Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-29
Princes Have to Get Off Dancing
Floor Reserved for Our
Soldiers.
FAMOUS CASINO RESERVED
AK Is Rest and Recreation Center for
American Expeditionary Forces
and American Soldiers Come
First There.
BY WALTER KELLOGG TOWERS.

AiX-les- Bafas, France. Princes,
dukes. counts and other titled person
ages have to yield place To the Aineri-
can soldier In the famous casino of
AK. Even king seeking accommoda-
lions there would be discarded In fa-
yor OF an American "ace." No pre1u-
dice against the nobility exists. Any
duke or count can have certain accom-
nodations, that Is, II any remain after
the American soldiers have been serv-
er As for the dancing floor and soft
drink "bar." none but Yankees need
apply. AK was designated rs the rest
and recreation center for the American
expeditionary force and there Is no
qualification on the priority Of that
organization.
Counts Don't Count.
In the billiard room Of the million.
dollar casino, formerly famous gam
bling place aud haunt of the titled
wealthy OF Europe, but now conducted
by the American Y. NJ. c. A. for our
soldiers, a tall, distinguished man in
civilian garb wistfully watched the
doughboys caroming the ivory balls.
He would have liked to play a little
billiards himself, but the doughboys
from overseas had priority and he was
only count. He was allowed the use
of the casino, but only insofar as 1t
did not interfere with the soldierg'
entertainment.
Over ON the dance floor q well-dress.
ed man and woman tried to participate
In the merry maze where two hundred
Yankees were jostling one another
cheerfully In an effort not to miss their
chance to dance with the thirty attrac-
tive girls wearing the Y. NJ. G. A. uni
form. The couple not In uniform were
told tactfully but firmly that the dane.
ing floor was reserved for those In the
uniform Of the A. e. f.. although the
civilian dancers We're known to be a
1 prince and his consort.
Passing through the swinging doors
marked Bar" one finds more bright.
faced American girls serving lemon
ade, hot chocolate, cakes and cookies
to the throng Of enlisted men who line
the rail. Here, too, the titled and dis
tinguished men In "cits" are denied
service. The bar serves American
goods. brought over by the Y. NJ. c. A
and admitted duty-free by the French
government for the use OF American
soldiers only.
Soak the Dukes
The movies in the big hall are free
to all and well attended. In the Gu
sino's big theater vaudeville Is pur
veyed at two scales Of prices. In the
front row recently duke sat next tt
all American sergeant. The duke paid
ten francs for his seat. the sergeant
paid two francs. 1t was five times al
advantageous to be an American sol
der as to be duke. The Y. NJ. G. A
arranged that.
At the Hotel De rEurope the boni
face Daddy Leder who has wei
coined royalty In other years, recently
assigned three Yankee doughboys tt
the room once used by Queen Vic
toria. He had turned away TITLED
Englishman and his lady who doubt
less would have given much for the
queens room, or any room. But thu
first gentlemen Of Europe have to give
way to the first gentlemen Of America
The 'Y" arranged that. And the Yam
kee boys have proven themselves gen
tlemen.