The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-11-18
j, s. SOLDIERS MAKE
GOOD IN FRANCE
(Ry Associated Pressl

(By Associated Press)
PARIS. Nov. 18.-Several thousand
discharged American soldiers who re-
manned in France to try their for
tunes are faring as must fare all
pioneers. A few have become reason /;
ably wealthy. Some are reporting |
progress" The majority, however. !
like their fathers before them, in the |
United States, are trudging on LIES
way, over or around obstacles, with |
their carts hitched to stars that are
flying rather lower than they were
when the young men set out to Amer
icanize France"
Most of the men really are pioneers
because they are striking out for
| themselves, along new lines. AS vet
there is no organization to put these
men in contact with their fellows for
the exchange of ideas and experiences.
Nearly 5000 American Expedition
airy Force men were released here
| and It is estimated a fourth Of these
| have settled down to work here. The
others are visiting, sightseeing or
have gone home after discouraging
look at business prospects.
| or the 1000 or so who are hard
| after French francs, according to the
American business men here who
know most about the new ventures,
several hundred found employment
with large concerns, chiefly American
! firms preparing to do business in the
devastated regions. Another group
took various small places to pay their
way while studying. The majority Of
the men, it was said, started to make
good by capitalizing American meth
DDS. Very many Of them saw what
they considered defects in French life
and made ready to furnish the supply.
and, If necessary, create the demand.
Makes 125,ooo Francs.
| Most Of them agree that easy money
is not one of the natural resources OF
France but a few have proved that it
is. A negro made 5000 francs buy
ing and selling army and navy sup
plies at Brest- His case is vouched
for by a well-known American COM
mercial executive.
| The most striking success reported
is that of THE Fox Trot Kings Of
Paris" as they term themselves, Ger
aid Kiley. who drove the Chicago
Press Club ambulance, and Harold
Fitch, of ST. Paul. who was at the
wheel of one of Mrs. w. X. Wander
: bits ambulances and later went to
the front.
Kiley and Fitch, the former said,
got their start over here when the
. wife of an American banker in bust
. ness here pressed 500 francs on u.s.
when they played in a three-man jazz
band at dance she gave. They or
gained Wilson Welcome ball at a
leading hotel when the President ar
| rived in Paris and netted more than
, 10000 francs on the affair. This sue.
cess, they said, they often duplicated
at "The Dixie Club" dances they or
gained with an admission charge of
) 20 francs person.
/ Knowing that good things" must
: not be overworked, the men took over
} the ice-cream making equipment OF
! the Y. M. G. A, which has a capacity
2 of 1000 gallons an hour, and late in
: October began wholesaling Dixie Ice
: Cream" cutting the market price sc
to 100 per cent. They said they in
vested 100000 francs in the venture.
Many Marry Into Business.
= Some of the most interesting of the
> American business experiences here
:. are those of men who married French
i girls. Three of these are farming
\ east of Paris, making more money
j than they ever thought possible in the
e United States" their business advisor
out uldu 1udTTl6Q tntO a Q2lIN
l. shop. Another returned to his trade
Of tailoring in the same way Scores
Of American boys are in business will
their French fathers-in-law
! Rebuilt typewriters, familiar tt
| Americans, have been introduced t.
! the French by Lieutenant J. l.. Nc
- Cam, Of Tuscaloosa, Ala. and Georg
- E. Howard, of Pasadena, Cal Thei
~ difficulty is too much business Wit
- typical aggressiveness they are buy
~ ing American used machines from
., French dealers to sell to other Frenc1
~ dealers. Meantime, Howard said, the
~ are preparing to open THE America
Stenographic Bureau" because, h
said, an American business man i
- up a blind alley trying to find a put
- lie stenographer or to get out his col
~ respondence when an English Spoil
- en-" variety can be located.
l0 lsadore Court, who was papel
hanger, boldly set himself up in tn
decorating business in a fashionab l
suburb.
10 Lieutenant Steven L. Tyler, of Men
phis, began as an import and expol
broker, but became merchandise
broker while awaiting better shippin
~ facilities and more familiarity wit
the mysteries Of French trading.
,, Harry L. Drucker, newspaper PHI
A. tographer returned to his trade, ado
~ ing commercial work
Importing and exporting, accordin
LII to an American executive in that lin
~ attracted scores of the men but mos
=. of them gave it up as bad job whe
q they ran into mess of intricacies, d
l. lays and financial difficulties for tt
beginner.
o. One man who wanted to bring j
81 carloads of automobiles and bicyc
Sc tires turned defeat into success +
opening a tire sale ad repair sho
Another one with the same idea
- awaiting arrival of a real quick r
pair and steam vulcanizing plant
give Paris taste of fast work +
~. said virtually all tube repairs here a.
~ ~ now made with cement patches i
~ stead of vulcanizing, and take a wee
as instead of an hour.
-, -. MANY men," an American offic,
~ still in service said. " are worki1
temporary good things while seeki1
ue real openings. The favorite methc
~ is getting hold of army canteen goot
% and reselling them to the French