The Washington herald., 1918-03-11
KAlSER'S PLAN FAILS
cosrINuED FROM P-aE ONE.


, hgure as to casualties. it is pretty
well known that France has lost
million men in battle who will
never return and that there Is an
other million who have been wound
ed. but with 1t all, France has five
million men in the army today and
very nearly two million who are
doing government work behind the
llines-in government offices. mu-
nitions factories and other war
work.
France has paid dearly for the
maintenance of her honor and her
integrity. 1t is history that had
she chosen to adopt the code or
national morals-or lack of them
which the Boches have for their
own, she could have gone about her
business undisturbed. but to her
treaties were not simply scraps OF
paper.
There Us an idea prevalent in the
United States that France is a cheer
less sort of place these days. 1t is
not Paris is Paris, war or no war.
True, the restaurants close at $3.50
o'clock sharp and the streets are very
dark and the prices are very high
but the are. even after four years Of
war. not so high as in this country,
except for coal. When left France
/ in January anthracite coal was quot
ed at 800 francs a ton, a little less
than $50. but it might as well have
been 100000 francs a ton as there
was none to be had. One good thing
Is that the French people are not ac-
customed to the overheated houses
and Office buildings which prevail in
this country and so they do not suffer
so much from the cold. And then
the thrift and ingenuity OF the French
come to their aid.
In the early part Of August. last,
] got my coal card. 1t described the
motions 1 must go through in order to
| get coal. 1 must certify that there
were so many cubic feet Of space to
! be heated and that there were so
many persons occupying that space.
From that / would be allotted so
much coal each month beginning the
| first of November. In the meantime
my stenographer, who was a French
girl, prepared for the winter in her
own way. She saved every scrap of
paper which came into the ONCE and
this she soaked thoroughly in water.
Then she made balls, about the size
of a cricket ball, of the soaked paper
and put II away to dry. In each OF
the rooms of our offices there was, of
course, an open fire place. Long be-
fore the time came to buy coal we
needed a fire and then the foresight of
the young woman was shown, for
these balls Of paper made excellent
fuel. glowing and sending out heat
like soft coal.
sawdust stoves Used.
Another cOntrivance which we in
stalled was a sawdust stove. This
contraption was about the size of
what is known here as a Baltimore
stove but made OF tin instead of
iron. 1t was placed in front of the
open fire place and a pipe was run
into the chimney place-and that was
all there was to do except feed the
sawdust, which in itself was not
hard to get. We bought 100 bags and
1t was still holding out when 1 left
In January. With these two contri-
vances We gave up any idea of try
ing to get coal and we were fairly
warm, although I suppose the occu-
pants Of an office in the United
States would have sat there with fur
coats on and the collars turned up.
Before the advent of the American
troops, beginning last July. prices
for most of the things in Paris
were about one half what they are
today. This is due, firstly, to the de-
mand which is in excess of the sup
ply. and secondly, to the American
hit or miss way of buying and pay
ing the first price asked without a
question. The French shopkeeper is
not accustomed to that He likes to
have you object to the price and
then in the end you come to an
agreement-or you do not-as the
case may be. Whether to have two or
three prices is good business prac-
tice Is beside the question; 1t is a
fact and that is all there is to it,
and Americans will do well to bear
1t in mind when they go into French
shops
Another reason for the high prices
is the lavish way in which Americans
spread. money about. The French
man Is not accustomed to that either.
as he Is very careful with his money
and when one is what they call ex-
travagant 1t Is because he is rich.
The Frenchman does not deny nor
stint himself, but he is careful i'm
buying TO see that he gets his
buying to sc that he gets his
moneys worth.
Ferhaps one reason for the helter-
skelter way in which Americans
spread their money about is the fact
that they do not come to France with
any knowledge of the currency-nor
the language. A 1OO-franc note to
them looks like so much colored tissue
paper; it does not represent the equiv
alent of N9. roughly, to them They
pay what they are asked, and defv
any storekeeper to remain proof
against that temptation.
There is a good story going tho
rounds Of Paris about four enlisted
men in the Marine Corps who got
Parls leave for few days. They were
all four friends at home and b,essed
with plenty of money. Arrived in
Paris. they took a taxi to the Ritz
Hotel and asked for four rooms with
bath each. The clerk was skepticaI
he was very sorry, but there were no
rooms 10 be had. Then one of the
four spoke up:
Are you very sure?" he asked in
perfect French. Always before Won
nave had a room for me here" and
ne gave his name, one which the clerk
Knew very well. Needless TO say they
got their four rooms. Then the four
sousht Well-known restaurant, one
OF the most expensive in Paris, for
dlnner. They were given a table or in
the corner. and the maitre d'hoteI
q haa II