Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-03
PARIS HOTEL FOR
VISITING YANKS
BUILT IN 8 DAYS

Built to house 9200%and feed 1900
enlisted men of the American ex-
peditionary forces the great tent
city canteen hotel on the Champs
de MFRS in Paris was erected with
in eight working days at practical
ly only the cost of labor.
This seeming miracle was ac-
complished by the salvage section
which came into existence as one
of the activities of Red Cross Work
in December last but which mas
grown marvelously in scope and
activity since that time.
/ Captain c. Ross Corbin, of Cali
fornia, is the man who has directed
this work from the first From all
parts of France, materials have
been saved from hospitals and
camp the American Red
Cross has had property. This has
been repaired, cleaned, sterilized,
furnished up in whatever way
seemed necessary for its preserva-
ton and future use, then it was
carefully packed away to await the
day of its need.
The buildings on the Champs de
Mars grew like the HOUSE. That Jack
Built, step by step. as reasons Tor
its existence developed.
When hhe United States army
authorities decided that each man
on duty with the American .eXpedi-
tionary forces. either in France or
Germany. should be given three
days leave in Paris at some time
before he sailed for home, the ques-
ton arose as to how these men
should be housed and cared for in
Paris.
The American Red Cross had ho-
tells already for more than a thou
sand men but that was insufficient
for the number who would come,
day by day, from out of the nortn,
out of the south, across the Rhine
and wherever else the Yanks were
on duty as a part of the American
army:
So. it was agreed that the added
burden should be assumed by the
Red Cross and that more hotels
should be provided. Paris is said TO
be caring for an extra million of
people within its gates during these
postwar days so that housing room
for two thousand more per day is
not to be found during an after
Moons stroll Yet, the Red Cross
had to make good its promise.
To meet a measure of the emerg-
ency need, permission was gained
as an especial token of friendship
from the French authorities of
Paris to build a city of tents on the
historic Champs de Mars, lying in
front OF the great French Ecole
Militaire, stretching across to the
base of the Eiffel tower, with the
huge Ferris wheel moving lazily on
its round in the background
Fifty tents would be needed for
this hotel citYF it was decided-not
mere pup" tents such as those
wherein the doughboy shelters him
self solitarily-not even those of
summer resort bedroom proper
tons, but dormitory tents, dancing
hall tents, office tents, 60x20 feet,
with a roof peak of Il feet, with
eight feet walls rising to meet the
slope of the roof, fitted with four
paned isingglass. windows.
The lowest price at which these
tents could be purchased was ST.
$50 each. Nor did that provide for
the flooring. the electric lighting,
the beds and bedding, the stoves
and all the other things needed to
make a hotel which a man fresh
from bare barracks or muddy camps
would find a welcome change of
surroundings.
1t seemed a large order from a
financial standpoint. even for the
care and comfort of American boys
in Paris.
1t was decided to see what the
salvage section could do for the
situation. The result justified the
conclusion.
The tents were provided fropl-the
storehouses of the section-tents
that had formerly been a mart o.