The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-12-21

knew no bounds. The city authorities had is
sued orders that the people were to be allowed
absolute freedom and orders had been issued
allowing American officers and troops leave
without limitation of time during the night. |
The crowds surged up the Rue Royal, surged
through the Place de Madelien, up the Boule-
ward des Italiens to the Place de POpera and
out in the divergent streets. The Boulevard
st. German and all large thoroughfares of the
city were equally crowded with the same wild
ly exultant crowds. All sorts of stunts" "a
word foreign to the French people before the
celebration, but one which all Paris now thor
oughly knows) were performed. american
soldiers undoubtedly 0Uned the city! No cas-
ual observer of any nationality who had any
sense of perception could fail to see that the
American boys were leading the festivities. The
women of all classes were seen kissing Ameri-
can and French officers and soldiers. 1t was
necessary to kiss both cheeks, the French not
permitting a cessation of such a pleasant per-
Torrance until it was fully accomplished in tru-
ly French style. l saw one young girl kiss an
American soldier on one cheek. He thought
he had finished and turned away, when she
grabbed him by the arm, pulled him back and
kissed the other cheek, thus completing the
performance in accordance with the custom.
Groups of from IS to 40 people holding hands
would come down the streets and pick UP an
American officer or soldier, or French officer,
and dance around him until he would kiss at
least one of the women in the ring on both
cheeks, which seemed to be the only acceptable
pass" for him to go on his way.
was very tired from the celebration at
Tours the night before, into which l entered
with great enthusiasm, but / took some part in
the Paris street performance and l think we
all must have been kissed, or kissed ourselves,
25 or 80 times. There was no selection: all
were kissed-pretty women, fat women, thin
women, little girls, women of the street, wild
ows, mothers of dead sons. women in crepe as
well as women in fine clothes. There were no
end of pranks which one could see at every
turn NV nhCnrUatinn chnVv06 thot tho AnOri-
can and French soldiers were fraterniZing in
a most affectionate and brotherly manner and
decidedly in the majority. The American and
French flags were, as at Tours, largely FREEDOM
mating. The French civilians and soldiers
were ready to do anything to add to the fes-
~tivities, but as l looked on and thought at the
time, the originality and initiative of the Amer
lean boys found expression at every turn. Was
l happy to be an AMERICAN? You bet! 1t
seemed as though they started all of the unique
incidents. All of the stunts savored of college
circus, but no sooner did they open the pro-
gram, no matter what it was, than the French
Poilus picked it up and off they went together
to finish the game. Wherever you heard a
loud noise, there you could expect to find an
American soldier at the head of the game. He
was either standing on the side of a lamppost,
on the top, or on the rail of the posts around
the fountain, or he climbed up on the side of
a store or on some carTiage-but he was always
there, high UP, and usually with an American
flag in his hand and surrounded by a mixture
of Americans and French, so that If there was
a big noise or big spectacle, you could count
on finding our boys at the head. There was
but one thing lacking-there were no bands.
We do not know what had become of them, but
there was not a bit of music except an occas-
ional cornet, and of course the KlaXon horns,
which our boys had taken from automobiles
for the occasion.
In the Place de POpera on one of the high
arc lights surrounding the fountain, an Ameri-
can soldier climbed as though he were going
up a ships mast at sea, and mounting on top
of the very light itself he stood there like the
Statue of Liberty. Another soldier climbed
part way up with an American flag, which
he handed to the man on top, who waved it for
some 10 minutes. much to the delight and
amusement of several thousand people who
stood below cheering at the top of their lungs.
At another place we saw some Americans who
had gotten hold of a big spool which had been
wrapped with cable, the cable having been tax
en- off. A number of them pushed the spool
with one American standing on top. jogging so
as to permit the rolling of the spool. Ihls
group was followed by a mass of shouting peo-
ule of all kinds who roared their approval at
the American who, though quite acrobalc'
would fall off about every 10 feet, which pro-
voked increased cheering. AT another place a
gay limousine passed. evidently occupied by
some high French officials. 1t was brightly
lighted, with vase and flowers adorn1ng the IN
terror. A group of Americans with a few Poilus
got in front of the machine. stopped it, opened
the door, picked up two girls from the crowd
it didn't matter who-pushed them into the
machine and shutting the door yelled to the
chauffeur: LIE ALLEZi (Go ahead! Go
ahead!) At another place they took one of the
German field pieces which had been captured
and sitting a soldier on the muzzle with an
American and French flag in his hand they
dragged him up and down the Boulevard des
Italiens to be greeted on every hand with loud
cheering. At another place some Americans
had a large game rooster about 8 feet tall,
made of wood and painted red. 1t was intend
ed to represent the proverbial French Cock.
They mounted this on a pair of wheels and put
ting a shaft on it they put a couple of negro
doughboys on front and pulling it through the
streets were followed by a wild crowd of Amer
teams and French. This engendered the great
est possible merriment along the way and hnal-
lv so many people fell into the procession that
there must have been several thousand people
in line. It took some little time for it to pass
Some of the boys took a small German Trench
Mortar on wheels and carrying it to the side or
the street fastened it will a cable to the hack
of a taxicab which had stopped. The chautfeur
did not see what thew had done and when ne
started off the sound closely assembled the
rumble of German Artillery going into action!
Observation-Disclosures