Arizona republican., 1918-12-18


] asked the reason, they told me the
news was not yet official and they
did not intend 20 make any mistake by
starting too soon. And as a matter of
fact, the celebration did not begin un-
til the official notice of the signing of
the armistice had been which
was just q few minutes before noon.
Then began such a celebration as |
have no doubt has never before oc-
CURED in the history of the world and
will never occur again. Paris has
population of several millions, and
there were certainly several hundred
thousand allied soldiers here in addi-
tion. Every establishment of every
kind and character in Paris was closed
and certainly three -fourths Of the
Parisians were in the streets.
covered Il large part of Paris during
the afternoon and night including the
main boulevards, the Place de rOpera.
Place Nendome, Place de Ia Concorde,
Place de Ia Republique, the Bastille
and the Etole. and many smart streets.
| neveL was in a street that was not
jamme6 full of people. The interest
ing thing about it was that there was
no organization to it, every individual
was carrying on his own celebration.
Every taxicab, automobile, canton,
horse carriage, in fact every possible
kind OF vehicle was seized by the
young celebrators, who loaded it down
and compelled the driver to carry on,
which he was in most cases willing
enough to do. Thousands of captured
German cannons have been brought 10
Paris during the past week, and these
were seized by the crowds and drag
80 ~ II
tances but entirely through the boule-
vards-I saw one cannon of very heavy
calibre that was roped and dragged by
over three hundred people through the
entire length of the boulevards from
the Place de la Concordc to the Place
de la Republique. A German aero
plane that excited the interest of the
crowd was torn in pieces for souvenirs,
even a good many parts of the iron
frame being taken. You would see
body of Italian soldiers go by singing
their national air, then Belgians, Aus
tralians, Canadians, Scotch, English,
Indians, Serbians, Poles and every
where Poilus and Americans.
In fact, wherever the excitement was
the highest there was pretty sure to
be an American leading the show.
There was great deal of singing
in the streets, but it was all sp6ntan-
eous,' there were no bands, but here
and there some musician with a cornet
a flute or some other instrument would
1 have an enthusiastic body of follow
/ ers. At $50 in the evening, | stood
| in front of the Opert, when some of
| the leading singers of the opera ap-
peared on the balcony and sang in
! chorus the national air of each of the
allies. There were certainly not less
than 10000 people in the audience,
and the various nationalities joined
in singing the chorus of their own
country. 1t was wonderful, of course,
to hear America, and God Save the
King. and Tipperary took the crowd
by storm, but it was something not
to forget to hear the F'renchmen sing
! the Marseillaise that night. Great arc
lights Of red, white and blue fixed sc
as to revolve, were thrown down or
the crowd making the scene intense
ly beautiful. 1 cannot tell you how
many times the chorus of the Mar
seillaise was repeated, but it only
stopped when the opera stars held W
their hands and shouted "Kamarades,'
Then they wound up the show with
the great song of the poilu: "Madelon'
to bed at o'clock Monday night, ans
it was still going on when I woke VI
at o'clock Tuesday morning. and BY
the time I had shaved and taken my
coffee and rolls it was in full swing
with the streets damned. All thai
morning and that afternoon and thai
night it went on in the Same hilarious
joyful disorganized way. "Wednesday
morning people went to work very
quietly, but Wednesday afternoon anC
night they broke loose again. Thurs
day night they were celebrating. ant
look to Sc it go on for several nights
but | am leaving this afternoon.
might go on and tell you of many Won
derful incidents, If ! had the time
dignified colonies and even general:
took part in the joy. You will BE-
astonished when l tell you that l say
exceedingly little drunkenness, al
though the cafe were all open up tt
the usual hours. In all the time thai
have been here, I have not seen NOR,
than fifteen or twenty people who were
under the weather''-that is not BAG
for a Celebration in which probably
four million people took part.
If any of these American soldier:
try to say back home that they have
never been kissed it will be a certain
indication that they were not in Pari.
on the eleventh day of November, 1918
for the little midinettes Ga name giver
as l understand it to the young French
girls who work in the millinery shop:
and the various works of that kind
never let any American soldier ge
away, you would often see one soldier
with five or six around him at once
they were worse than bees after honey
\ | am speaking of soldiers, you under
stand, they kissed all the soldiers Of
all Municipalities, but remember I an
a Y. NJ. C. A. man. I am not saying
anything about the Y. men.
I will try and write you more abou
this at some other time when I ge
the opportunity; the stories that coult
be told of the celebration are simpl!
endless. I don't know whether these
American soldiers will ever tell al
that they did, or all about it, but
can tell you that when these boys arr
grandfathers, with their grandchildren
on their knees, they will not forge
that day in Paris.