The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-05
ARMY COUR|ERS
ON THE FLY
ONE YANK WHO HAS MADE
81 LONDON TO PARIS TRIPS
WOULD BE TOURIST
GUIDE AFTER WAR.
From Reciprocal News Service.
13 Queen Anne's Gate, London,
S. w. |.
BY GEORGE T. BYE.

London, April l2.-(By MaiD.-
RaiIwaymen are running railways
in France. Musicians are in the reg
mental bands. Carpenters are
building houses and truck bodies.
Electricians are putting up tele-
phone, telegraph and light wires.
Mechanics are building locomotives
and repairing automobiles. Civil
and mining engineers are exercising
professional knowledge in getting
artillery range. Accountants are
keeping the books and statistics OF
the American eXpeditionary force.
Authors and newspaper editors are
running The Stars and Stripes" >"
the official weekly. and censoring
press dispatches. Blacksmiths are
looking after horses feet. Telegra
pliers are ticking messages. Chauf-
feurs are driving cars. Netcrinari-
ans and doctors have their patients.
Linguists are interpreters.
And son on. Thousands OF Yam
KEGS in uniform are practicing their
civil calling while in active war
service. OF course there are other
thousands who are wholly at strange
employment. a paper-hanger in the
trenches must lost some OF the
knack or artistry with which he used
to slap red daisies on the ceiling bor-
ders of parlors. And lawyers are
forgetting their statutes. Any many
a college boy is having Greek roots
squeezed out Of his head by tin hats.
But-a great many of the Yam
KEGS are picking up proficiency in
new directions and are learning a
new language. The experience can
not help but raise their value gener-
ally as breadwinners after the war.
Take a certain sextet OF young
men whom | have seen at different
times in Paris and London, but new
er together. They are American
army couriers. They carry official
communications between London
and Paris. Eight months ago. ac-
cording to one of them, trip from
Illinois to Iowa would have had for
him an element Of novelty. of being
an expedition. Yesterday this young
man had crosses the English chan
mel for the thirty-6rSt time. And
he doesn't hold the courier record
either.
Two of the couriers are always on
the way between the two European
capitals, one going, the other re-
turning. Two are getting ready in
each city, while two others are hav-
ing full day of rest. Each man
has about three days a week in
London, and three in Paris. If trav-
cling arrangements were on a peace
time plan, this courier job would be
a delightful snap, indeed. But it
IS not much fun; the trains and
ships are uncomfortable, and there
is always the suspense of lurking
danger.
I'm going to try to stick in Eu-
rope when the war is over said the
courier | talked with yesterday.
There is going to be a pile of
money in the guide business in the
first few years of peace. | ought 4
qualify as tirst-class guide, with
all the chasing around | do. I'd
guarantee never to miss train or
boat. What do you think about it
Have piece OF French chocolate"
| can only do one thing at time,
so | passed by his question and took
the chocolate. He talked on. One
funny point he brought out was
that the only confusion caused him
by his dizzy mery-go-'round be-
tween France and England was that
he sometimes mistook Paris for
London and lost time in getting
around. Now he has a pretty good
reminder. II the buildings look
white, the place is Paris; if gray,
it's London.