The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-25
HdF Million Soldier Boys Enjoy Lururies Of Fine French Resorts
Extracts From Letters Tell Wonderful Experi- ences They Are Having at Uncle Sam's Ex-
 pense While Waiting To Be Sent Home.

i Then you find yourself standing before
 desk in the lobby of magnificent hotel,
 and pretty, bewitching little black
 eyed mademoiselle says This way
 m 'sieur'' and leads you the way to your
 room. She snaps on the light and you
 see before you comfort. There are big,
 comfy, easy chairs whose arms invite you, tables covered with magazines and ash trays and matches handy, dresser,
 mirrors, lounge, clothes closet, white sink
 with hot and cold water and an abund- , ance of towels, thick rugs on the floor,
 and there, dominating the whole room is a bed. And oh, such bed! It is about four feet high and there are white sheets and pillows-think of it, real white linen! "a feather-flled mattress, and thick soft covers. That bed, the first real bed you have seen since you left home, seems to speak to you saying, Rest, buddy, rest"
 With what a sigh of satisfaction you sink into it, sink deep, stretching out and resting every tired bone and muscle. You are dimly conscious that outside the open window the branches of a palm tree slowly wave in gentle, warm breeze and then you easily drift into slumber- land.
 The next morning you awake when the sun is high in the sky and find another | mademoiseIle at your bedside. She is not ! the mademoise1le of the nigft before but as petite and pretty. In a tray she has bowl of rich, steaming chocolate and some rolls, eggs, and everythin' Lying there at ease among the pillows you eat breakfast that tastes more delicious than any breakfast you ever ate | then out of bed you spring A quick refreshing bath and you are ready to ex- plore the paradise to which you have | come As it's many wonders are revealed you can hardly believe you are the same doughboy who but yesterday roughed it out there in the wilds It seems utterly
 impossible and you think, Gee whizr'
 If I'm the same guy I'm either dreaming or else some fairy has touched me with a magic wand and changed me into the king of millionaires."
 | But the letters of the men who have l themselves visited and enjoyed the leave areas which the American army claimed ! for it's men best tell of the pleasure our boys have enjoyed lover here" The cen sors at the leave areas have copied ex- | cerpts from many of these letters These excerpts are a pleasure to read. They l tell briefly, eloquently, and Interestingly | of the most wonderful holiday any sol. diers have ever enjoyed. These excerpts, just little peeks at the contents of some l of the letters that have gone to America ] within the past few months tell graph l ieally of the fun the soldiers have ob- I tained from Uncle Sam's big, generous way of solving the biggest leave problem I that ever confronted any army.
 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS | About Annecy and coffee pots with small spouts:
 After riding on that little old French and German train for three days and nights we arrived at Annecy. The first thing we did was to get a boat and | ride across a big lake a beautiful lake | that turns all colors of the rainbow under 1 the sunset. And then we were taken to our billets, I mean hotels. I wish you could see them. One man has a room as large as your largest, a bed to himself water and sink in the corner, a wash istand, dresser with enough drawers to hold company's clothes, and, too I can stand on a rug and pull off my clothes and then get in bed and turn off the lights. Some class
 | q was about to forget to tell about 1 the eats. The same everything else, 1 they are great. We sit down on real din- | ing chairs I believe I shall give the pretty French mademoiseles credit for | the food being so good. They wait on us just as though we were John D.'s 1 sons When we are out of coffee or hot 1 chocolate they come around and stand right over us and pour the cups full
 am glad the coffee pots have small spouts
 and do not pour fast, for that causes | them to stay longer and they sure do l smell sweet, too."
 l And another man writes: "I am en- ljoying the scenery of the Alps mountains l on a seven-day pass. It is surely tough when they lead you to swell room and ! tell you you are to share it with one | of your comrades Within the room are | two classy beds, fine springs and mat I tresses, sheets and spreads, fireplace. washstand. two large mirrors, dressing l ta bles, chairs, etc Our meals are served
 in the dining room. Breakfast is usually 1 bread. butter and coffee or chocolate, a 1 typical French breakfast. Other meals are regular feasts Roast veal or beef with vegetables, apple sauce and cheese. l We arise at s, or 10 o'clock, just as we l feel, and retire whenever we please We 1 even get ice cream. Gee, it's a tough 1 life. There is lake here about three miles long and all around it are moun-