League Secretary's Notes
88
THE YPRES TIMES
The Prevailing Language.
In the town everybody speaks English. French is only spoken in the shops
to amuse the English. Everywhere else they only ask What d'ye say?" when
you try a question in French. Occasionally you meet a master.
Last week, in Les Trois Fontaines a taxi-driver was relating to me a recent
experience. It was evidently a droll affair with several rich bits. After a few
minutes I managed to explain that I didn't understand Flemish.
Pardon," said he and changed his speed gear to French, doing a good sixty
miles per hour, downhill, and enjoying the joke even more.
English," said I at length.
Eh! he replied, well, that's a reet good 'un! I didn't knaw tha was
English. I was tellin' on a chap that gave me one hondred francs for a couple
of kilometres. Oh, yes, I worked at Sheff'ld for three years durin' the war, and
I were at Brum for a bit about ten years sen, tha knaws. EhI doan't mind if I do.
Encore mademoiselle!"
H. B.
TO OUR NEW MEMBERS.
A very hearty welcome is extended to our new
members who have enrolled since the publication
of the last quarterly journal, and we already feel
most grateful to them for the keenness shown in
promoting the aims and objects, the pride they
have expressed in their scroll certificates and
interest in our travel programme.
We sincerely hope that in the no distant
future a number of our new members will take
part in one of the League trips to Ypres or other
parts of the Western Front, because they will
see that on these trips the wonderful comrade
ship of the war is richly revived. Our pilgrim
ages are open to members and their friends.
The recruiting prize offered has created great
enthusiasm among those who have recently
joined up, and we hope that one of them may be
fortunate enough to pull off the prize. Those in
tending seriously to compete should lose no time
in applying to Headquarters for a supply of
pamphlets and membership forms of the League,
and distribute the forms to their ex-Ypres
warriors. Subscribing membership is only 5s.
per annum, and a copy of The Ypres Times is
sent free to all members each quarter, and the
scroll certificate is received usually about a fort
night after enrolment.
We take this opportunity to ask our new-
members to do what they can to contribute
articles for The Ypres Times. The Editor is
always anxious to obtain battle articles,
reminiscences, or articles in humorous vein
relating to any Front, and photographs taken
during the war that can be utilized to illustrate
the articles submitted are also very welcomely
received, and would be returned to the owners
safely and in good condition.
We conclude by thanking our new members
very much for their kind interest, and wish them
every success in whatever they are kind enough
to do for the welfare of the Ypres League.
TO BRANCH SECRETARIES AND
CORRESPONDING MEMBERS.
In the spring we had pleasure to address a
letter to our Branch Secretaries and Correspond
ing Members in this country asking them to
exercise their power to obtain free publicity to
our pilgrimages and individual travel in their
local Press, and we hasten to express our sincere
gratitude to all who so nobly responded to our
request.
Those deserving of special mention are Mr.
J. Burman (Birmingham), Mr. E. Wilson (Welsh
pool), Mr. L. A. Weller (Dagenham), Capt. O. G.
Johnson (Loughton), Major Graham Carr (Pur-
ley), Major A. W. Shea (Chesterfield), Mr. W. H.
Taylor (Colchester), Capt. J. Wilkinson
(Sheffield), Mrs. Lindesay Kelsall (Melrose), Mr.
E. Glover (Tottenham), Capt. G. W. J. Cole
(Hove), Mr. E. Clark Williams (Heme Bay), Mr.
H. R. Hunt (Gloucester), Mr. W. N. Channon
(Chatham), and Mr. E. Swaine (Lincoln).
In addition we do not forget to record the
valuable publicity so generously given by Mr.
J. Brunskill in the Newcastle Daily Journal,"
and last but not least, by Mr. H. Benson to
whom our thanks cannot be adequately ex
pressed. Mr. Benson can be claimed as one of
the League's greatest friends in giving free
publicity to our activities in a large number of
the English papers. Further than that he shows
a practical and intimate interest in all the
departments of the League's work, and his wise
counsel is immensely appreciated and valued.
