The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-07-05
PARISIANS Wild
GREETING FIRST
ARMED U. s. men
Old and Young Turn Out to
Cheer and Kiss Our Sol
dierS.
~ FLOYD o,seoNs

PARIS, July 4.--CDelayed by Gen.
Sol. ALI that the war has left OF the
Paris gay life, all the lights that stili
burn. all the music that still plays, all
the pretty smiles that have never been
reduced in their quality or quantity. all
that Paris has to make one carefree
and glad 10 be alive-all belongs TO-
nixht to the United States soldiers who
we're the first to march under arms
through her streets today.
The women are kissing them on the
street, gray headed men are removing
their hats to them and shaking their
hands. and the street boys follow al
their heels in groups, making the air
ring with their shrill ''Vivats!
Paris Is claiming the United States
regular as her own. The regular, being
A regular fellow, likes 1t. but is rather
embarrassed by the unreserved en-
,husiasm with which he is SO vocifer-
ously greeted at every turn.
Companies in Full Rank.
There are not many Of them here
only three companies-but what COM
ranies there are as compared to the
companies that existed before Amer
ica's entry into the war! They are
long and solid. and there Is not file
missing. The men are trim and clean
cut. hut not spick and span, which adds
to their martial appearance. They are
tall and husky looking, and the snap
with which they walk is good to the
ewes of the old Paris that loves nerve.
With a thirty-two inch stride that
made their following admirers stretch
their legs the boys in khaki swung into
the march early this morning from the
Austerlitz station to the Neuilly bar
racks, over a mile away, where they
are CHARTERED.
How that band played. How the
crowds cheered! Flags and handker-
chiefs and hats waved In the air ana
thousands of threats volleyed the
"Viyats!" which Frenchman uses to
convey the Information that he is Tor
you.
Watch swayine Automatics.
Early as it was, Paris was not to be
cheated out of her sight OF the first
armed Americans to tread her streets
The battalion marched in q column or
tours, two of companies carrying rifles
aud full kit. The third, machine gun
company, marched without its usual
eouipment. but the Colt automatic
swinging in the ever ready holster
above the machine gun mems right
knee drew much interest from the
thousands, whose respect for the
quick draw" has been inculcateo
through the cowboy films.
Traffic piled up at the street inter
ACTIONS on the route to the barracks,
and the gendarmes were unable to pre-
vent crowds from OVERLOOKING the side
walks and pressing out into the street,
where they could smile their greetings
and throw flowers al a closer range.
A sergeant thanking the column
stopped involuntarily when woman
eratbcd his free hand and kissed 1t.
4 smoker ran through the platoon as
the sergeant. with face red beneath the
ian, withdrew his hand and recauglt
his step. He gave the sn1ckerlng
squads q stern Eyes 'front.'" and tried
TO look at ease.
"Stiek" in Black Coffee.
As men lined up in the station yards
Hed Cross nurses went down the COM
rany lines passing out handfulls OF
iaarets and filling the tin cups with
eek coffee that had little stick" in
just that little that opens a mans
eyes and makes him pick up his heels
after a long night in troop train.
The battalion stood at salute as the
land played the "Marseillaise," upon
the conclusion of which the musicians
picked up a stirring marching air and
the boys stepped through the big stone