THOMAS ATKINS IN FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2276, 9 October 1914, Page 6

THOMAS ATKINS IN FRANCE

HAPPY DAYS ; FLOWER-DECKED WARRIORS ! A\b the pretty girls along a certain road in France are wearing to-day as brooches the lettered regimental badges which may be seen on the shoulderstraps of British troops, wrote Mr. Hamilton Fyfe (a "Daily Mail" cor " respondent), from somewhere in France on August 18. Along this highway British troops have been passing for several days.' Where it comes from, where it leads to, I am pledged not to tell. ,;Enough that I have seen long lines of motor-wagons filled with our men in khaki, that I have seen ' the population of towns and villages turn out and 6tand in the streets to see them 'pass, that I have heard the French people clap their hands and. cry "Vive les Anglichesl" "Vive l'Angleterre!" Girls and .women stand by the roadside with bouquets in their hands to throw to the men. Therefore is every wagon gaily decorated, therefore are roses worn in field-service caps, therefore is tho grim appearance of the god of war softened by the delicate . touch of Flora, the goddess of flowers. In exchange the 6oldiers, grateful and delighted to' be thus welcomed, hand down their shoulder-badges, kiss hands gallantly, cheer' and wave with extreme vigour, declare unanimously that France is a fine country and French girls "Al." Some of the officers are not quite so pleased. One toid me how "a bunch of rhododendron:' or something" hit him hard in the face. Another capped this by relating how on a station .platform he had' been- surrounded and embraced! He scratched I Jiis cheek resentfully as he spoke. .

•., - A Motor War. • I said tho other day this would be a. "motor war." Here on" this highroad" was i proof of it. Armies do not march nowadays. They advance in a cloud of. dust with, snorting petrol engines and-grinding gears. It 'was. like a dream to see a "W. and G." taxicab'' bowling along,' filled with officers, and to takeijiote.'of the names on the big motor-lorries. One belonged to the Leeds Industrial Co-operative Society, another to the Pendleton I.C.S. Here were a. few.-rin succession:—Hartley's Preserves;'W. and R. Jacob; Majn, Crossman, and Paulin; D. S. Dyson, Wakefield; Downer, .:■ Southampton.-; Skinner, .and.Rook, Nottingham; Robertson's Golden Shred • Marmalade; Peter Walker; John Walker; London and Noi'thrWestern Parcels Delivery. /The troons"aro all as cheery as possible. In one village a Scotch regiment has its quarters and it has made friends very quickly'.; ..-■-. "Ay. ye ken these Frenehies are gey gleg in tho uptak" (very quiok at. understanding), one smiling Aberdonian said to us. "We can'unnerstah'ane anither fine." And he, went off arm-in-arm with a French farmer! who was going to cook 'three eggs for him. (where he got them I did not inquire)'. '"Willi ye tell him I. like them boiled?" he asked. Which I did, and they went away to boil them. The first sight I had of British soldiers was. in a certain town where I saw coming down the street, as I entered it, a small boy in a pink pinafore marching along betweon two men,, in khaki, holding their hands very proiidiy and looking busily about him to let the wholo town see l the honour he had attained. A little further on there was a. British sentry'outside a hotel, where a number, of officers were staying. Two French soldiers passed. One stopped and seized Mr. Atkins's, hand. He pressed'it with emotion. "Eh, b'en, copain," ho said, "comment allez-vousp On. est .amis, hein? (Well, old. pal, how are you? We're good friends, eh?)" Mr.i. Atkins was taken- by surprise, but he: 'grinned sympathetically, ; Then,, catching my eye and recognising me for an. Englishman, he blushed. He really blushed. ' ---. -.-.-'. Kindly Welcoms, The effort of the officers to remember .French learned imperfectly at school.are;very funny. Most of them adopt a confidential tone to waiters and hotelkeepers; -so that their friends may not hear them. But some think it necessary to speak very loudly. One oldish major, was in a great way because he could not get hot water. In the corridor he called' to the "valet he chambre": "Voulay-voo apportay moy do low i show ou voulay-voo nong?" - They, like the men, are.very pleased with the arrangements'made for our troops, and for 'tho. anxiety of French officers to make everything comfortable for them. "They spare no trouble," one staff officer told me, as we stood in the middle of a barrack square, while our men were arriving and getting their first chance to fraternise with French' soldiere. "They are so kind and courteous about it a11,.t00. Wo cannot speak too highly of them or of their preparations for us. Here they only expectedl a hundred men and six hundred have turned up. Without any fuss they are arranging beds and rations for them all. Organisation is evidently one of their strong.points." -_ . ; ;.;• The. civil authorities are doing their part, too. In one place I read a notice placarded by: tho Mayor: ''In honour .of tho English troops who are coming to our town, the Mayor asks the inhabitants to hang out British and French flags." The inhabitants Lad willingly responded. The, streets were as gay'as if it were' a national fete. :

. Even 'in.the-country ,_ far from any village,-the. women, working in the fields seem to.know that "tho English troops are coming." At the. sight of the lorries or of motor-cars flying along with officers they come running helter-skelter from their wheat stocks and) stand gaping by the roadside.