New-York tribune., 1916-07-14

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The American tourist who happens to
be in Paris on the 14th Of July and who
watches from his hotel window the crowds
moving along the boulevards cannot help but
Re impressed by the difference in the cele-
tration as compared with that of the 4th of
July in any American city.
In the United States the "day we cele-
brate" is primarily the occasion for rhetori-
cal outbursts, for patriotic eloquence, for
outdoor sports, for wholesale desertion OF
the large cities and for a corresponding in
vasion of the nearby summer resorts. In
France, on the contrary, and particularly IN
Paris, very little speechmaking is INDUCED
in, it being generally granted that every
schoolboy knows the meaning of the fall
of the Bastille, not only to France but to the
entire world If, however, the tourist above
referred to is not versed in French history
he has a very easy way to acquire that
knowledge. The thing for him to do is to
board one of those heavy buses near the
Madeleine church marked Madeleine Bastile
and climb on the imperiale for the small
sum of cents he will enjoy ride that no
other capital in the world can offer him. The
bus will take him along the grands boule-
wards, lined on both sides with hundreds of
open air cafes, where seats are at premium
He will see while riding the hustle and hustle
Of the garcons with their white aprons car
rying trays full Of multi-colored and fancy
shaped bottles containing all sorts of aper-
i.ifs. He will notice men, women and chill
d:en crowding the little round iron tables
and watching the camelots crying out their
wares. When the trip is ended he will find
himself in the Place de la Bastille. Where
once stood the dreaded prison with its eight
towers and its iron cages which the Pari-
slams razed to the ground on the 14th of
July, 1889, there stands now in the midst
OF large square surrounded by trees q
beautiful column of bronze crowned by
golden Mercury. A winding stairway inside
the column and another cents will permit
cur foreign friend TO enjoy a remarkable
panoramic view. The guardian of the monu-
ment, generally retired and much decorated
old soldier, will in his usual monotonous way
deliver lecture on the fall of the Bastille;
he will name some of the celebrities who
spent years in the dark dungeons, among
them Fouquet, Cardinal Rohan, Voltaire and
many others. When he is through with his
story he will gently raise his hand to his
kept, which means that he is now ready to
receive the world renowned American tip.
So much for the foreigner who is inter-
ested in the history of the day.
To the Partisan bourgeois the 14th of July
means much more; he does not live on remi-
absences Early on the morning of that
day, with his wife and children, he is busy
rackng up provisions in special basket,
for they are all going to Longchamps near
the Bois de Boulogne to witness the military
review, which, owing to the usually high tenn
perature of July, is scheduled for 4 D. m.
The crowds invade Longchamps in the early
forenoon. They select their ground for their
luncheon near point of vantage They are
well rewarded for their patience. To see
some 10000 men, spic and span, defiline be-
fore the President of the republic. sur
rounded by his Cabinet and by the diplo-
matte corps in brilliant uniforms, is sight
cut of the ordinary. Thousands of voices
shouting "Vive larmee." mingled with the
"Marseilaise," played by countless military
bands, add to the general enthusiasm. And
yet that enthusiasm is not of the boisteroux
kind. 1t is E deeply felt patriotic outburst
As regiment after regiment defles long and
continuous applause indicates the preferences
CT the crowds for the various arms renre.
sented. Not all Paris, however, attends that
military solemnity. A great many people pre-
fer to go 20 the theatre The Grand Opsra.
the Opera-ComIque, the tre-Francais. the
Odeon which are subsidized by the state. give
three performances with all star casts: in
connection with that il is amusing to note
that soon as the doors open the crowds.
mostly composed Of working men and work
ing women, who have been standing in line