Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-07

Thierry on an approved conducted
trip. In the American women's Club
Of Paris new, important, with 100
heated bedrooms. l will speak of 1t
later) her furious discomfort was over
heard. She would tell anybody. In
Rheims. they took her to hotel that
had candles. There was no heating sys-
tenn. The sheets were cold-not damp,
she ad nitted, but the CLEANLINESS of re-
construction. (They were linen sheets
and she was used to cotton). OF course.
1t was clean; but candles-think of
candles!
1t is a mentality which tourists ought
not bring, because 1t spoils their pleas
ure. In Rheims, practically every house
is down; and that Is why she went-to
see the ruins. For a long time they
hesitated whether to attempt rebuilding
or leave the phenomenal mass as
souvenir. The worst Is, she will go
back scolding, before an these womens
clubs. She was beautifully dressed, in
furs, and lacked 10 personal equipment
X + X
Yet, no. the worst is the effect such
luxury makes on the devastated natives.
Her tact was perfect. She handed out
good money like the other tourists But
the unhappy natives don't want money.
They want steam heat, just as she did.
They want furs. glass windows. carpets,
canned goods, cook stoves, floors and
ceilings, tools and agricultural imple-
ments. They still live IN patched walls
Tor In lamentable cabins. In place of
coal the government offers them mazout-
Cheayy OILY. but they must buy $40
burner attachment and learn how to use
Iit. No house. no furniture, no hearth.
Don't pity the Germans, with their
homes and factories intact, but pity
these people, scientifically devastated by
the Germans, expressly TO produce this
after-war misery and loss of time. The
government has sent them ':adminstra-
tors" who prefer to live In Paris. Their
deputies (congressmen) stay In Paris.
Just one thing" they say. lis organ
.ized-the tourist service. In luxurious
carryalls and private cars! Beautiful
ladies in furs! They inspect our misery
in COMFORT
Both sides exaggerate.
So, as 1t will continue until July (and
after, each tourist might do well to
bring an understanding heart, and in
his hand tin of pineapple. silk-covered
air pillow, lap rug, bit Of carpet or
twelve pa,,es Of window giass-just for
good feeling.
You don't need to give: they'll gladly
buy:- Only. I'll admit the dilemma; once
you have handed out friendships token,
say, in Rheims. how IL Arras to know
that you are not a cold Ash? The
Touring Club. being asked to organize
the idea, replied, 'Tt is not possible. We
shah not solicit our American visitors.
America has done enough. They shan't
be bothered. Tho least we can do is to
show them tho !battlefields in comfort"
You understand, comparative comfort.
For example. the most visited Ameri-
can spot (up to the presently has been
Bony-stranse AZ It may seem. The ex-
PLANTATION Ia that here two American
divisions. tho 9th and 3oth, broke the
main Siegfried defenses (aindenburg
line> for the British. And the 9th
(Which fought a desperate attack all
day and finally held Bony) was pre-
cisely that New York National Guard
Division, built up around 1.-The dandy
7th" and other regiments dear to the
New Workers who have been first on
the spot in France since the armistice.
Now, take notice. there's a special
tourist train twice a week from Paris
to Albert and beyond, returning to Paris
tho same night; and Albert. by way of
Peronne. Is fairly close to Bony and this
region. Nevertheless, the Bony trip is
practically impossible except from
Amiens. (Where will you find a base,
except at Amiens?) The st. Quentin
side is worse-wrecked towns and awful
roads!
So, because the American cemetery at
Bony contains $500 of our dead, the
AmericanyY. w. c. A.. following a plan
has sets nap zone of its rest houses at
Bony. But ttis always, first of all (be-
wareD for the accommodation of WISH
tors whose boys (sons, brothers, cousins.
etc.). fell on the spot or else repose at
Reisel or other smaller American ceme-
teries nearby
1t Is equally true of our great ceme-
terry of Romagne, where there are q, 900
American dead. 1t looks like a vast ex-
panse of drifted snow--the white crosses
are so many. There Is rumor of a hotel
at Romagne. but no sign yet of break
ing ground Romagne and Montfaucon
ara NOR Smn ahol yillouao Won coa