The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-11-19
ARMISTICE DAY IN
PARIS TWO YEARS AGO

Two years ago, an English colone
exhibiting all the typical Characters
ties of an old-line British army of
ficer stood on the corner Of boulevard
des ltaliens and Avenue de POpera IL
Paris. A young Amaze private, con
siderably the worse for an encounte
with win rouge, walked up to him
slapped him on the back, threw his
arms around him and finally planted
kiss on his mouth. Squirming him.
self from the private's grasp, the
Colonel twined him about convent
ent lamp post, gravely came to at
tention, saluted and Joined the throngs
surging down the Grands Boulevards
What would have meant cOurt-mar.
tial and Imprisonment for the Amaze
the day before was overlooked Nov
II, 1918. 1t was Armistice Day.
Hostilities had ceased at II o'clock
that morning.
Paris had taken the news that the
armistice was to come with a stoicism
almost unbelievable. War-worn,
hungry France had but little interest
in the negotiations leading up to it.
True the brilliant lights around Place
de la Concorde had blazed for almost
two weeks in a fragrant defnace to
German bombing planes and the
boulevard crowds, the Saturday night
before, had cheered newspaper bule-
tins that the kaiser mad abdicated but
on the whole, the average Frenchman
didn't seem especially concerned. Ev-
ry siren in the city sounded its ran-
cous notes when II o'clock came but
the newspapers didn't think enough
of the news to issue extras and only
gave it ordinary first page play in
their midday editions.
The midinettcS little sewing
girls In the fashionable dressmaking
establishments along the Rue de la
Paix-started the celebration at noon
by the very simple process OF kissing
every allied soldier they met and were
graciously assisted in their efforts by
tens Ct thousands of American dough-
boys, who helped preserve The entente
corGia!o by making themselves espe-
Cially conspicuous. When . o'clock,
the end of luncn hOlr came, the ceIe-
bration was in full swing. No one
thought of going back to work.
One never can forget the GranGs
Boulevards that November afternoon.
Vehicular traffic was impossible.
French, Americans, Englishmen, Ca
nadians, Belgians, the best men and
women from score of nations who
had left their homes to fight the al
lied cause, formed great river of
shouting, singing, cheering humanity
Gathered on the steps of the Grand
Opera House was a little group of
probably two hundred, the artists ana
chorus of the opera. They were to
sing the Marseillaise, the militant ma
tional anthem of France, but the
throngs defeated their purpose.
Scarcely line had they sung when
the crowd Joined them. The song
spread for miles. From Madeleine to
Porte st. Denis each block contained
its singing thousands. The volume
swelled. American military bands
Joined in. The words were repeated
over and over again. The greatest
chorus the world ever has seen sang
its greatest paean Of victory that af-
ternoon.
Enthusiasm took queer turns. At
Place Vendome American Red Cross
girls and English Waacs started an
old-fashioned game Of blind mans |
bluff, sport in which they quickly
were joined by the soldiers of the AL
lied nations when it was discovered
that lucky catch, as in the days of
their childhood, was rewarded with a
kiss. Blinded captors were required
to give the nationality instead of the
name of captive but this was easy
for anyone who had been in France
long enough to learn the various types
Of uniforms. Everybody played
cOlonels and privates, Americans, ano
British, Belgians and French. Rank
was forgotten and so YVES race.
Crowds surged toward the captured
German guns in the Tuileries. There
we're hundreds of them but not enough
% supply equipment for a suddenly
popular sport which consisted of plac-
ng girls on the carriages and giving
Lem rides along the less densely
hronged streets. Tie next days
lawn found these guns scattered /
the city but French OF
icialdom, generally SO particular, did
lot seem to care.
Dusk came. Far down on the Seine T
ould be heard the continuous boom
ng of guns-German guns on captur- :
d German U-boats which were being
Ised to help celebrate the Allied vic ;
DRY. Shutters which had been closed |
every night for four years
o help thwart the German planes ,
we're thrown open. Street light stand
Irds were illuminated. The giant
earch-light at the top of Tour Eiffel
,layed its rays over the great city and
'aris again became what it had been
'efore the war--"The City of Light" !
A proclamation by the Mayor scat
cred throughout the city brought still t
more joy. Printed in Red, White and
Blue and averaging at least one "Vic-
orie!" and two Liberties" to each
inc it needlessly called upon every !
itizen to forget care and celebrate,
nd wound up with an announcement
hat the bars, restaurants and cafes,
which had been forced to close at 9
'clock every night, would have, no
losing bar that night. If anything
vas needed to swell the elation of the
rowds, that closing announcement in
he proclamation did it. Celebrators
,raw moro hilarious and there seemed {