The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-26
That Is Plea of Topeka Officer
Now in France.
Lieut.. Keilmann Says Boys
Don't Like "Sammies."
WONDERFUL STORY OF PARIS
City Like Fragrant Rose With
Worm at Her Heart.
Another Fascinating Message
to the State Journal.

Paris is like fragrant rose with
worm eating in it's heart, says Lieut..
f. d. Kielmann, c. A. c., former To-
peka newspaper man. writing from
France to a Topeka friend. A woman
with tragedy in her heart but with
a smile on her face, says keilnann
That's Paris. And Paris is city or
women, brave women. who are giving
all and who are continuing to give ana
give cheerfully.
II wonder" he says, "n the women
of the United States will ever have to
do as the women of France are doing?
I hope not"
The letter to the State Journal fol-
lows:
A French officer told me the other
day that Paris is always charming
but now it is not what it is in peace
times" He may be right but the peo-
pie of the city seem proud of the
reputation of their city and tho in the
inner recesses of their hearts they
weep, tho in the privacy of their
homes they let their faces sadden,
never when in public do they allow the
public to know their grief. Paris to-
day is the most cheerful place I've
ever been in.
OF course even the casual visitor
like myself can realize that it is war
ridden city from the moment he
alfghts from the train. There are
uniforms, uniforms and then more
uniforms The stree ere an ever
changing mass of There are
Tommies, Jocks Csc, .'oilus, Bel
gians. Italians. turbanet. indian troop
ers, Senegalese. Algerians and an ever
increasing number of officers and en-
listed men of the American force No,
l don't call them "Sammies" Why?
Wen. chiefly because none of US like
the name. 1t means moIasses in the
sang OF the regular army. The Brit
1sh call US ''Yanks' and 1 believe the
name is lots more popular.
Taxis in Paris.
But to resume, L rode up to. the
hotel in a street car but that was the
only time l saw one in all the time 1
have spent in Paris. Have an idea
III advertise for that car one of these
days. I'm afraid it has been lost 1t
vas the only car Eve seen in the city.
never. saw it again nor any others for
that matter. Street cars in Paris are
unobtrusive creatures
In their place, however, one has
the most marvellous taxi system in the
world. There are taxis everywhere
and in some of the pleasure spots
there is a double parade of them that
never ceases-ft seems. The rates are
ridiculously cheap. One can ride all
morning or all afternoon for the same
amount one of the New York high
waymen would extort for. taking one
to a theater. The taxi drivers of Paris
are proud of their guild and each
whoAtook part in the transport of the
''Taxicab Army to the fields of the
Marine, keeps little tricolor flying on
his taxometer. They get their profits
from the tips and since their motto
seems to be. THE more trips the more
tips" their speed is little short of
reckless. How they manage to avoid
numerous accidents cannot be imagin-
ed. They turn corners on one wheel
IrI-a 1ir1er
darme as they do it, Have been told
that a pedestrian who is run down by
a taxi is at once arrested for obstruct-
ing the traffic Verify Paris is a
motorists paradise and the only thing
for the pedestrian to do is to renounce
his pedestrianism and take a taxi.
Life and Lights at Theaters.
The theaters? Well, haven't seen
them in peace times, but certainly
they cannot be any less charming.
The Folies Bergere, of course. you've
heard about. It's a glorious place.
One enters an enormous foyer sur
rounded by a promenade. A cafe
operates in this place. and an orches-
ira and dancing floor soon makes one
think that Rector's in New York is
piker place. You sit at a little table
and Ooh, we'll they don't do it in Kan
sas) till loud bugie blast informs
YOU that the show is to begin.
You ascend broad staircase, velvet
carpeted, etc, much like the ones you
see in America, but only in the illus
trations for some of Bob Chamberss
stuff or on the back drop of the 10
cent movie shows. You are con-
Quoted personally and solicitously to
your seat by a very pretty French girl
who (tries? p to kiss you and then the
show begins. It's the same sort of
stuff you'll see two years from now in
the Winter Garden, and winds up
with some Cohan stuff that probably
George will claim for his own some
few months hence. oh, yes. it's all in
French. but out of compliment to the
English and Americans present, one
song is in their language Gas the
French speak it,.
The audience is soldiers, soldiers
every kind of soldiers and women As
usual turnout France. there are very
few men in other than the eternal
horizon blue. The women are well
but not extensively dressed-or is it
the expensive simplicity one hears of
Most of them come to the show in
couples. There are few escorted
women in the audience. Maybe they
come more to-see some men than to
see the show. At any rate they be-
come acquainted with any near them
in record time.
The one who sat near me chartered
all thru the show and only once was
quiet. 1t was when the chorus on the
stage broke into "Quand Medelon."
the French soldiers marching song
i turned to see what had damned the
flow of conversation and found her
for the first time with a sad look on
her pretty face. She was looking at
a crested ring on her hand While 1
looked she brought the ring to- her