The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-02-19
SPENT MONEY LIKE
A DRUNKEN SAILOR
Sees MANY SIGHTS
FORMER PARNELL BOY, NEPHEW
OF p. H. ROE, MEETS GABY
DESLYS IN FRANCE.
Jan. 2, 1919.


Jan. 2, 1919.
Dear Uncle Pat:
As have been on leave now for
nearly week, and have covered
quite a lot of ground you will prob
ably have some curiosity about where
l have been and what have been do
ing To begin with, l have spent
my money like drunken sailor. That
naturally follows as am down in a
country where they have reduced the
occupation Of separating tourists
from their money to a fine art.
had very little to begin with and it
is going fast.
Well, went up to Bordeaux and
started from there. took the Midi
to Marseilles on Dec. 80. AS the
French are demobilizing a large part
of their army there were many French
soldiers on the train going home.
The train, of course, was crowded,
all trains are now. As am travel
ling on a special duty pass, am able
to go second class and am to a very
great extent foot loose. Our route
southeast. Passed through Tou-
louise, Narbonne, Bezirres and Car
cassone. AS we got along past Mar
Mediterranean, the country, began to
look very much like California, orange
and olive trees, bare hills and good
roads. My Baedekar guide book that
Carl sent me was my main stay and
has proved invaluable.
About dark we came along to the
end of our train run. / didn't know
just how TO make my train connec-
tons, but French officer took me
in charge and when we got to Celte,
Strengthened me out. Although it
was possible to get to Marseilles
sometime that night, was advised
by Red Cross officer not to try and
make it as American soldiers were
forbidden the city. The prohibition
is placed by the American army as
Marseilles is very large and the army
would have to keep a large body Of
military police there.
From Celte the next train took me
to Faraseon; got there about eleven
o'clock. Travelled from Celte to
Faraseon in compartment car with
two French aviators, a Frenchman
who had been in South America and
who could speak a little English and
a French actress who thought all
americans were very rice because
they were so polite and had done such
good work in the war but she also
thought they were very stupid be-
cause they spoke so little French.
On the depot platform at Faraseon
met two Y. W. c.. A. girls going
down to do canteen work at Nice.
They had turned over their baggage
to a porter and had lost track Of him
and needless 70 say thev were both
up In the air. / took a hand and by
the time the suit cases were recover
ed / had decided to go to Marseilles
regardless, particularly as the French
-actress invited me for tea the next
day at the theatre. We get into
Marseilles at 3 o'clock in the morn
ing. Of course, the military police
told me / could net leave the depot,
but after looking UP the provost mar.
shal and showing HIM NJ special pass
! SGT cut. The hotels were full and
didn't find any opening until in
the-morning. had had q few eat
maps on the train SO 1 DIDN'T waste any
more time in sleeping but had a bath
and shave and started out to DO the
town. Marseiiles is very much like
San Francisco end about the same
SIZE. Parts of ii are very old. The
city was founded by the Greeks about
1000 years before Christ. Some Of
the views are wonderful. The coast
IS very rocky and the city is sur
rounded by very high mountains with
the bright sunshine and the sparkling
Mediterranean, it was all very beauti-
full.
In the afternoon went to the thea
tire for the tea. Besides myself and
the French actress, Madame de Viii
lers, there was an Italian cavalry Of
ficer, British naval officer and lit
tie Russian girl, pianist. The the
atre was putting Gu vaudeville and
several others came in for a few min
utes. Gaby Deslys of whom you
may have heard, was there at the
theatre with her company Her
leading man, an American from Bos-
ton, came in and when he found we
had fine assortment Of eats, went
to her dressing room and brought her.
You may recall that her affairs with
the young king of Portugal caused
him to lose his throne. When she
came in she said she had not come
to get anything to eat but because
she heard that there was an Ameri-
can soldier present and everyone
knew that American soldiers always
had plenty of good cigarettes. That
cost me a whole package. l left
very soon as / still had one more
package and was afraid they would
get that one away from me also.