtscredited man in public
life. 1t IL not a recent discovery
that Henry Wallace has the quail
lilies OF an "idealist," a dreamer"
n mystic. He has been known
TO have these qualities ever since
he came to Washington as sec
Rotary OF agriculture. Extraordin-
AIRY qualities, many people used to
bay. But not exactly vicious.
Now, being a mystic. an ideal
et and a dreamer are enough to
bang a man officially. This sud
den change in appraisal is not the
result OF change in Henry Wal
lace. 1t Is the result OF a bunch
That Wallace Ia about finished az
n high official 80 let's give him
b good push and help him on his
way"
Give Wallace command either
of the RFC or the secretaryship OF
oommerce?. Well. at least not the
RFC. And he'll have to wait an.
Other month before the Senate
votes on the commerce appoint
ment alone-with the Job probably
separated from the lending sgen.
eies.
The Saltonstalls are the new
vogue in Washington. He came
from the Massachusetts governor.
ship to the Senate on Jan. 90. Re
member Attractive, intelligent
people, both of them. They have
dignity and brains and are very
agreeable TO have about the place.
The friends OF Senator Arthur
Nandenberg are pointing to the
spectacular success OF his recent
intern tional pronouncement:
Lets win both the war and the
peace" and urging him TO get
ready to run for president on the
Republican ticket in 194S.
The senator from Michigan had
D fling at the presidential nomina-
tion in 1910 But 1t wasn't a ser.
ious fling. The time is ripe now.
his friends advise. for you to put
your mind on a White House can
didacy and work earnestly toward
that goal.