The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-12-21
MAJ. COMSTOCK
DESCRIBES JOY
over ARMISTICE
Paris Like Man Freed From
Nightmare, Says in Letter
Meets Harry Thornton.

Major Paul Comstock in letter
written November Is to his wife.
writes an interesting description Of
the celebrations which he has attend
ed in Paris since the armistice was
signed. The letter follows:
An order came for me to report to
o. r. O., meaning as you probably
know, Great Headquarters, where the
thing is really cooked up, from where
all the orders come. Then came the
armistice-so l got my travel orders
Tor myself and orderly and reached
Paris IN time for the second day ana
night OF the big celebration, something
did not expect to happen. l am not
going to attempt description of the
demonstrations, II would take too long
and have not had time to really think
them over. The feelings of these peo-
pie. to my mind. are best described as
those who had been afflicted with
what was apparently an incurable dis
ease. and who wakes up one fine morn
ing and finds that 1t was hideous
nightmare and that 1t is now past and
life is again at hand.
This is the second time have seen
a people freed in this way and both
being Latins the individual action is
much the same. But of course Ha-
vana Ia not Paris in any sense. The
thing that appealed to me was the in
defatigable energy of the thousands
who danced and sang and marched to
their own cheers and songs. / heard
no bands myself but was told there
was one somewhere. Most of the
bands are at the front. Flowers were
hxy
the wind or given to the soldier. Flags,
coiors, streamers long hidden, appear
ed as II by magic.
Sees Men Decorated
I'm the Place de la Concord and tho
Jardin de Paris hundreds of captured
mortars, field pieces. light and heavy
have been placed. the smallest weigh
ing tons. But the people. and even
the soldiers, whom one would have
thought had had enough of 1t, dragged
them up and down the Champs Eylsees
loaded down with screaming girls and
children.
The next day l had twenty-four
hours In Paris and I did considerable
viewing met Harry Ross and had
lunch with him. l also met Henry
Thornton who is bigger and 'Britisher'
than ever in the uniform Of brigadier-
general OF the British amy. He is a
railway transport officer.
Two or three hotels have been
taken over for American officers where
one can room decently and have mod.
est food for a reasonable amount I
went to one OF them, the Hotel du
Palais on the Rue Court de la Refine
near the Seine and on the opposite side
from and about midway between the
Eiffel Tower and the Hotel des In
dalides. visited the emperors tomb
They were just removing the mountain
OF sand bags under which 1t has been
protected so long. 1t suggested the
exhuming Of the body itself
Coming away from there | came
upon the presentation Of crosses and
medals to officers and soldiers and
10 widows and families OF those who
had died. This was inside the Cour.
de Honneur and was very impressive
While part Of the ceremony was 60
ing on wonderful baritone, in the
uniform of a French soldier, sang a
beautiful requiem. His voice filled the
court and echoed and echoed over the
troops and weeping women, and seem
ed to feat on out as If the world might
hear il. And then it seemed that the
still dust in the tomb just by and the
undying spirit of the French soldiers
OF today should have heard it too
Il am TO be assigned as an Inspector
to some division in q day or two,
which is all 7 know at present