Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-09-18
opTIMIsT IS A "BERLOQUE"
People Have Joyous Time While Wait
ing In Subway stations-crap
Game Holds Interest OF
the Crowd.

Paris-Two more words have been
added to that very growing dictionary
Of war words. In Paris these two
words have achieved a new signif-
cance. Pessimists are now known as
'sirens" and optimists are "berloques."
The significance Is self-explanatory
to those who have experienced an air
raid In Paris. Many dread the screech-
ing, weird, bansheelike wall of the
alarm giving siren more than the act
ual danger from the raiders, while the
'berioque," that lively little bugle
call telling that all danger is past
and that one may rest safely In ones
bed. is indeed a friend welcome as any
oprrmIsr.
A Paris bookkeeper who suddenly
left the city when the raids over the
capital became too frequent and went
to Nantes has been sued by his m
ployer for SEQ damage for leaving with
out notice. The case, not the onl5
one of its kind in the French courss
today. is attracting attention.
The bookkeeper's explanation was
that his nerves were upset by the
bombs and shells and that he thought
himself justified In getting out Of dan
ger. The court held that a lombard
ment by airplanes and long-range
guns could not be considered a sufi-
Gent reason for the breach Of con-
tract and gave judgment for the
amount named.
The darkened streets of Paris have
caused many persons to roam around
town after returning from the theater
! or q visit because of the difficulty In
| finding the streets and house numbers.
| An attempt to improve this condition Is
to be made soon by placing luminous
numbers traced in little buttonlike mir
rors which reflect and magnify the
smallest glimmer of light on the houses
Of the city.
One would think upon descending TO
one Of the large and centrally located
underground railway stations which
are used as shelters that a soiree was
in progress instead of an air raid.
This is what the correspondent saw
one evening during a raid when he
was obliged to seek cover In one of the
subway stations:
In one corner a violin. accompanied
by two guitars, was doing out a tune
to which a squadron" Of youthful avn
ators were Waiting around. their part
ners being a group of pretty d~anseuses
who had hurriedly left a neighboring
theater wearing their costumes, make
Up and all.
In another corner a group OF Poilus,
loaded down with their trench equip
ment. having been caught In the under
ground while on their way to the rail-
road depot and to the front, were sing
ing aMadeIon," their "Tipperary." In
rather d~iscordant tones. But 1t was
singing just the anne
Crap Game Holds Crowd.
An unusual feature of this particu-
lar "soiree" was a genuine al-Ameri-
can crap game-not for keeps. II would
hardly be an ~exaggeration to say that
half of the crowd In the station had
edged around the half dozen spare
American doughboys-three Of whom
Weft Sc1tlcn1cu VI CoAOf-Ao WAIhCoa
this contest in bone throwing.
The colorea gentlemen handled their
dice with q dizziness that was delight
fully reminiscent Of Somewhere In
Harlem" to say nothing OF their pro
nciency In the vocabulary Of the game
which Parisians have since learned
is a very essential adjunct to any skill
at II.
Investigation OF casualties following
an air raid over the capital hav'
proved 10 the authorities that the
greatest number Of casualties r no
the result Of injuries received from
the bombs Of the raiders. but OF care
lessness on the part Of the victims
Parislans have become too accustom
ed TO air raids. They stag out OF door
TO see the bursting OF the shells from
the ~antiaIrcraft guns and others leav'
their shelters and go home before tn
| elQnal