Evening star., 1927-05-08
.LEG|ON'S SOBR|ETY
D|SAPPO|NTS PARIS
Advance Guards Statement
That Trip viii Be Pious
Pilgrimage BeWiIderS.
BY WILLIAM BIRD.

By Radio TO The Star.
PARIS. May THE advance guard
of the American Legion convention
to be held in Paris in September, has
arrived.
Paris doesn't quite know how to
take them. The American Army oil
1917-1S is remembered here as a
body of strong limbed and strong
headed youngsters, who, arriving
when the Allies were pretty near
played out, infused a renewed spirit
of recklessness. They plunged into
the war with hearty laugh that for
4 moment sent cold ShiVels down the
sptnes of the war-weary French. The
laugh, however proved to be con-
taglous, and it helped, perhaps more
than anything else among the many
imponderables of the problem, to
bring victory.
In Paris, the American Army was
particularly CHEEKY. The French had
forgotten how to enjoy themselves.
They were full of gloom, if not of
despair Things frightened consider
ably with the arrival of the first
olive-drab contingents. Early clos
ing hours We're abolished, and the
night stiffness gave way to sounds
of revelry that brought back to Paris
its old-time gaiety.
This Visit Different.
But the second visit, 10 years after
ward, is going TO be something quite
different, or at least so the advance
guard are trying to make Parisians
believe.
The advance agents of the Legion
insist that there isn't going to be any
revelry.
Thirty thousand legionnaires, they
declare, are coming to Paris on
pious pilgrimage. Their principal oc-
cupation viii be laying wreaths on the
tomb of the unknown soldier" and
visiting the battlefields and the mill
tary cemeteries.
The French receive these announce
ments with some bewilderment and a
great deal of disappointment. For
after all. France today is again in the
midst of battle-the battle of sta
bilization-and there is a good deal of
gloom in the air. Business isn't at all
what it ought to be. Thirty thousand
lively Americans could do lot to pep
things up.
Will Avoid Champagne.
The Legion delegates are going to
Reims, which is not only the scene
of a memorable bombardment, but
also the home of one of Frances
proudest products, the sparkling wine
of Champagne. The Legion's advance
agents, however, insist that the only
object in visiting Reims is to view
the ruins of the cathedral. Any Off
cia1 invitation to visit the Champagne
cellars and sample the output will be
politely declined.
A deaf ear has likewise been turned
to suggestions that the delegates be
received by the syndicates of French
wine-growers who would like an op-
portunity to demonstrate to them that
fermented grapejuice is not intoxicat-
ing.
I'VE cannot, of course, control the
activities of individual delegates out
side convention hours explained one
OF the advance agents, "but so far as
the official organization of this con-
vention goes, it will be as dry as the
Sahara.
No Longer irresponsible.
"We are bringing the eighteenth
amendment with us. We are Ameri-
cans pledged to the support Of Ameri-
can laws. We shall frown on every
suggestion Of alcohol
AilS uSlSBdI6St 1OE lIldL are
not young irresponsible recruits as
they were 10 years ago. They are full
grown men, with a sense of balance
and responsibility. Most of them are
married, and many are fathers of
families. They will behave as sober,
middle aged men are expected to be-
have.
This convention is not going to be a
JOY ride, We had enough trouble put
ting the idea over when it was first
discussed. A tremendous howl went
up from the temperance people of
America to the effect that we were
going over to Paris to raise hell and
disgrace our country. For a long
time it was touch and go whether. we
could make America swallow the fdea
of a Paris convention.
I'VE finally put it over in America
by deciding on the policy that this
was to be a pious pilgrimage, and we
are sticking to that program"
fCopyright. 1927