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Show Yankee Soldiers in France, Vignettes of American Ideas, j Prime Factor at Peace Table Efficiency of Western Khaki Warriors Declarer'; to Be One of Most Cogent Agencies Behind Power Wielded by President Wilson. By WILLIAM T. ELLIS. (Copyright, 1913, by the New York Herald Company All Rights Reserved.) Copyright, Canada, by - the New York Herald Company.) (Special to Tho Salt Lake Tribune and New Y"ork Herald.) PARIS, March 8. President Wilson and the American soldiers in rYancG -are both essential factors in tho triumph of the American Ideas at tho peace conference. The presence of both exerts a clearly discernible discerni-ble influence. Without these ubiquitous men In khaki, with efficiency written in their every line and motion,' President Wilson would not have been able to wield his present power. They are his background; a demonstration of American Ameri-can qualities. Nobody here needs to argue about the ability and resourcefulness resource-fulness of the American nation; it la enough to look out of the window at the passing soldiers. They demonstrate the American charactor. Change Shown in American Army. When any question arises as to America's Amer-ica's share in the new work of assuring world stability, there is an unanswerable argument for the affirmative in these free-limbed young sons of Anak. They could ' police the t'ahara or the North Pole. Neither Turkestan nor Thibet would daunt them. Hepe in France two million yuung Americans have found themselves. They are fit for anything. And 15 u rope knows it.. Therefore the insistence- that this virile force assume its full share of the thankless task or keeping the old world in new order. Anybody who, like myself, returns to France after six months or a year, finds a manifest change in the way the American Ameri-can ti-Miers carry themselves. Then they were strangers in a strange land. The newness of their surroundings, and their own self -consciousness, made them feel a bit "green" and uncertain. The glamour of France was etill upon them. They had been untried in battle, and were rather at the awkward, hobbledehoy stage. French and British officers commented upon the extraordinary teachableness of the Americans. Now, all is different. The Yankees have come to themselves. A doughboy expressed ex-pressed It to me in rather typical soldier fawhion a few days ago: "Vcs, there's a difference. Mostlv you see it in the '(Jo-to-hclt" attitude "of the soldiers. They know P'rance and they know themselves They've measured up against the world, and now they ask no odds of anybody." Having been through the fire of battle, and come out gold, the American urniy is not an abashed body. They are not swaggering or -conceited or offensive. They are simply competent. Now they sit in Judgment on everything, from tiie actions ac-tions of the peace conference to the way the French merchants are profiteering. Ours Is today ah army that has lost its Illusions. They no longer 'alk as circumspectly cir-cumspectly as maiden ladies fearful of making a faux pas in strange society; instead, they express candid sentiments about everything with which they differ. They have estimated and weighed and appraised, ap-praised, through muddy months in ver-rniny ver-rniny villages, through disillusioned leaves in profiteering Paris, through bitter battles besule other soldiers; and they have come ' through all flying the flag, "Let 'Independence Ee Our Boast.'' Yankees Marry French Women: When I point out the manner in which these clear-eyed Yankees are adhering 'to their own national traits and characteristics, character-istics, without being seriously affected by European traits, I am not unaware that somo soldiers have married French women, and that the ennui of Inactivity may drive others to matrimony, in lieu (Continued on Page 2; Column 1.) YANKEE SOLDIERS FIGURE IN PEACE (Continued from Page One.) of war! Tho official figures are that up to this wrium; lour thousand American .