The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-01-10
5000 4. W. LIS
ARE IN FRANCE:
Varied Fortunes and DiIemmas
Faced by Soldiers Who
Ran Away.
POLICE ARE AFRAID OF Them

American Ex-SoIdiers Are Held to b
Desperate characters-Many Who
Stayed in Search Of Excite
ment Found It.
New York.-Five thousand American
A. w. O. LIS are still wandering about
France-2,000 of them being in "that
dear Paree." They are the youths who
were simply dying with ennui after the
armistice was signed and hence start
ed out to seek excitement. Apparently
most of them have found it until they
are entirely fed up," to judge by all
reports of the doings of these runaway
doughboys, remarks the Literary Di-
gest. Take the case of one army driver
| after the armistice who went jOy-rid-
ing, 'busted' the machine into smith
Greens, got scared. and ran. Now he
drives laundry wagon into Paris
from one of the suburbs. He has no
discharge papers, has lost the pay he
had coming, and also his fare back
home, and is scared stiff every time he
comes to Paris The French abuse him,
and yet he dare not quit. He can't
go home to the United States without
papers, and he is in constant danger
of being nabbed by the French authori.
ties. As he explained to another A.
w. O. L. who had been more fortu-
nate: "It's H. In Paris the Ameri-
can ex-soldiers are held to be desper-
ate characters. The D. G. l. depart
ment of Criminal Investigation are
afraid of them and let them alone. 1t
is said that the project of police stated
some time ago, in friendly way. that
all the automobiles stolen in Paris are
stolen by these remnants of the A. E.
F. At least such is the talk of the
boulevards, according to Sterling Hell
lig, who gives an account of the ex,
soldiers in an article in the Pittsburgh
Dispatch. Some OF his information he
gained from lad who, with more luck
than most of his companions, was
ready to start home with roll of 5000
francs in his possession. Of this
youth Heilig tells us:
Fool Was Scientist.
Jameson, will call him, student
of Massachusetts Tech, came over
with the army and was used in TIE
front line for electrical work. Demob-
ilized inFrance, he went with French
foundry near Nantes. In the states
he learned lot about making steel
alloys and could produce steel harder
than by any process known to these
Nantes people. Working with them
for French wages. but with sense
enough not to show them how he
did it, he at last got homesick and
told his boss that he was going to
quit. The Frenchmen were in conster-
nation. They had built up reputa-
ton for this steel-and did not know
how to make 1t!
'"The kid is only twenty-three years
Old explains his buddy, "and being
a fool, he sold his process to the
French for these 5000 francs. He
might as well have had 100000
francs y
This young man told the writer Of
several fellows he knew and what had
befallen them. He said he knew one
A. w. o. L. who struck it rich.
"On country road he met French
kid boy on a shiny bike. Hello, Amer
lean soldierr he sings out. I'm going
to be cowboy and I've got 300 francs.
You carry It'll! Runaway kid, sure;
and this A. w. 0. L. lad was tempted.
That's right. He took care Of the
money and they slept in hayrack.
Next morning, when he was thinking
how to shake the kid, big blue tour
ing car comes rushing down upon 'em.
A. w. O. L. does quick thinlin'!
Please don't tell them that dubbed
(wept or shed tears) last night! the
Kid begged. Leave it all to me! the
A. w. O. L. answered, and when the
kids folks jumped out he laughs a
good laugh. Here we are. o. K, all
homeward bound! and winks to the
mother, confidential. Here's our
he says to her later; you
madame, had better keep it till we
start off for America again, some day!
By gosh, they took him home with
hem. He's with them yet. Teaches
the kid to box and talk United States
-one of the family In chateau!"
The young man also told the writer
hat 1t was possible to obtain good
Jobs with the graves-registration or
sanization. Any fellow could 60 to
work for these people, he maintained,
1t $3.50 month. This was later de-
1ied by the Paris post of the Ameri-
IAN legion, which gets in touch with |
4 good many A. w. O. L. boys and
whose officers understand their situa-
ion. Cabot Ward, vice commander
Of the legion in Paris, discussed the |
whole matter Of the straying Yankees |
IN detail with Mr.. Heilig. We read:
Why Doughboys Stay In France.
'The question is brought up" Mr.. |