The Washington times., 1914-08-10
HAVE EXACT CHANGE
IRYOUDON'T EAT
in Paris Have Difficulty
Getting Big Bills Ex-
ged.
[LLIAM PHILIP SIMMS.

.a....,. CBy Mail to New York;, Aug.
1o.-Mark Twain with his 100000 bank
note. which he found impossible to
spend. had nothing on me. 1 came near
starving In the city OF Paris, the city
OF paramount cafes and restaurants.
with my pockets lined with so bills. or
rather with 100 franc notes, because no.
body had change.
II was Thursday. July %, the day the
money panic struck Paris. The officials
didn't call it a panic, and probably
would have expelled from French terri
tody any correspondent sending out the
news Of il as such.
Quite serenely / left the office at Z
o'clock, after a day Of war news. ru-
mors OF French mobilization. and the
arrest Of an editor who printed too
much news. 1 took a seat on the ter
race fronting the Cafe Cardinal, on the
Grand Boulevard 1t is one OF thu bIg-
Rest in the city.
Couldn't Make Change.
mad an appetizer and a cigar, and
asked to have one of my 100 franc
notes changed. The restaurant was
changing nothing higher than louis "a
pieces). barely had the change. but
made the payment, scraping my pocket
Of the last sou.
Then L went to lie Petit Richie, a
iair-sized restaurant in the Rus lie
Fefeuer. Being rather hungry order
&C fairly imposing meal The waiter
respectfully inquired:
Has monsieur money to pey for his
order? 1 beg monsfeur's pardon. but
mas ne seen this" and he pointed ont
a me in red ink at the top of the
Dill OF fare. It read: Customers not
not be served"
There was nothing to il. had To get
up ana go. did not have the change
FOUND the same thing~at the next
restaurant 1 went to; Tunbin's in the
Rne Druout; and at Glouclairs. in the
nue E1cneneu; ana the third and fourth
ana NTH eating houses All the time
my hunger was growing. Then | tried
the more presunptuous restaurants
The Cafe Richie, the Cafe ViennoIs the
Cafe American, the Cafe de la Paix.
me Grand Cafe Everywhere ! was
sign reading: Larger sums than 81
20 frsncs) not changed here" or Gus
toners not provided with change viii
not be served"
Had a SIo Dinner.
II was a desperate situation. Nor was
II solved until / met a fellow corres-
pondent and the two of US went TO the
Cafe de Paris. and had a SO dinner be-
tween U.S. There We got in change for
100 franc note dinner and a 5O-franc
note.
The next day at a bank I was quietly
"'most secretly, given a ffty-franc note
I'd ten silver five-franc pieces in ex-
apge for a I00-franc bill. Though the
liver almost pulled my trousers of l
as never so proud in my life.
Later l learned that housewiv
ther had to buy on credit or go with
It market produce, small merchants
sing caught without a particle OF
lange Department stores did a ire
iendous business in petty articles, pur-
lasers invariably rendering paper
loney in order to get re change.
The unprecedented situation was
Lrgely due to the thrifty French chang
lg their paper into gold and silver and
sailing IL away against war-times. The
change shortage lasted until the Bank
OF France put out five and twenty-franc
notes. Then came a rush to obtain the
divisional money. Lines. eight and ten
deep squares long, waited all day at the
change windows. Women by the thou
sands were there. Many sat on camp
stools and hundreds brought their
lunch along.