-oldlers, officers and men, have taken h'reneh wives. This Is not a very large proportion, out of a total of more than two million, troops In l-'rance. Some of tho weddings wcro manifestly cases in which tho men were being victimized vic-timized by mercenary women of uncertain uncer-tain character. Already there have been applications for divorce as of one aviator avia-tor whoso wife. left hlni in three days to isit her family down In the provinces, and who a ow months later he found coining out of a motion picture show in Paris, in ery doubtful companv. Yet he had been supporting her the while. In another rase, tho soldier who appeared ap-peared before tho consul could not speak a word of French, and his bride could not speak a word of Knlish, but the jriiTs mother acted as interpreter. Doubtless Doubt-less there will be considerable mother-in-law in that family. That a proportion of these marriages ro manifestly icKrettabto is largolv ow-ins: ow-ins: to the fact that so few foreigners, inrhidinic our soldiers, are admitted into the better class of French families. The women hero whom it is easiest to know are the ones least adapted to become wives of American soldiers. thin wondered what the few English-speaking English-speaking French guests thought of the performance given by the Argonne Player.- all New York soldiers who had been in action before President Wilson and the peace commissioners. With American Ameri-can candor, t he actors dealt not only -with the conditions of army life, making jokes of their own grievances, g uch as back pay, but they also dealt as open-eyed, open-eyed, unahas'ied Americans with their experienced with certain phases of native na-tive life. F carlessness Background of Peace Conference. Theso qualities of st ra igb t -seeing mental men-tal integrity and fearlessness in the Ameri. ans are part of the background of the peace conference-. They reveal the rju iMty of Freedom Wilson's asset. Thev malic our t pe of democracy visible to n'l. They arc ivatly factors hi shaping cone'iiMons. aU' -na! characteristics de-tennme de-tennme the responsibilities and atlthoritv thai are to devoh o upon each countrv. This is of t1'" ery warp ;md woof of the new world order: character determines deter-mines democra-v. The fit folk must assume as-sume their share of the task of brother-i brother-i , i w the la k: tr:i r d n, -oides I'ni'iiunl t . . ii, new common level. In tho first week of the preliminarv , dis --uss ions, immediately preceding the formal openh'g of the peace con fere-nee. the power of the American typo of mind and character 'was dramatically bnmcht out by i he discussions ever pub! lei t v. "Nobody could attend one of those intense o ii '".ranees (.f h- A mi eric-' u newspaper men without a new pride m the profession, profes-sion, a 'id in the Anvri'-an 5 pin!. Inst In-st cad of ieldinsr to the ba n imputed by ,)',U!Vpr;in ira'litioiis i.f tiu- old order, too correspondent h i carl es:y and ef f ie;en t ly ivent iot-i battle acinst a;iei,ni ihplo-matie ihplo-matie traditions. r"t:ey practiced tho Wil-Honian Wil-Honian preaebmenf s. , Ipl cad of bea t inc the air or wild1 v ' raang on the srre-t C'-rners thev c ir- ! ru'd their contentimi riglit up to r-'sfun-cot'lo c,uater. When itn faind w lio ; wns chargea the Vfy let no i to en ia ' i - t ; Hi.ee hand'o- .-f the u..'? hmi. Ahia llu-y w.-re .l.-p'fied. and they proee-d.' d i in orde.-iy ("a on-..;:, Lot t'i'"' Wev au:ir' : tbnf tb.-y wi'i-" h.-r-:-'d v.i'b the sacr. d trust of rrpi-cvMit mi: l)o- e-e- and oar ; i of tb'- worid. S. thev h- l'i t't. luglo -i : olficial- tu strict. .T.-'-OfotaOibi . "ah.,' as all tb-- world ,'"AS- they V...U. rui,- ..pinmn. pr nif:en p.- the ,-orr-... , ;i.ivlrnts, ",-nt -o the mat" with Pair..- I ' and pasning. This historic struggle- was a spectacular spectacu-lar vindication of American leadership atid conviction. Tk- Uritish journalists marched straight a'ong. one t;-vC. behind ihe An'M-ricans. The only difference was that E-:;-iusn ::-v-paper men are not ae-customed ae-customed to j.u.'li forthright and stren-i stren-i auus method..; in dealing w i'h goveru-ments. goveru-ments. Hut i ht seemed to hko it! In coi :J( .'m vic'tii-m, t no v-tio'o ae 'Mis loreU to n "xiow down." It -was i'm-uuI that ts- lineup wa.- Amcrjea jand Hr-'ain si;,i:di:;;; apsoluteiv to-:;e;he;-. w ith T'aly a;:.l tee t;;lM n.uions Iri'o'-d to fn!Jow aft-r. 