Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-28
FRENCH PORT IS
AMERICANIZl!lE|''D
BYU.S. TROOPS
Great Changes Made in town.
When Americans Are
in Camp.

A Port in France, Feb. 28.-As far
as it is possible to Arhericanize any
French city, this base Of the Ameri-
can armies has undergone the process
June. Collectively it talks English
quite fiuently-much more SO than
the visitors speak French at any rate
and its shops have taken on an
American air.
Likewise the months have quieted
the exuberance that expressed itself
in damned and crowded streets and
cafes, noise and e%xhiliration at the
time Of the arrival of the first Amer
to the fact that about nine-tenths Of
the city has been placed "out OF
bounds" for all not equipped with
special passes; so that the olives" and
other undesirable establishments that
at one time threatened to spring UP
have died Of inanition.
Scarcely a store now but faunts tn
wares with tags and comments In
English, and the store keepers have
prof1ted by h constant succession Of
American customers to learn q fair
brand of English. Nine out Of ten Of
them at least are able to conduct 4
sale in English. while not one OF ten
OF the customers could get what he
wanted II he had to rely on French.
Some OF h English of coursestD
ragged. and a compendium OF the
signs displayed in the main street
shops would furnish an excellent ba-
sis for a treatise on English ~ she
is written" There is for example the
House Taking Care Of Parcels; Ev-
eryone get a Received" which lies Ad-
jacent to the store featuring a model
warmly clad in what the proprietor
fondly believes is a ''Tranchs Cost"
Thus q large notion and curio store,
situated on q corner, has painted both
facades to represent a double Ameri-
can. flag, with a single center piece
containing he stars over the door at
sides bears The inscription, Souvenirs.
Don't Forget Her" Occasionally the
advertisements don't say quite what
was intended, ever though they tell
the truth, as for instance the sign
over a store which reads. Money
Such announcements as "Amsrican
Cream" appeal.
The naval element is perhaps most
conspicuous by its absence. In June
and July the streets swarmed with
naval officers and sailors from the
battleships n cruisers that formed
part Of each convoy:
under deere the a1a v %erf the control saty has .; CONE me
American authorities. No resident
even may send a telegram tt any.
point in France without submitting It
to a local censorship that has been
created at the suggestion of the Amer
leans. The censor is the local police
commissioner and he passes on all
French messages that are not doubt
full. Likewise his stamp is obligatory
for kilograms in English, but he. viii
not WELD the stamp until the Ameri-
can authorities have passed upon the
matter.
No single individual leaves the city
by train without submitting to an exs
animation. Papers of identification, in
many Eases written official permission
falls inevitably into the hands Of the
jealous French who are cooperating
with the Americans, while the man
in uniform, especially the American
khaki wearers, are handled by our
military police.
Early last July the French, at the
suggestion Of the Americans, laid
down exceptionally severe rules for
the cafes, limiting to the lowest con-
ceivable pointer France-the hours
during which men in uniform might
be allowed in all public houses.
Later in the summer the French
government issued rules governing the
odlG VI SpAI1luOUS llQuOrS 1Or Oil
Frence. The two combine by chance
in such a way that drinking for the
soldiers is virtually out of the ques-
ton at any hour-even for those linn
tied few who are able to obtain pass
es to come into the ''out of bounds
portion of the city that comprises all
of the cafes. !,
The soldiers are on the whole in
tensely popular with the inhabitants.
They are, for n thing, extremely
kind to the French children, which
strikes a responsive chord in the
breasts Of the mothers, particularly
since it is not a French male custom
to fondle and make much of the
youngsters.
Then, too. a number Of the military
organizations have dubbed together
and have given entertainments for
French charities which not only have
netted a lot of money but which have
been novel and interesting. The latest
OF these was a negro minstrel show
which brought in over $500 for the
wal widows of the port,