The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-02
5000 Of Doughboys
Have Learned British
Isles at First Hand
BY Forbes ". Fairbairn

London, May 31.--More than 5000
American officers and men. in both
the army and navy branches. have
made the grand tour" of England.
ireland. Scotland and Wales since
their arrival in this country.
John Donahoe from Joliet, Illinois,
bumps Into Jim Murphy of Los Ange-
les, California. at Aberdeen, Scot
land. They greet each other with as
little concern as though II was an
everyday occurrence OF their young
lives--this meeting 5000 miles away
from their respective home towns,
from which the chances are, they
never would have strayed II the Kaiser
hadn't went and done it,"
They SEE each other a few weeks
later in Paris They nod to each
other as they rass down the street
They think II >tning OF il, OF all the
hlase. worl,! weary travellers. fed up"
with the hustle and hustle of tourist
life, the average Yankee doughboy will
be second 10 non. once he hits the
good old nome trail.
The simple reason is that he has
seen everything in France Great Brit
ain and Germany has. to offer him.
London and Paris are second homes
80 him. fihe knows all about the
Strand and picadilly Circus. the
/ Champs de Elysee and the Place de la
/ Concorde. or any other place you d
; like to name.
: Never again will he sprawl in his
best girls parlt.' with his mouth wide
( open. and listen TO the "yap" who ha.
! been abroad describe his travels. Re
I cause he has been there and seen
for himself Re knows
THE DOtf[.HBOY TOURIST
The doughbCy is the greatest little
OF in, ~ Gs,,s1 Is M ~,
/ hand disdaining to ask a bobby" or
'gendarme' where he is. he snoops
/ in and out the quaint streets Of Lon
! don and raris, or wherever he may
/ happen to ~, assimilating atm os-
rhere, environment. and history all in
! the same breath. He misses nothing
each new object gets rise out of
him and looking at buildings and
courtyards which are unchanged af
+ ter three or four hundred years
The ancient Inns of Court. in the
! vicinity of ''leet street. are crowded
with Americans every day who wan
| der through nc dim halls and corri-
doris. attend trials and learn at first
hand how English law Is administered
| And the American Y. ". G. A. and
| the Knights " Columbus must not
he forgotten in connection with sight
seeing tours for Americans. Every
morning guides are on hand At the
! Washington Inn. the American Of
| ficers' Inn and the Eagle Hut, where
the doughhoys headuuarter while in
London. ready TO show them West
minister Abbey the Tower Of Lon
don and other interesting places. Four
OF the guides for London are clergy
men when they are at home and are
! very much in love with their new
| work.
| THE mon are very much tickled
with Hampton Court" explained John
Coombe of Eagle Hut and Philladei-
phia. They love Richmond and the
| Thames river and they are keenly
! interested in tnn historic associations
| OF the abbey and st. Paurs cathedral
The Tower of London is a neverfail-
| ing source of interest to them and they
spend hours wandering in and around
that famous Old pile.
The British museum daily attracts
| hundreds Of Americans. and Madame
| Tnssaud's hon Of the Chamber OF
| Horrors and the wax works is a
| never-ending so,r OF delight to the
boys. The inter esting part to me Is
| that they have well-defined ideas
! bout all these places before they see
them, and it's II fact that the average
American knows more about Lon
don and its places Of interest than
| the London"r himself"
SEVEN-DAY TOURS
The Y. W. G. A. sightseeing depart
ment has arranged seven day tours
! through the shakespeare country for
officers AMI men. They are person
| ally conducted and have proven to be
very popular with the visitors. Marie
Corelli. the English novelist. has. in
! conjunction with the "Y.' formed a
| receiving committee at Stratford on
Avon and a hut" is in operation there
for the men wEo care to spend some
time at the poets birthplace.
On the grand tour" the route ont
: naa1.dsf = fpsnt IAen tA11 Co.