The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-28
COMMOT|ON WHEN AMERICANS ENTER
 FRENCH VILLAGE Journal of Paris Reporter Compares ''Sammies" | With Own People RIDE so FAST AND
 ACT so QUICKLY" Everyone in Town Gathers to Get a Glimpse of the Astonishing
 Race From Over
 the Seas'
B. RENE aENIaM1x

ny RENE BENJAMIN
 How do Americans differ from the
 French" Americans have been try
 Ing to answer this question, but they
 cannot discover their characteristics
 so well as can foreigners. The French
 are trying to do it and in the fol-
 lowing sketch of the arrival of a
 group of Americans in French vil-
 lage Americans may see themselves
 through French eyes. The sketch has
 been translated from I.e Journal of
 Paris for the Daily News by Robert
 De Main Mountsier.
 Paris, September 22-rt's little vil- tage that lies on both sides of an i'm portant national highway. One evening there comes rumor Automobiles are going to spend the night in the village! Yes, and military automobiles! Ahl and they are from America!
 The women conae out, all excited and arranging their hair. The village black smith lets fall the foot of the mare he Is shoeing. shoves his spectacles up lis nose and looks for the Americans. The children run over the cobblestones in their wooden shoes, soaring the cats in al directions. Yes, there they come! And they must be American autos, be- rause they are not bit like the French! Five. 10 IS. The tax collector comes turnbling out of his office, his spectacles awry, gasping: Are they going to keep on coming forever?'
 DRIVING IN CARELESS WAY
 Seldom have the sluggish brains of these villagers been so excited. They have never seen so many light cars to- gether. The peaceful village is no longer peaceful The grown-ups are all trying to talk at the same time. The children are yelling their heads off. The Amer leans, smiling and calm, are driving much faster into the village than the law allows. But who cares? Why, each one is driving with one hand on the wheel, the other in his pocket! What astonishing things these little carriages are under the fingers of these Ameri- cans, who don't seems to care for any thing.
 The women shout out, but only the village understands them, for Americans don't speak French:
 Wont you boys como back? Don't go byi You will hurt yourselves!''
 They wave to the "Sammies," and why uotf They are bold fellows, these chauf- feurs, but still all Americans are that you see that in the cinema-and good ness, they are dangerous, but ''cest la guerre!" CIts war!'D.
 Yes, they are stopping, les Americans! They are going to spend the night in our villagei
 The Americans line up their autos in the square before the town hall. The tax collector, his glasses knocking against his hip, runs up to the first driver, raises his cap. speaks without stopping, without waiting for a reply:
 Your autos are superb. Where do they come from? Are they going to the front. Oh, how long does 1t take to make those little machines?"
 An, this big ally understands. To the last question he replies breezily with a strong voice that allows no denial:
 "Fifty-five minutes"
 "Fifty-five-what! for one aut--"
 'Oh, yes! The pieces are already made. It's only necessary to put them together and we do 1t in 55 minutes. And for a railroad. locomotive-four hours. They order them before lunch and have them for dinner.'
 The tax collector rolls his eyes, for each one of these words arouses in him new and marvellous ideas. He has had glImpses in showing these messieurs to the hotel, which is beautiful old build ing worn by the sun and rain and winds of three centuries. Here the young Louis XIV spent the night, they say just as the Americans are going to do, when he crossed France to go to the Spanish frontier to be married.
 The "Sammies' number 32. There are 40 rooms. but they want them all What for?
 ITO sleep comfortably" says he who knows some French.
 Then, while looking at them, he adds with carclessness that frightens the maid, ITO take baths in.''
 He goes downstairs, even into the kitchen, looks at it, signs, smiles.
 What is the menu for dinner?"
 'Ah, me-" replies the proprietress, who foreets and blnks her eyes. "ths is a meatless day. We can only give you eggs
 .Yes," says this strange person, and then a roast.''
 She repeats, but he is obstinate. Then she looks at the tax collector. The point is that she has several boarders, among them judge. She does not wish to give meat to the Americans before him.
 "Oh, yes, yesi" exclaims the tax col lector, suddenly strangling with joy. ''The judge isn't coming this evening; he is dining at the -prefects. Give them roast-fear nothing-these Amer jeans are people unaccustomed to re- strictions. An auto-why, they make an auto in 55 minutes.''
 Very well, then; they shall have ev- erythng."
 THEY WILL EAT LITERALLY
 The neighbors come in to help. rne hotel fills with rumors, with warmth, with comings and goings. Tables are set up. carefully examined and wiped off, and the tax collector, who is under the feet of every one. meddling, getting in the way whispers:
 'Listen Mme Proprietress I think \ they are very fond of gherkins and cu- cumbers-all that is strong, eh?''
 The proprietress. red in the face, dis appears in a cupboard.
 T mention them,' says the tax col lector, mot for myself. We've board CTS aren't to be at their table, are we?" No"
 ''Only we will see them.'
 s'Oh. yes, yes.'
 clerks lady, who are very much inter- ested."
 Here they are.
 The ladies arrive with avid eyes-they have put on their rings and powder-and the 32 Americans enter and nOisily in- stall themselves. They are young, strong some of them beautiful.
 Look at them! They start smoking as soon as they sit down at the table. They taste the wine. They swallow the smoke and blow it out through their noses. They are getting their soup. They throw away their cigarettes, only partly smoked. Well, suppose they have a lot of them! Listen! They are going to sing!