, 1918-08-01

gan, who spent his birthday, April IT, there year
after year.
Pictures and descriptions of AK have been
printed often enough for those who never have
been there. but the picture which lives in the
memory of the first party of American permits
sionaires is more vivid and alluring than any
other. If you take a collection of clean, bright,
weH-built villas, with broad sidewalks and as
phalted streets, such as are constructed in pros
porous American mountain and lake resorts,
deck them with charming French or Italian gar
dens. place them on the slopes of hills and the
edge of an emerald lake, frame the picture in
ranges of snow-capped mountains, through which
run zig-zag roads, and you have an idea of the
vista awaiting the American boys.
Several of the Americans were housed in the
Hotel Lamartine, on the edge of the Lamartine
woods, where the celebrated author wrote
Raphael" The philosophic, intellectual fighter
will be sure to find on the outskirts of Chanbery,
a suburb of Aix-ies-Bains, Les Charmettes," that
delightfully."- located home where Jean Jacques
Rousseau lived a romance with Madame Warens,
received royalty as his friends and wrote books.
The permissionaire cannot escape history in
AK, for he passes a crumbling Roman arch when
he takes his way to the great bath establishment,
in which special rates had been made for his
plunge and shower. If he does not seek to elude
but to study the past, our soldier may find
plenty of Roman relics In the museums. There
also are relics Of an era when a mountain top
pied over, burying 10 hamlets and partly filling
Lake Bourget. from whose depths the treasures
have been retrieved.
He can row across the lake to Hautecombe abb
hey, which stands on the sole bit of ground In
this province still controlled by Italy. 1t con-
tains 200 marble statues and the mausoleums Of
the dukes of Savoy. He will see where Han
nibal, 200 B. G, started his passage. of the Alps.
He Will walk where walked Charlemagne, Henry of
Navarro, the khedives of Egypt, Elizabeth of Aus
tria, Marie Pa of Portugal, kings of Great Brit
ain, Sweden, Norway, Belgium. Spain and the
kings of high finance.
So much for the historic and scenic features.
The permissionaire, however. may be seeking less
classic relaxation on his leave, and 1t is in album
dance In AK. Leave does not mean license to
him, and among the many good things that may
be said to his credit-loyalty, amIability, good
looks--let US not forget to give him a good mark
for this, and we have 1t on the word of the in
habitants of Ak.
Temptation may follow close, and not always
can the boy 5000 miles from home resist, but to
his eternal glory be 1t said that he does not seek
II. Also to the credit Of AK and the department
of Savoy be 1t added that all possible precau-
lions are taken to safeguard him. A few gam
bling houses there will always be, a few women
will follow an army anywhere; there will, in a
word. be lawbreahers ready to lure him and, in
spite of warnings, there were grocers who sur
reptitiously sold bottles of liquor-not much, be-
cause the customer, rendered loquacious, con-
fessed the place Of sale and the vendors were
hailed to the bar of Justice.
1t is not the intention Of trying to represent
the permissionaires as Sunday school boys. But
they are alive with health, quickened by the
sense of liberty, and the paths of this lead nat
urally to sane recreation. Few Of them cared to
or Illicit resorts when they could enjoy the beau
ties of nature and the wealth of healthy enter
tainment made available.
The boys did not have to be herded into the
straight and narrow path, either. A few second
lieutenants were sent with the men, but the off,