The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-24

1900: ~ W0S AuuSuVSU Uy
:; !; J;
desire to maintain
- her commercial and
| ~ maratime suprem.
| NJ N@ acy, and that Amer
| NN1U lea came in for sou.
venirs. This Is not
a French jest; it
Victor McNau1ht bears the American
label, and is based
! upon shrewd observation Of national
trait
One of our New York cartoonists
few weeks ago made picture of a
pathetic figure of doughboy. COM
ing home without any souvenirs at
all. His kid brother was frankly dis
guested. his father was annoyed, and
even his gentle mother was disap-
pointed. On his chest he wore mill
tary medal, awarded him for distin-
guished conduct on the field, but no
one paid any attention to that. A fig
for the medal; where was the German
helmet he should have brought?
The fame of this cartoon has spread
all over France, and wherever you
find doughboy, or an American army
officer. or sailor. or an officer Of the
navy, you find an American who is
determined not to disappoint his
friends.
Prospective tourists probably will
begin to grieve over the likelihood
that France will be swept bare of SOU
venirs before very practical state
department will issue passports to
them SO that they may take their turn
at securing the battlefelds There is
some ground fer this; the trophies are
q 0v1, mn o.
there may be crumb of comfort In
the knowledge that as the old ones
disappear, new ones will take their
places. and the new ones may not
cost so much. The present market
OF iron crosses, for example, is about
IS francs, or SIS each. AS soon as
new factory In Metz begins capacity
production, it is quite likely that an
iron cross fancier may give himself
treat for franc. And as for Boche
trench helmets, q foundry in Paris is
getting ready to turn them out at a
rate that will make Henry Ford
jealous.
On Souvenir Hunt.
We shall now proceed to a strictly
veracious tale of the experiences of
a group of newspaper men, who came
to France from various high motives,
and who have lived up to some of
them. AS might have been expected
and feared. they have also yielded to
the temptation to get some souvenirs
to take home. SO that they may prove
to their friends how horrible war can
be.
The curtain first rises on the VII
iage OF Chateau Thierry, about fifty
five miles east of Paris, now famous
as the spot where the Seventh ma
chine gun battalion of the Third Amer
lean division held the bridge over the
Marine against the whole Hun army,
and stopped the drive on Paris.
we discover our group of journal
lists outside the Hotel du Cygne (Ho.
tel of the SWAMI awaiting the call to
midday lunch. Small boys gather.
They have vocabulary of but one
word in English, but that word suffices
for Americans. 1t is souvenirs" pro-
nounced with an inquiring infection.
The party make signs manifesting in.
terest.
The boys scamper away, and quick
~ return with a Boche helmet, well
perforated. The head salesman illus
trates the history of the helmet
A-l-l-l-n-n-g.' he exclaims, making
noise like bullet. Then he starts to
fall over backward, just as the poor
Boche may have done. The helmet is
up at five francs.
Close examination of the perfora-
tons brings gnawing doubt as to |
their genuineness. They are not round |
but the captain says |
that she'll splinter might have made I
them.
The party he's hardly started on
beaucoGp omelet, when back I
come the boys with another helmet. i
The journalist nearest the door and !
he captain go out to inspect it. No /
bullet holes this time; just plain, I
honest helmet with sweat band, a !,
,hin strap. and everything. Five francs
buys 1t. Then one of the boys digs i
Up finger ring taken from a German
prisoner. The German had made it
himself from aluminium, with a setting /
If small imperial crown in gold and
ed enamel. A bargain at four francs. I
Helmets at SIS Each
The scene changes to Barbecue.
pronounced Barley-duke). This city
s railroad town Of some Importance
md many Americans pause here while
passing through. 1t is Sunday even
ng. In the cleaning of the dimly-
lighted streets, two Americans may be
discovered prowling around in search
II trophies; say a couple of patent
Gather. brass-bound dress helmets,
he erstwhile property OF German Off
.ers. A party of doughboys, unwilling
O sell the helmets they have accu-
during the day, refer the
trangers to the NJ. P. Office just across
he bridge. The M. P.'s have three