'f L'rares inter-n inter-n it to: iiMin.'Tit - ':ir more si -r: i ; hca t 'bun a'l : iie fetlow sip p din!wr.; ; - nd .i -i'ket .'.! :n London and N-w vurii -" :1 " ':'''''oy-1":' '1 t-'-Mv,;.; 0f ron- i.al :-" s I.':' l .. " t .link i -:t.' s.t':. I'l.'Uyi'v, he-! -a me' P'; n ere.e - , s- ek 'htbrii ; ;i-a s . is '..u n th-y nni-t. s'.and w -ji .-i L - r-. e-,- .v., n .j..-;.. 1 .jotiiniUfions have e- r ; t - ' -1 1 1 ' : -: - - i v,, p .I.-;- i-.:- a s v. a. v. r-'ii - , t n ra.- t (. i ,nV; , -f .1 -i , 'I " . i ' - . American, "See, you are tho people who will havR to handle this mess at Constantinople Con-stantinople nrni in Syria, and In the Balkans; Bal-kans; you have the men. the means, the convictions and the efficiency, and it is a. white man's job that yrm cannot escape,'" j the American is obliged to give a reluctant re-luctant consent. Kor ;t is liere eienr that ;reat Britain has b'n cun erted fmrn her own o'td. imof-i-inlisi ;e ways. tdi" frank I v. tind rat'ier philt:f ivel . Is asking to be re-P"ve,i re-P"ve,i of the oh! i cat ions of the s ert ire.itief made hfore America entered 'the war. t-'h- dor-s not want any more col-o:-;b-s and territory and slip is reforming "net- p-.;,y p, pndbi and fi?vnere. In fo-r. Grear I'ri tain's commit men t to the Wii-son i'lal.i is oomnie'p. Hritain has voieod the truest thoucats of iior own ! peonie. Sh frauk'v nan's to co forward i in ter with America. Tr.e volin;- bloe'K thai, wi.l determine th" issues of th !,,....- ,-onfe-ei:o ill -o Britain and AmrPa and the liltio nations. Masses Applaud New Notions' j ' t i circles which is unlntelllciblo to us. It parallels the lantuaco difficulties whieli travelers meet, and whb h cause so iiimiv pravo misonde;-sLandin"s. Tb ancient diplomaey which h.v: ruled irre for centuries ovprerscs, i'.sel;" ft: terms whhdi are entirely alien to the American spirit, l.'ndoubtediy. it dooms th-:: American spc-ii of a-frinsm and be:if'oiene.; iind ge! f-ue term ina '.ion pnte as 1 1 e-om p r.die n-si'de. n-si'de. It. think. T-Tcsid-Tit "i;son an idealist rtnd ft theorist, wn.o beamus In a pulpit or a pr-'fessor'y chair rather than in an v'u e oflh-e. ufbeia Popi in Fair one has not yet wholly persuaded Itself It-self th.it Ameriert. rnlly nv.nns ail lm it nyn in its t' at form for ;i Ir-a-ne of na 1 ions. Man! fee i ly t)m n ia sees und-pr-stara.l and arp!nnd, but j t tf-. ;rna 1 diplomaey di-plomaey is pnz.led and di'-en'-erid, 1 'i e;. temia t ion c"" the i-'uiie and trr," 'n nvti-o.is nf Sv, rri diPlcmae;.-. it is !., be reinein'neiTH 1(i;ir i ' js ;m obi, .)! r.-'h-io:;. saii'-i iinr-,j i.y et-t.fi; I LS r v VJO- m. n " s ere t ra.i ne,; j n a not h.-r -erm..t tb.Ti -e.ir. Th-y l-.d.l. in pra'';ee, ;,nf-jntod ;,nf-jntod th.'or.- eoa-.-'n.iri; tin- rl; In--ruM of o:n. ;.,ni. To ;:-..ni 1 1 ks in--otupr-'.'if-i' N-' '';;.' a nc-e r.-t di.-v-. i:od. .'.'-d rvc all t'.v'r . . , .-, l; lawed by the peace conference ia still beyond their powor to gra - p. They do not understand "Wilson's words no more d oe s h e u n d e !'s t a n d them. Ad th5 while, in dramatie contrast, we behold the backward little nat ioris, ' the peoples who used to be bartered to and 'fro ;h chattels, clearly unde'-juandlncr and answ rins,' to trie new views of wliich I'rlonit "VIUon is. the moul hpiree. Arabic-speak in? Syria. Ur xaninie, w ith ii ca pi tu I at Tamn pens, and ext r nd ; ns; ' a'onir the Meditrranea n f rom Aievan- , dretta to Gnz'-i. br.i 'ino to th confer-' enee not nskin? that Its claims for hide- ! prudence, under p protect ora i e, 0c crit- I ed. but. instead, thai, the eonfci-en-.e send j a commission to S.-ria to Iind out wiat t lie p ople thenielven wri nt. idinit v tho Enclish that is spoken In U'aning-I U'aning-I ton is' nn'.lers'ood in 1li.; l I.rtnrl. Ad the wbiie hi tie; sfre.-i. r,f I'nris. in r-h and villa ires ;i p v ff t!ie la nd'. from U'jin- to the sen. .-r-md mviad of American soldiers, tb-- e i, - ' ,, i j , nn t r,f the bp-si p-.f uloc;; tlieir ooun'rv rnn-o-nds at the ' on f i-i-enee, Tiioy ore fine n nil t: r and free ;i nd f fdej.'iit ." a so-- of "r.-.m'":t A" of In.. urkahi:k.- of tin; dno-T:.-:. |