Evening journal., 1919-07-25
MANY AMERICANS
VISITED MONASTERY
That at St. Malo is Mecca
For Thousands OF
Visitors
Town TO RESUME
QUIET SHORTLY

NEW YORK. July 25-The 2iS In
habnants Of the little town OF MI ST
Michel will cease TO lead their present
strenuous life when the last OF the
American Expeditionary Force Departs
for America.
The tiny island upon which the his
torio French monastery piles up lis
Gothic magni1cence has always been
a tourists mecca; but since the fall OF
1918, when the American Expedition
airy Force opened the Brittany leave
area at St. Malo the doughboy has put
at least one Of his seven days OF per-
mission into Enthusiastically thor
ough examination, arranged by the
Young Mems Christian Association, OF
this extraordinary church which the
thirteenth century French chose TO
build kilometer out at sea. He
knows it is extraordinary, not merely
because the French say so, but be
cause all the other guys in the COM
pany from the cook to the top sergeant
have told him that that there Mt.
St. Michel" is something worth see
ing
France may not realize it, but the
doughboy is probably her best adyer-
tiser. He will not admit offhand that
she Is much OF country, that she can
Differ anything TO match the wild
,harms Of Texas or the rolling free
.lfe of North Dakota-until he begins
rs dissertation on the particular spots
ne has investigated for himself. The
rue state of the cathedral at Rheims
or the exact number OF steps that
ead 10 the platform on the top Of Mt.
st. AIichel-on such personally inves-
ligated tours he will not merely lee
:ure but rhapspdize.
st. Malo is the capital Of the Brittsny
cave area, which also contains Dlnard, !
whose gayety has suffered since the
war, and Paramey, a smaller village
10 the west With this area there is, |
of course, The conventional round OF /
leaye-area pleasure-swimming, boat !
ing, 81 jazz band in the Casino morn /
ing, afternoon and. evening, and the |
Young Mems Christian Assoc.atio girl I
with whom one can now and then /
snatch a foX-trot. But the douShboy, /
In whose veins must run a few drops |
OF the blood Of the original Cook tour
ist, counts these things as the lesser
pleasures. II there IS a monumental
curiosity. a ruined castle, within
days Journey, the doughboy will rise
out of bed at dawn to catch the train.
damned with all his fellows, so that
nc need not go home without having
seen It,
The ira for Mount st. Michel leaves i
St. Malo three days a week at 9 o'clock, I
and the 800 men whom a ~" secre- 4
tary leads there enliven the sleepy, (;
sunbaked streets and stairways OF the
street that leads up to the chusca. War
has been bad for the innkeepcrs snd
ille souvenir sellers Of Mount st.
Michel: there have been few tourists
10 eat omelettcs in the famous Kitchen /
Of La Mere POulard; no one. TO carry
Off those curious Brettone china cats
with which tho souvenir siropkeepers
deck Their stalls. Consequently the
weekly quota OF 1900 Americans has
hoen not merely a diversion, but some
thing OF a financial godsend. The
est tremendous dejeuner
and they 60 home with their pockets
Aued with complete editions OF al
postal cards, guide books and CHINA
cats.
The 500 are piled of the train on
narrow gaQgeNdg, NilCil NuuAOSV9 W.
sla1d with the mainland. The wonders.
Of st. Michel are familiar to the travel
,r. but the doughboy stands impressed :
Behind him are the green fields OF Nor =
mandy and Brittany; ahead Of him. the )
tremendous Gothic pile, and beyond, to !
light and left. that sea Of white sand !
md blue water which melts into the
lorZon.
The sergeant from Kentucky allows s
hat this is something better than he's
yer seen before; and the red-hsired :
private with the gold teeth who has :
,sen one Of Harlem's most noted !