The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-01-13
AMERICANS N PtB
PERFECTLY At 10
BUsINEss-LIKE Arr

o.
No Want Of Delegates Is Overlook
Servants Who Speak English IA
stsuk1z1> SkS u y e. 3 <. ~
Paris, Jan. 1.-THE Parfsfans hat
begun to call it La Place des- Grand
Legumes'-the place Of the Big veg
tables: we Americans denominate Il
state department and the dIttiai tit
is the American Commission. to Neg
tiate Peace, No. Place de- la Co
corde. -
To tell the truth. the French hal
hit 1t Off pretty aptly. for their sla n
"a big vegetable" is synonymous vii
big bug" in Americanese, and the
buildings fronting the. Monderfl
vistas of the Concorde and the Sell
bridges beyond has veritahlyu becou|
the center Of all the American dipA
matte Who's Who these paSt.tan dad
It's a little bit OF Washington and
little bit of Fifth avenue, with da.]
Of national convention flavor added
all dropped ready made into~the he's
OF France. f''.'~'
How the Americans have como owl
hero, pre-empted two large hote|
ostablishod themselves thef&in oil
surrounded the whole with.A typicl
American atmosphere IN q matter Il
many surprised shrugs and Qui|
smiles among the tables BEFORE q
Boulevard cafes. AS one SLY FrencI
man put It, with 4 droll 'tdfning
the phrase that used to cover all Il
surprises Of war. ut Is the peace"
Yes, Il 10 the peace and I'M n
Handsome building at No. 4 Concord
and the adjacent Hotel Crillon. Y
American government has establishd
all the gears and cams of It's peacI
making machine.
American Atmosphere.
Tho first indication OF American d
cupation ono sees as he turns II
corner of the Rue Royal into I'll
great Concorde are the packed autl
mobiles. all trim khaki-cofored Fl
OF similar pattern with the ls III
u. 8. and numericals In white OF
doors. Never less than twen.
them, their army chauffaura or
seats waiting calls. Then, att
outer door of the transplanted III
are two sentries witt
arms, who stand rigidly at attcR
and are ready on the instant to-
the wide sweeping salute to
body wearing a uniform who
More sentries at the innerH
also stin as statues. and La
room of the information desk
ing the approach to the stairw
or a dozen men in khaki reatk
on summons as couriers to y Il
visitor to his destination. Or
state your business and sho
credentials at the informa kion Id
an alert youn gster steps forward WI
a salute and waves you to the stat
'Tenshun" sounds the order CO.,
where aloft md. as you round
turn in the broad staircase. other n
diers on the landing click heels
gether and square shouiderG~in rif
Formally.
A Glorious FeeIine~~
Oh. its grand. glorious feeiif
You just IKE 4 plain ''civvy"----astss
congressman. say. or one Of the wt
known Paris colony down from |
bar---to have err saiu
out this way. II makes u
feel all puffed out like an observat
balloon. - -;
There. on the first landing. ii
directory to the whole hilfldin
thirty az forty names You read in
dispatches--SAc e
Lansing. Phil Patchin. Ensign VI
liam G. McAdoo. Jr.. Major J.
O Brien. Peace Commissioners VIII
All In their Offices and with militia
And naval aides. In fifteen mind
Of an ordinary day you CAN sec
many silver eagles and golden
leaves passing mp and down IA
stairs ~ you could in the cid n
building at Washingf
Telephone In every ofiice--and
telephone, with Am6ris
gtrh sitting at the plugs, too; tyS
writer's clicking from score
rooms. orderlies hot-footing. It ri
room to room with importatt Look
papers; Serious-looking men VI
holding whispered 81
fercncss In odd corners. Yes.
here n \ bit OF washingt6h.
THERE'S even q very tidy press ruS
For the American correspondent. &c
telephone and mn
graphed statements ready 70 NJ
Here the recently arrived newsps&
men gather as in lodge room al
Awed whispers swap opinions on
different newspathef1ng In ParT
from Washington.
AhCy SOY GiGIC arc TWO
reports, special. and 81
phiets bearing on the war an
ftstics stored in the baseihe
reference when the peace
sioners finally put their legs III
peace table.
No Want Overlooked.
In the Hotel Cri1lon, a few
away, the largest and most
tant Of the big vegetables md lodi
about the most sumptuous and
lidiouss lodging Paris has TO 81
When the hotel was put at the
posal OF the American gpycrnmf
the French very thoughtfmiiy 4
piled AZ q corps Of house serv&
people who could speak English.
\ want is overlooked. Not a detat
but what, e. perl
Even the cigarstand in the sol
lighted lobby where one. may 4
shase--at cost and with no rcve
stamp en-. the package or b@
precious American cigars and q
-ettes.
In the crillon. Mr.. and Mrs. III
ng live, as do the quiet Mr.. Ha
General Bliss. Rear Admiralss Graf
md Benson, General Pershing. ont
ARE occasions he is in towN andf
,ecret service men guarding-the m
lent. All of the army and n
Jason officers Of the commission al
here. also. The place has more
! hundred guests and The state
,artment foots the bills. inci.sen1
It Is in the lobby Of the. Crf
hat the atmosphere renrirtsceni
convention time il. n,afi
Here old conventional habi$%pes "a
newspapers warily look for sid
,ance IN the meetings bs.&sseeit
md that high official or huttom