Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-10-08
Little Stories
The Great War
BY HERBERT COREY.

| PARIS, September 1.-Two friends
met the other day in Flanders.
| Dan Daily was one Of the friends. He
used to be an advertising man in Brook
lyn and elsewhere. Just before the war
began he was in Germany. look-seeing.
One night there was a grand party in
Frankfurt-am- Main. Nora Bayes was
there and one or two other Americans
whose names have forgotten. and Ar
thur Blaut. who owns the largest tan
merry in Germany. He tans most Of the
leather for one of the great English
firms. Next day Biaut and Daily went
out in Blaut's car and saw the town.
Then they said goodbye.
We were out gathering up the
wounded" said Daily. when heard my
name called. There was German SOL
der with slashed arm.
| Wont you speak to me, Dan" he
asked
1T was arthur Blaut"
| This story of the cab driver and of
madame Of the Folies Bergere has a
moral Perhaps it is the only moral
that has ever been associated with the
Folfes. An American drove to the
Folies to buy tickets for the perform
ance of the following evening.
Wait" he said to the cabman.
Non. non," demonstrated that per-
supper"
Wait he did not. He lost tip from
an angered fare. of course. The fare
went inside to buy his tickets. Ma
dame the ticket seller was eating mou-
les. Moules are sort Of small clans
that leave greasy ring around the
mouth 1t was $50 o'clock and ma
danes dinner hour. The ticket win
dow was open-madame sat upon her
high stool but she would not turn
from her moules to sell tickets.
What would your" asked the super
numary in the lobby. who shows pro-
spective ticket takers their locations.
/ What would you? Madame Is eating.
Later tonight or tomorrow she will sell
you the seats"
The moral Is that too many French
people have just that attitude toward
business. II they will not hustle after
will go to those who will hustle, as 1t
has in the past.
The new German gas is the most
produced. by the testimony of those
who have experienced it The senses
give no warning of 1t The gassed
man does not know he is a victim
until he reels and falls.
| We have to tie EN- down in the
ambulances," said a driver. They
suffer like hell-and scream! My God,
Their eyes go. you know. Then all their
EN- die. That's what 1 hear"
The new gas clings to the ground
'or days. according to report. 1t has
! been felt at fifteen kilometers behind
| the lines. Oddly enough. tobacco gives
| the only alarm. The man who is smok-
ing feels the gas in time to get on his
mask or run away. while the nom
| smoker falls on his face unconscious.
| One gathers that the recent visit of
their majesties to the British front
was not appreciated by their loving
subjects. The loving subjects had to
| stop fighting or getting ready to fight
| in order to show their maJesties the
| for this yarn:
We had to fire of one Of each sort
OF shell to show Queen Mary" said a
British officer. Jolly bore. What?
That is. 1t threw out shower OF
sparks behind it. Designed to aid the
observation officers in registering the
| fire."
those sparks? asked Queen Mary.
The officer in charge was bit of a
huno~ist-what? He was a bit tired
anyhow. So he said:
THAT. is to burn the Germans, your
"'Ahi' said Queen Mary. Isn't this
cruel war;"
plimentary when they speak of the
Americans. Not always taotful per-
haps. but then one doesn't always look
FOR tact from an Englishman. group
discussed the American officers the
I'VE were jolly well pleased with
fl.arl. ope said I'VE were quite
They were not boastful at ali-not loud,
you know. Seemed quite modest. nice
chaps-not at all the typical American
We had expected to quarrel with them.
you know"
Il don't think our chaps came over
here in a quarrelsome mood" I re-
piled. None of them carry chips on
their shoulders. Why should you ex-
pett to quarrel with them"
.'Oh. but" said the frank Britisher
I'VE always do. you know. We quar-
rel with every one. The Canadians
and Australians are angry with us half
the time. The disadvantage of a COM
mon language. you know. Very good
thing you chaps are brigaded with the
French. Youth get along fine with
them-just as we do"
Which recalls that a party of Aus
tralians went out to see the town.
They insisted on decking their taxls
with British flags.
Won't go unless we get the flags"
said they. Tired Of being taken for
Americans"
That is sore subject.
Who's been doing the fighting in
this war;" they asked. I'VE or the
Americans? All right, then. But there
isn't British flag to be seen in Paris,
and the town is perfectly covered with
American flags. Wherever we go some
fool Frerchman throws up his hat:
"'Ooray.' he says. for the brave
Americans. Vive la Amerique""
Only the Canadians do not seem to
feel that way. 1t seems to me that
every Canadian 1 meet, has been in
the states or has a friend in the states.
They talked our kind Of talk too, and
use our kind OF slang, and sing our
sort Of songs.
You guys got officers that are a
little bit Of all right" said one of them
the other day. "Just like ours. We got
the finest little old bunch of officers
that ever spit through a straw"
Criticisms of the diction duly noted.
but. after all. IT does sound American
doesn't It? Let 1t be noted that the
officers so praised are Canadian Of
fcers The Canadians call the Eng
lish officers Smooth Hairs"
$40