The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-08-02

descended a foreign military force.
capturing the place by storm,
cupying it for eight days and then
- marching away, leaving the nhabi-
tants cheering, and waving friendly
u adieux For the foreign force
- the first party of American permis-
sfonares-soldiers on leave-and the
city was Aix-les- Bains, the first American leave
center in France Here the French the
Americans at play and we're satisfied.
"Ax-les- Beans the American boys pronounce
it. at the imminent risk of the name being short
ened to 1.-The Beans" Aka jewel, clear-cut
with brilliantyfcets set in frame of gorgeous
moonlight and of wonderful opaline sunsets and
sunrises This is the beauty spot to which sent
the boys in olive-drab. wearied by months in
trench mud, under bursting shells. And this is
the story of the first permissionares arrive in
Aix-the American soldiers Blighty.
On a certain bright Saturday cosmopolitan
crowd gathered at the railroad station all in a
high state of anticipation. One could easily pick
out the persons of prominence, the mayor, the
doctors, lawyers and others of small but as
sured incomes And it might be noticed that the
older women kept watchfu eyes the jeunne
files who, tense with expectancy gazed up the
iron road along which the first permissionaires
come For who could tell what romance
might not be the way. romance excusing the
hutterng of eyedS and extra nicely of
dress?
AS special effort to make the incoming Amer
leans feel right at home. the crowd featured
negro band and the local baseball nine, composed
ers with legs bare only French boy ever
dares wear them. The lads had small American
flags tied around their arms and their teeth were
rattng with the cold. for the snow lay on the
mountain sides and refrigerated wind blew
down from there.
In the crowds also American officers and
visitors, Y. NJ c. A. secretaries, canteen workers
and uncatalogued spectators. Before the Ameri-
cans arrived dozen British aviators on their
way to Italy changed trains and seeing the
throng asked the reason. On being Informed
they exclaimed with heartfelt approval:
wish we were American perIlassionaires
And well they might for beautiful AK which
in the happy days before 1914 had attracted the
discriminating visitors of all nations, in more
than gala dress this day, painting the lily, while
military and civil representatives had assembled
there to give welcome to the boys who had
from the west shores of the Atlantic to fight
shoulder to shoulder with the French
These the early arrivals of the American
expeditionary force which landed in France last
summer-regulars and volunteers They had come
from the trenches with scarcely hour pre-
pare.
They wore their trench helmets their packs
their backs, their clothes and boots COW
cred with mud, their faces grimy, their hair dis
ordered. Their train two hours late, but the
crowd has been waiting that time and the cold
winds have not chilled the enthusiasm which
greeted the appearance of the Yankees.
ut certainly did make IMPRESSION" said
old regular of this reception. I'VE didn't know
what kind of place it and some of
because couldn't go to Paris, while
half of didn't have the money to see it
through, the right outfit. But l guess Uncle
Sam had an idea 1t would be just well let
the French people know the American troops
weren't kept in bandboxes and tissue paper, but
in the fight"
There doubt in the minds of those who
watched the boys getting out of the cars that
they had been ut the, front. They hungry
and tired, having been 80 hours on the way, with
only stop-over, where the Red Cross unit had
asst them 3ut they yrp fOO
customed to discipline to resist speechmaking
and hospitality. so they listened patiently to the
provost marshars friendly admontions to shun
wine and women. No ban placed on song.
Then-on with the welcomed
The negro band erupted into jazz and raggy
noises, taking the Americans back home In spirit
mt least. following which French orchestra
swung gracefully into the strains of Suite de
Massenete" and the pernissionaires
corted to their temporary homes. They led
through streets thanked by fag-draped balconies.
from which pretty girls cried with familiar greet
ing:
.syive rAmerique! vive la France. vive Once
SAM"
And that is how the first American permits
sionaries came to the A. Z. F.s Blighty. with q
blare OF trumpets. waving Of flags, cheers.
smiles, sparkling eyes and welcoming speech. Be
fore them lay eight days of clean. delightful
recreation amid beautiful scenes and-prObably
best OF all-unlimited baths.
We've fed on mud" said one happy permits
sionaire. 1.-The rats come and sit the edges
of straw and give use morning salute We
haven't had real wash for so long that We've
almost forgotten how 1t feels to have that sense
of self-respect that comes with the morning tub"
AK. with Its famous waters baths and casinos.
needs no Introduction to many men In the Amer
lean expeditionary force. In the days before the
war 1t attracted thousands OF Americans each
season. among them the late J. Pierpont Nor
observation-disclosures OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES