BRITISH SOLDIERS IN FRANCE

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 61, 12 March 1915, Page 5

BRITISH SOLDIERS IN FRANCE

AT.T.TTiwi TROOPS FRATERHISE. Mies Augustus Foote, a San* Francisco girl, who is 'contributing to the "Bulletin" a eeries of articles on. "How I saw Europe at"War," writes: l — ■ "Paris, ac might be supposed; is 6oldier mini. ■'Wherever troops go they.are received with something like adoration. But whea the convalescent wounded iir» strong enough for promenade, these heroes and sufferers are .nearly mobbed by the populace. The convalescents; ac a rule, take the air in groups, made up of the varied allied nationalitiesI—for1—for a Frenchman on such occasions -always J wants to have by his side his cherished comrades in arms, the English, Belgians, Turcos and Hindoos. They are in high spirits, as they, walk along the streets, very dummy, all talking at onee;'~and perhaps none understanding the other's language. The foreign troops' make some kind, of jstaib--*-at~talking .'"French, "a"ni'."t'o "promote" "6ns v laudable 'intent they ars providedSvTth dictionaries and phrase books which are supposed.io I cover the entire realm oE general conversation. It is quite a sight; at times ' tn see several earnest nien. .''holding-«iis-coursee. through ttie medium; J of T . ihiase linguistic guides. ■ , ._ ... \ _ ' -- .Of cquise/thc. girls are deeply initerested" and- ieWr tire of -gijwiig? little tokens of'goodwil^-such and flowers, to' the" vrmuided men 1 able to walk, the streets., .And th** men, of course, want-to look the "part, , ofv the knight exrant and "preux chevalier." Most -of the -foreigners have some stock i speech: that they, do not'underetaniliin the least, in which "ma ,:belle filled! ,"voheaux yeux," and fittest" gallant .alluMonspleasing to the gentler ccx, take ra;iead-. mg part. They are always -tryingv to -do the right thing at the right t-iae, though sometimes rather" raitJe'tl-tcheit ~d "(juytion of etiquette-suddenly pope -

One• afterndon, .for. .instance, I wae riding in a street train, as usoal occur pied.-by,, -women. ... Enter --' a- r-ngifarmed,, turbaned Hindoo, a fine specimeniof main-.'.. wio Avpxud have made an -ideal ■Moor for- Shakespeare's- - Othello. j was a dilemma, more disc-oncerting.it£an an enemy's front, bwstling witn'atjaiery. Thefdusky-warriox.i3eenied ,to~th;n&*B6inething was expected .of -him;---what. he. had. not-the faintest notion. , Suddenly" the '•warrlor'e :'face wae bright- - ened tinder the" kindly ■'• influence '"gEran |idea. He had a: bag -o'l ;.-peafctrts in . hie' •■■hand.- Arising ; from'"seat,- he "presenteo.' the opened. eacli" and every woman.All the ladiee 'took- obe 6r:"two.TSt;;was my fortune to dumpei the remaining peanuts an my us had a laugh," and the Hindoo; rerumed h-ia seat proudly,i,wiih. ; the alr'otjirtisfeic-. tioif'pf■' one wh* had just' gone;"throHgh a euccessfultinfldtary *aci;ioiL -'■'■^-^t-y-

: Idke...every, other country in Europe, whether belligerent or' otaerwSfie,' nine-' tenths ot the women "spend: *ft ; ;':'jtheir •leisure; time.knitting:for .the VqMiere in the 'trendies." Even on. the streets: -you ccc them at tlieir iyork. • It s to say-it-n6w,-.but-there id "good reason. to -believe, that: this ~»>; before I left "France thai tie .soldiers'' in;..the JtrendMirf:were using knitted goods for gn« ewabl and the like. ~._"" '--.- .-