Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-03-08
lights of numerous Champs Elysees
shops are quite surprising.

lights of numerous Champs Elysees
shops are quite surprising.
Talking with Parisians brought out
several Interesting if unconnected, bits
of gossip and fact:
Polish and Czech soldiers are being
trained in the French Alps for service
in Finland.
French privates in the army get only
l franc (three cents per day in wages,
although "free-wine for soldiers spots
make life less unbearable. Il saw one
of these places, the Dion railway sta
ton restaurant, late at night in pass
ing through toward Switzerland; it
was crowded with about 100 soldiers
of all ages and sprinkled with numer-
Gus girls of the town.
There was much talk about how
soon Britain could train men to replace
Frenchmen on duty in the Maginot
line. French industry is crippled with
over 100000 men in the army; many
of them are badly needed at home
Big Hotels Do War Duty
Four or five of the big Partisan
ing services. For example the Georges
Cling, Claridges, Astoria and others
have been taken over by the army or
air force as headquarters. One Is met
when entering in search of a room by
shrug Of the shoulder, a wry smile,
ana "CeSt mlltalre.
The American Express Co.'S large
office retains only II of rs to 100
employees.
OF the museums only the Trocadero
and few minor ones can be visited.
The Louvre. Cluny, Rodin and others
have their treasures stored safely else
where.
From Paris a night train took me
through Dion to Switzerland-Lucerne
and on to Zermatt, a resort town
which has had all of her tourist trade
cut off. Only three small hotels of
the 20 which the town supports were
open. As the town is on the slopes
of the Matterhorn a few miles from
the Swiss-Italian border, 500 or 600
men OF the Swiss ski patrol were quar-
tered in the immediate vicinity, while
others were being trained nearby. ar
rived on the day when all newspapers
headlined the death of Giuseppe
Motta, minister president of the Swiss
legislative body. Motta was a strict
neutral outwardly and all comment
about his political career was highly
complimentary. found no one who
of German or French or an Ital-
ian invasion. Some mentioned the
banning of the Basler Zeitung-the
pronazi sheet-without feeling The
mass impression I got was of horror
but resignation to the war and all it
brings. I found myself wondering
whether warning nations ever think
Of the effect on neutrals such as
Switzerland, and the Oslo powers
their vital tourist trades gone, their
exports and imports draStically cur
tailed, and their peoples in a precarious
state of continued uncertainty.
Heard Opera at La Scala
After four days left for Italy, via
the Simplon tunnel, to Milan. The
La Scala opera was in full swing and
I attended fine performance OF La
Rodine." 1t was strange to see lights
on the street at night.
The italian private soldier gets l
lire or about As of cent day with
a lire allowance per child.
Greenish-blue lamps were notice
able in park trees for use in the black
out if and when war comes A citizen
drill in air raid precautions and in
blackout procedure had been used as
far back as April, 1899, although none
had been decreed lately.
The newspaper men were of the
opinion: That the italian navy was
the only national fighting service ready
at this time for war; that Ciano really