the
desired permissions had been granted. One day I sat opposite a
remarkable type whom I found dining in a small restaurant. I noticed the
absence of either beer or wine with his meal, and he frankly explained
that he had never tasted either in his life. He thanked me, but refused
to accept a cigarette I offered, saying without aside that he had yet
his first one to smoke. When I heard him tell Madame that he did not
care for coffee, I asked him why, and he told me that his mother had
always told him it was injurious and he had never tasted it.

I became more interested in this ideal, young American soldier and
questioned him about his life. I found that he and his father had worked
in the copper mines in Michigan. They were both strong advocates of
union labour and had participated vigorously in the bloody Michigan
strikes.

"Father and I fought that strike clear through," he said. "Our union
demands were just. Here in this war I am fighting just the same way as
we fought against the mine operators in Michigan. I figure it out that
Germany represents low pay, long hours and miserable working conditions
for the world. I think the Kaiser is the world's greatest scab. I am
over here to help get him."

* * * * *

One day in the Chatham Hotel, in Paris, I was dining with an American
Brigadier General, when an American soldier of the ranks approached the
table. At a respectful distance of five feet, the soldier halted,
clicked his heels and saluted the General. He said, "Sir, the orderly
desires permission to take the General's car to headquarters and deliver
the packages."

"All right, Smith," replied the General, looking at his watch. "Find out
if my other uniform is back yet and then get back here yourself with the
car in half an hour."

"Thank you, sir," replied the man as he saluted, executed a snappy right
about face and strode out of the dining-room.

"Strange thing about that chauffeur of mine," said the General to me. "I
had a lot of extra work yesterday on his account. I had to make out his
income tax returns. He and his dad own almost all the oil in Oklahoma.
When he paid his income tax, Uncle Sam got a little over a hundred
thousand dollars. He went in the army in the ranks. He is only an
enlisted private now, but he's a good one."

* * * * *

Walking out of the Gare du Nord one day, I saw a man in an American
uniform and a French Gendarme