The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-21
FRANCE OF TODAY AS THE GREATEST
OF REPORTERS FOUND IT ON A VISIT
By George E. Randolph Chester and Lillian Chester
copydst y Newspaper Enterprise Associate
. Randolph Chester and Lillian
err Enterprise Association

the door to see that they were
empty.
Outside we met our friend, the
lanky American, and he was grouped
dejectedly with three of the boys.
wondering what next to do.
Hello" we hailed him. "How do
you like "Gay P'ree %
"Why, this is the most respectable
town on earth." he complained.
"We've just been up to the Mont
martre, and it's dead as doornail.
guess the town isn't what it used
to be. It's the war;
EYES," was the admission 'sThe
war hasn't stopped gay Paris, but
it has stopped Gay P'ree,' If by that
you mean certain scandalous places
where the French never CO."
They grinned sheepishly, and shift
ed to the other foot.
"But, tell me, you know New York,
don't you ?"
The glummest of the quartet did.
"Well, would YOU call Singer Ma
CURES fake Chinatown representa-
tive of New York life?"
He wasn't old enough to remem-
ber "Stinger" Mcguire, but he was
willing to listen Singer was the
unappreciated genius who framed
New York's first "vapp thrillers."
and his best hit, until knife which
was tossed into his spine from
Pell street window brought to an end
his brief success; it was a long
fpneral. with a wax corn7e more than
life-like in its lurid sh:veriness.
Stinoer's audience. mostl-- curious
souls from Soueedunk and Huskville.
viewed tre sacred secret ceremonies
in hreathless silence and ct a dollar
a throw. THROUGH the slit of a curtain
on balcony. At the proper moment,
each nioht, the members of an op-
no~in~ tom broke in. their faces dis
torted 9TH hIoodthirstv fury. Shrill
imprecations fled the air. the corpse
vas overturned. the liehts went out,
tie furniture clattered and crashed
ST. bur~hes OF irecrack"rs We're let
eff IN the dn1kness. and. as close
tn the evenings entertainment. the
visitors 1--ont pourin~ ont of Mott
street WITH their hnarts ifr. their
throats. to 90 hack home and eve"
after ~ecita their lfarreVy escaDe and
rive New York the undns rived repTl
tation Of being the most lawless city
in America.
So with the thrilling wickeaness
of "Gav P'ree" mostly "fraroed IN
Tor SlmpS from sSfu9euunH anu
Huskville and New York, and such
centers of credulity.
The police decided, and wisely. that
Paris. at this iuncture. had no nse
for the purpeseless frivolity. The
business of Paris. as the business of
France. is war. and war, and nothing
nut war: so now there is no place
for overly ebbulent Americans TO go
Int hone-to their hotels or men.
sions, or apartments, or wherever.
At IL the theatres close. and all
song ceases. and the only place to get
srpner and drink is where YOU
sleep: therefore. as far as night
carousing is concerned, Paris is not
CAV.
Her true paietv rests now. as it
always has rested, IN the spirit of
her peoplo They have looked into
face distorted with hloodthirsty
fu1y-the face of Death-hut the
visaoe of that grim monster has put
no fear in their eyes. since sacri-
fee to this lesser devil removes the
threat of one far more terrible-the
vision of the Hun possessing France!
Death comes as trivial as nurses
tale of bogey man when compared
with the catastrophe of the Hun in
France. for there has never been
time when everything which the Hun
represented, from his elevation of the
body above the soul to his table
manners, has not been dreadful to
the French mind
For decades the entire purpose
and intent of the Hun has been to
build human body which should