TRANSCRIBED FROM THE HELENA WORLD FEBRUARY 5, 1919 P. 2
American Commission to Negotiate Peace,
Place de la Concorde.
Hotel de Crillon,
Paris. Saturday, 28, 1918
Mr. E. P. Moore, President,
Interstate Grocer Company,
Helena, Ark., U.S.A.
Dear Mr. Earl:
If I am not mistaken I have written you once before that I have crossed the briny deep and am now in the fair land of France, but for fear that the censors for some reason stopped the letter, as at the time there was a strict censorship, I am again writing to let you know that I am in the best of health and getting along fine. In fact, I have never felt better in my life.
You will notice by the heading that I am with the American Commission to Negotiate Peace, but it would take a week for me to tell you just how many hardships I went through before I landed this good job, and believe me it is a good a position as any soldier ever held, not to say anything of the honor attached to it. I might as well give you a brief outline of how I finally landed in Paris, so here goes.
At first I thought that I never would get to come across, but a request came through Washington from General Headquarters, A.E.F. for 60 expert stenographers to be shipped across for special work and they required two or three men from each flying field in the states. I had to nearly get on my knees begging to be one of the men, as did most of the stenographers on the field. Well, they gave us a competitive examination and to make a long story short, I came out on top, but I sure did work for it and I was in a sweat all the time for fear that some of the other fellows would beat me out. Well two of us left Park Field, Tennessee on the 24th of September and landed in Garden City Long Island, New York, which is a concentration camp for all Air Service troops on the 26th of September. We hung around there for nearly a month and on the 28th of October set sail for France. Landed at Brest, one of the largest ports her on the 9th of November, just two days before the Armistice was signed which was the 11th of November. Two days later the whole 60 of us were sent to San Maxiet, France, which is one of the oldest military camps in the country, and is also a concentration camp for Air Service troops. We got stuck there doing (K.P. kitchen police and fatigue work for a week or eight days and from there two of us were sent to Tours, France, which is the General Headquarters, S.O.S., American Expeditionary Forces, France, and I was shot into an office with the Chief Inspector as private secretary. It was a fine job and I liked it fine. Had an easy time of it as he was out most of the time. The feed was good and the quarters fair and I was treated nicely. Well, I worked with him about a week and then I heard that there was going to be sent to Paris for the Peace Commission a number of stenographers. Well, I got busy right away and asked to take the examination, as same was required to be able to get to come to Paris for this work. I finally got permission to take the examination, after so long a time and was one of the two of twelve that passed and was shipped the next day for Gay Paree and here I have been since that time. Got here on the first of December, and from the looks of things and from what I can see here, will probably be here until about June or July. Of course, this is a fine place and I am glad to be here but I don't think that I like the idea of spending about six or seven months here.
I am working in the American Manager's office of this hotel. As I understand it, it is one of the most aristocratic hotels in Paris. It was requisitioned by the American Government to quarter all the members of the Peace Commission, with the exception, of course, of President Wilson and General Pershing. With those exceptions, all the big guns of America. The work I am doing is not very hard, but it is a pretty steady grind all the time. I am keeping in pretty good practice on the typewriter, but my shorthand is not near as good as when I left the old Interstate.
I am living right here in the hotel. Have a very nice room on the 5th floor, with elevator service, telephone service, hot and cold water, and everything convenient. Also take my meals here, so you see I am living mighty high. It don't seem like war to me, as I never was able to get into any of it, although I tried mighty hard to get to come across sooner, and it was no fault of mine. But maybe it is just as well, as more than likely with my swell luck, I would have been gassed, shot or something done to me before I was up the to front very long.
Well, I suppose I have told you about all I can think of at the present time. Mr. Earl, I know that you are good at answering letters, so if you have the time and can stop coining the dough long enough to spend two minutes dictating a letter to me over here, would appreciate it.
Give all the boys my regards and kindly member me to everyone that I know. Hope some of these days real soon to be able to see you and talk to you personally.
Trusting that you spent a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year I am,
Yours very truly
SAM L. WEISS
Private Samuel L. Weiss,
care American Commission to Negotiate Peace
Room 21, Hotel de Crillo,
10 Place de la Concorde,
Paris, France
NOTES: Weiss was writing to Mr. Earl P. Moore. Before the war he had worked as a stenographer for the Interstate Grocery Company.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
American Commission to Negotiate Peace,
Place de la Concorde.
Hotel de Crillon,
Paris. Saturday, 28, 1918
Mr. E. P. Moore, President,
Interstate Grocer Company,
Helena, Ark., U.S.A.
Dear Mr. Earl:
If I am not mistaken I have written you once before that I have crossed the briny deep and am now in the fair land of France, but for fear that the censors for some reason stopped the letter, as at the time there was a strict censorship, I am again writing to let you know that I am in the best of health and getting along fine. In fact, I have never felt better in my life.
You will notice by the heading that I am with the American Commission to Negotiate Peace, but it would take a week for me to tell you just how many hardships I went through before I landed this good job, and believe me it is a good a position as any soldier ever held, not to say anything of the honor attached to it. I might as well give you a brief outline of how I finally landed in Paris, so here goes.
At first I thought that I never would get to come across, but a request came through Washington from General Headquarters, A.E.F. for 60 expert stenographers to be shipped across for special work and they required two or three men from each flying field in the states. I had to nearly get on my knees begging to be one of the men, as did most of the stenographers on the field. Well, they gave us a competitive examination and to make a long story short, I came out on top, but I sure did work for it and I was in a sweat all the time for fear that some of the other fellows would beat me out. Well two of us left Park Field, Tennessee on the 24th of September and landed in Garden City Long Island, New York, which is a concentration camp for all Air Service troops on the 26th of September. We hung around there for nearly a month and on the 28th of October set sail for France. Landed at Brest, one of the largest ports her on the 9th of November, just two days before the Armistice was signed which was the 11th of November. Two days later the whole 60 of us were sent to San Maxiet, France, which is one of the oldest military camps in the country, and is also a concentration camp for Air Service troops. We got stuck there doing (K.P. kitchen police and fatigue work for a week or eight days and from there two of us were sent to Tours, France, which is the General Headquarters, S.O.S., American Expeditionary Forces, France, and I was shot into an office with the Chief Inspector as private secretary. It was a fine job and I liked it fine. Had an easy time of it as he was out most of the time. The feed was good and the quarters fair and I was treated nicely. Well, I worked with him about a week and then I heard that there was going to be sent to Paris for the Peace Commission a number of stenographers. Well, I got busy right away and asked to take the examination, as same was required to be able to get to come to Paris for this work. I finally got permission to take the examination, after so long a time and was one of the two of twelve that passed and was shipped the next day for Gay Paree and here I have been since that time. Got here on the first of December, and from the looks of things and from what I can see here, will probably be here until about June or July. Of course, this is a fine place and I am glad to be here but I don't think that I like the idea of spending about six or seven months here.
I am working in the American Manager's office of this hotel. As I understand it, it is one of the most aristocratic hotels in Paris. It was requisitioned by the American Government to quarter all the members of the Peace Commission, with the exception, of course, of President Wilson and General Pershing. With those exceptions, all the big guns of America. The work I am doing is not very hard, but it is a pretty steady grind all the time. I am keeping in pretty good practice on the typewriter, but my shorthand is not near as good as when I left the old Interstate.
I am living right here in the hotel. Have a very nice room on the 5th floor, with elevator service, telephone service, hot and cold water, and everything convenient. Also take my meals here, so you see I am living mighty high. It don't seem like war to me, as I never was able to get into any of it, although I tried mighty hard to get to come across sooner, and it was no fault of mine. But maybe it is just as well, as more than likely with my swell luck, I would have been gassed, shot or something done to me before I was up the to front very long.
Well, I suppose I have told you about all I can think of at the present time. Mr. Earl, I know that you are good at answering letters, so if you have the time and can stop coining the dough long enough to spend two minutes dictating a letter to me over here, would appreciate it.
Give all the boys my regards and kindly member me to everyone that I know. Hope some of these days real soon to be able to see you and talk to you personally.
Trusting that you spent a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year I am,
Yours very truly
SAM L. WEISS
Private Samuel L. Weiss,
care American Commission to Negotiate Peace
Room 21, Hotel de Crillo,
10 Place de la Concorde,
Paris, France
NOTES: Weiss was writing to Mr. Earl P. Moore. Before the war he had worked as a stenographer for the Interstate Grocery Company.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD