The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-08-15

city was Aix-les-B ains, the first American leave
center in France. Here the French saw the
Americans at play and satisfied.
-les-Beans" the American boys pronounce
it, at the imminent risk of the name being short
ened to 1.-THE Beans" Aka jewel, clear-cut,
with brilliant facets set in a frame of gorgeous
moonlight and of wonderful opaline sunsets and
sunrses. This is the beauty spot to which are sent
the boys in olive-drab wearied by months in
trench mud, under bursting Shells And this is
the story of the first permissionares to arrive in
Afx-the American soldiers Blighty.
On a certain bright Saturday a cosmopolitan
crowd gathered at the railroad station all in a
high state of anticipation. One could easily pick
out the persons of prominence the mayor the
doctors, lawyers and others Of small but as
sured incomes. And it might be noticed that the
older women kept watchful eyes on the jeunne
files who, tense with expectancy gazed nm the
iron road along which the first permissionaires
were to come For who could tell what romance
might not be on the way. romance excusng the
huttering of eyelids and the extra nicetv Of
dress?
AS a special effort to make the incoming Amer
leans feel right at home, the crowd featured a
negro band and the local baseball nine composed
OF small boys in scarlet jerseys and linen irons
ers, with legs bare only French boy ever
dares wear them. The lads had small American
flags tied around their arms, and their teeth were
rafting with the cold. for the snow lay on the
mountain sides and refrigerated wind blew
down from there.
In the crowds also were American officers and
visitors Y. NJ. c. A. secretaries canteen workers
and uncatalogued spectators Before the Ameri-
cans arrived dozen British aviatOrs on their
way to Italy changed trains and. seeing the
thrOng, asked the reason. On being informed
they exclaimed with heartfelt approval:
wish we were American permissfonares ?"
And well they might, for beautiful AK, which
In the happy days before 1914 had attracted the
discriminating visitors all nations was in more
than gala dress this day. painting the lily while
military and civil representatives had assembled
there to give welcome to the boys who had come
from the west shores of the Atlantic to fight
shoulder to shoulder with the French
These are the early arrivals of the American
expedittonary force which landed in France last
summer-regulars and volunteers. They had come
from the trenches with scarcely hour to pre-
pare.
They wore their trench helmets, their packs
were on their backs their clothes and boots COW
cred with mud, their faces grimy their hair dis
ordered. Their train was two hours late, but the
crowd has been waiting that time and the cold
winds have not chilled the enthusiasm which
greeted the appearance of the Yankees
"It certainly did make impression" said
old regular of this reception. 1--WE didn't know
what kind of a place it was and some of US
were sore because couldn't GO to Paris, while
half of didn't have the money to see it
through, or the right outfit. But / guess Uncle
Sam had idea it would be just as well TO let
the French people know the American troops
weren't kept in bandboxes and tissue paper, but
in the fight
There doubt in the minds of those who
watched the boys getting out of the cars that
they had been at the front. They were hungry
and tired, having been 80 hours on the way, with
only stOp-Over, where the Red Cross unit had
breakfast ready for them. But they were too &C
customed to discipline to resist Speech-makng
and hospitality. they listened patiently to the
provost marshars friendly admonitions to shun
wine and women. No ban placed song.
Then-on with the welcomed
The negro band erupted into jazz and raggy
noises taking
at least following which a French orchestra
swung gracefully into the strains of a 'Suite de
Massenete" and the permissionaires were es-
corted to their temporary homes They were led
through streets thanked by hagdraped balconies,
from which pretty girls cried with familiar greet
ing:
'evive FAmerfque! Vfve la France Vive Oncle
Sam re
And that is how the first American permits
sionaries came to the A. E. F.'s Blighty, with a
blare of trumpets. a waving of flags, cheers,
smiles sparkling eyes and welcoming speech Be
fore them lay eight days of clean, delightful
recreation amid beautiful and-probably
best of aIl-unlimited baths
We've fed on mud" said happy permits
sionaire "The rats come and sit the edges
OF our straw and give morning salute. We
haven't had a real wash for so long that we've
almost forgotten how 1t feels TO have that sense
of seIf-respect that comes with the morning tub"
AK with its famous waters, baths and casinos,
needs no introduction to many men in the Amer
fcan exueditionary force. In the days before the
war If attracted thousands of Americans each
season among them the late ]. Pierpont Nor
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