Part 6 (1/2)

Many other conventions I saw die by the way as the war progressed Then America came in

There is a temptation to talk about A on my story Soon after the United States entered, Areat nu, in offices, at universities, at embassies and consulates I met them and loved the they brought to France that France needed, and I have no doubt thatfrom France that we need

For pure e, no people on earth could irls took to France It was the finest stuff in the world They kne toThey kne to run a kitchen and see that hungry men were fed They kne to nurse, to run telephones, auto that needed to be done

Some failed and fell by the wayside, but they were the sirls kne to do everything--alirls, one who ran a telephone for the army and another in the ”Y,” both fro and Queen of the Belgians arrived With others they were sent to serve tea, and they served it The ”Y” girl, taking a young captain whose presence listen to her Majesty, said:

”Captain Blank,out her hand, and never batting an eye to show that all the conventions had been thrown to the winds, said:

”Captain, I am very happy to , the queen, the general of the American army, and other important people There was cake besides tea, and it was not easy to drink tea and eat cake standing The telephone girl insisted that General Pershi+ng , and of course, General Pershi+ng continued to do the sa ”There are plenty of chairs”

That girl had done her job in France--a job of which ht have been proud--and on her left breast she wore atouched the lad there were plenty of chairs, for he knew places where there were not

But General Pershi+ng and his cake still bothered the little Illinois girl, ent back at hi indicated to the general to be seated

No one but General Pershi+ng would have knohat to do between the rule to stand when a king stands and the rule to obey the order of the king

He gracefully placed his plate on the side of a table, half seated hi hi sat down

If any one had told that girl the sacredness of the convention she had ignored, she would have suffered as keenly as I had suffered into learn; yet who in theto run a class in etiquette? The point is that any girl capable of crossing half the world to do a big job and a hard one in a foreign land should have been given the opportunity to learn the rules of social intercourse

I saw soirls and men on official occasions at private houses and at official functions They were clever, attractive, fascinating; but when they cao, and then stood talking, talking, talking They did not know exactly how to get away They did not want to be abrupt nor appear to be glad to leave

It would have been so simple for some one to say to theo when you are at the end of your visit”

I was in Paris when Marshal Joffre gave the Aold oak leaves as a token of France's veneration for Airls around us who did not hesitate to coirl insisted rather audibly that Clemenceau looked like the old watch officer, complained that General Foch ”had not won as ” Soh officers for souvenirs Many French people perhaps did worse, but it hurt uilty of such crudities, because our Areat artist Rodin died, I went to the public ceremony held in his memory Suddenly I realized that A left that war had not destroyed A young Aiven up his career for his uniform, and was invalided back in Paris minus an arm, stood very near me As he turned to Colonel House I heard hi is another battle lost”

It was typical of the American quality of which we have cause to boast--the fineness of heart that is in our young people

The day of the ar on and realizing that all class distinctions, all race, age, and pursuits, had been wiped off the map People were just people There was a coht up by the fury of the crowd, and swept along singing, laughing, weeping

Young soldiers passing would reach out to touch ht I believed that the war had broken down many of our barriers; that all foolish customs had died; that the terrific price paid in hu had at least left a world honest with itself, siood comradeshi+p; that men were measured by manliness and women by ideals It was a part of the armistice day fervor, but I believed it

And then I came home and went to Newport