The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-28
FRENCH SEAPORT
is 4HERICANIZED
Arrival of the American Armies Has
Transformed the Place-People Are
Even Trying to Speak
English,

/ A port in France, Jan. % Correspond
ence of the Associated Press AS faI
as il is possible to Americanize any
French city, this base of the American
armies has undergone the process since
the first troops arrived last June, Col
lectively it talks English quite fluently
much more 50 than the visitors speak
French at any rate-and its shops have
taken on an American air.
Likewise the months have quoted the
exuberance that expressed itself in
| jammed and crowded streets and cafes,
noise and exhilaration at the time of the
arrival of the first American troops.
! lhis in part can be laid to the fact that
about nine-tenths of the city has been
placed "out of bounds" for all not
| equipped with special passes, so that
the dives" and other undesirable estab-
lishments that at one time threatened
to spring up have died of inanition.
Scarcely store now but faunts its
wares with tags and comments in Eng
fish, and the storekeepers have profted
by the constant succession of American
customers to learn a fair brand of Eng
fish. Nine out of ten of them at least
are able to conduct a sale in English,
WUlle il1i UHe VI tti VI the CHSIOfltTs
could get what he wanted if he had to
rely on French
Some of the English of course is
ragged and compendium OF the signs
displayed in the main street shops, would
furnish an excellent basis for Treatise
on English as she is written" There
is for example the House Taking Charge
of Parcels; Everyone get a received, /"
,xrh iob Oh IL H.
ing model warmly clad in what, the
Coat" Thus large notion and curio
store, situated on a corner, has painted
both facades to represent double Amer
lean flag, with single center piece con
tanning the stars over the door at the
corner. The topmost stripe on both sides |
bears the inscription, Souvenirs. Don't |
Forget Her Occasionally the adver.
tisements don't say quite what was in |
tended, even though they tell the truth, |
as for instance the sign over a store
which reads, money Taken Here"
Such announcements as american
7 to 8 a. m and Zee Cream"
appeal.
The naval element Is perhaps most
by its absence In June and
July the streets swarmed with naval
officers and sailors from the battleships
and cruisers that formed part of each
convoy.
More and more the city has come I'M
Ter the vise-like control of the American
No resident even may send
! telegram to any point in France with
,ut submitting it to a local censorship
hat has been created at the suggestion
# the Americans. The censor is the To-
al police commissioner and he passes on
III French messages that are not doubt !
d. Likewise his stamp is obligatory !
or kilograms in English but he will not
Weld the stamp until the American au- =
horities have passed upon the matter. i
No single individual leaves the CITY /,
" train without submitting to an ex I
mination. Papers of Identification, in
many cases written official permission to r
cave. are necessary. The civilian falls i
nevltably into the hands of the Jealous
french who are cooperating with the p
americans, while the man in uniform q
specially the American khaki wearers, a
re handled by our military police IT.
Early last July the French, at the sug- 5
estlon OF the Americans, laid down ex- a
eptlonaliy severe rules for the cafes, "
miting to the lowest conceivable point 4
for Franee-the hours during which 4
len in uniform might be allowed in all Il
ubic houses. a
Later in the summer the French gov. n
rnment issued rules governing the sale d
spirituous liquors for all France. The
vo combine by chance in such a way h
nat drinking for the soldiers is virtually II
ut of the question at any hour-even ;,
,r those limited few who are able to m
btain passes to come into the "out of NJ
Dunds" portion of the city that com q
rises all of the cafes. n,
The soldiers are on the whole intense n,
popular with the inhabitants They ii
e, for one thing, extremely kind to the tc
rench children, which strikes a respon- A,
We chord in the breasts of the mothers. ri
since if is not French
ale custom to fondle and make much ri
the youngsters. In,
Then. too, number of the military 10
PLANTATIONS have dubbed together and co
I'VE given entertainments for French IN
arities which not only have Melted a br
{ of money but which have been novel n,
ID interesting. The latest Of these was on
negro minstrel show which brought in IA
er $500 for the war widows of the port
Thoee CirlS