The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-19
PARIS N THREE DAYS,
DOUGHB0YS' DELIGHT

ne mas been bIiieted with French
sows goats and chickens in Some pic>
turesque but highly insanitary French
cottage, and with background of
history and art gained in the Hills
dale high school or the Atkinson
academy, what chance has George of
making the most of his three days and
bringing back correct impression of
the capital of the universe?
what are the chances that George.
lett to his own devices, will see the
things he ought TO see?
But George Brown isn't left 10 his
own devices. He and the hundreds of
others like him have hardly time to
iet slip the inevitable, impudent and
oitingly sarcastic, $50 this is Paris,
oefore they are caught up in one Of
ithe most comprehensive, concentrated.
systematic and inclusive schemes of
personally conducted, economical and
rap1d-hre sightseeing ever devised.
ne sees Paris under American aus
piees at price that would make a
tourist agency patron green with envy
ana at speed that causes the pre-
war trevelcr to raise a dubious eve
brow when he hears of it.
since Paris was opened as a leave
area on February J., there are be-
tween 500 and 900 George Browns
arriving daily, to say nothing Of from
4Vo to 500 officers, for this three dav
leave. This means that there are
! s,oeo strangers in Paris every day.
ANXIOUS not to waste a minute before
! they return TO military duty.
with Paris crowded with soldiers
WIN the huge trains of attaches drawn
thither by the peace conference, with
sleeping accommodations at n ora-
mum and food
luL with prices at war levels, George
| Brown with his three months army
pay carefully tucked away in his
| lnoHey-belt has good cause to worry
5ut the army, through the Y. VI. C.
A. ana the Red Cross. has done the
pest IL can to make George cease
worrying. The Red Cross operates. al
each railroad station and at nun,er-
Gus other points throughout the CITY
canteens. where for seventy-fiVe cen
! Tunes less than "a cents in American
! money George can get n hot meal at
any hour of t1c day or night.
Officers ard doughboys who have
money TO burn and are not adverse to
| burning II tn Paris. are free to nick
theT OWL hotels. There is nothing
/ compulsory about the Y NJ. G A
| service. The Red Cross runs one
motel The Louvre. especially for Of
ficers but the rest Of the Official hotel
accommodations for officers and men
/ are, left to the Paris y.eaxa,. c!fHee. Of
the Y. NJ. G. A
\ men meet every incoming train
I ~ All seven OF the stations and as
george alights he is helped into a
/ truck or Ford car with his blanket
I rr1ti -Hasetto and dropped AT fha
Hotel dn Pavilion along with a score
: or hundred of his fellows in other
/ c4mions and the great threc~day bat
/ We OF Paris is on 1t is a battle TO
the finish and in the winning of which
SIKH and strength may he REQUIRED
as at any battle on the Marine or in the
Argonne.
The Waldorf Astoria Of the enlisted
man Is batieredgray French building
presenting to tho street a. blank and
weary look. but once George enters
itA portals lie is in America, in Los
Angeles, suburban New Jersey or
Z south Carolina, wherever he happens
( 10 come from. You fairly fall over
+ American hays fse -Hse.-rsw.,t here am,
! some other points. boys 10 whom the
siEht OF an American woman is A
signal for commencing grins that end
/ III never ending conversation
me boys sprawl at desks in the
writing room. they lounge in arm
| chars all over the lobby, they argue
in corners of the billiard room and
! they pound out American syncopa
| ions from French piano in the re-
eepuon room. In short. they make
themselves at home. lust as It was
intended that they should.
The hotel which was opened by the
in September. 1917. contains 1911
rooms but by stretching Itself can
accommodate in separate beds $50
man each night or course, there
VIII on these occasions be a few
cots dropped around in the halls and
man On every cot
George may begin to worry about
what such accommodation in war
| time Paris may cost bat his mind is
| soon relieved, The beds with clean
white sheets--the soldiers idea of
the acme at luxury---and the porce-
lain baths with generous supplies Of
not water and expansive bath towels
an d room 10 he shared with his buddy
cost only two francs and a half. or
all the luxuries enumerated may be
had in a single room for three francs.
or hfty-flve cents
And eatsl George hasn't been wor-
ryIng about board bills since he Joined
the army. Now he must face that
Item. He finds breakfast consisting
of eggs, any style, coffee. the in
eVitah3e hHt delicious confiture and
good French rolls, sets him hack
only fifty five cents Luncheon, which
according to the French conception
| Is three course meal. with meat
and vegetables. costs less than as
cents. And. Oh, Boy. there are white
/ table cloths, and crystal glasses and
cfe2n napkins, none of your dirty mess
kits 10 be washed in still dirtier dish
water No wonder the Y. NJ. C. A.
has lost lots of money in it's hotel
business, For dinner, at less than rs
cents. George has a soup, thick pot
age or clear bouiIlon made as only
the French know how. n fish cooked to
delicious brown crispness. American
roast beef, potatoes and vegetab les,
ALTON the plate-at-once, and apple
pie or cake or ice cream or all of
| them for dessert. And not French
iodine, but little real American cof-
fee--coffee without chicory in France!
1t reads like a fairy tale.
Early in the morning George with
about thirty other doughboys piles
aboard a sightseeing bus and rides
for three hours around these squares
and bouievlrds where every building
is historic and whose every cobble-