Evening star., 1943-04-09
THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star Staff Correspondent.

wa
LONDON (By MaiD.-What is
Paris-familiar in peacetime to
thousands of Washingtonians-like
today?
The most objective account out of
the darkness of the city of light
came to me the other day from a
gentleman who autographed his just
published book with the name Paul
Simon" This is not his real name.
Like hundreds in London who have
escaped from the Nazi terror, he has
taken on an assumed name for the
duration of the war.
Paul Simon" was one of the most
prominent, and one of the first, of
the underground journalists whose
newspapers, issued from dark cellars,
have been constant thorns to
Gauleiter Abetz his German forces
and his French collaborators.
A trained journalist before the
war, Paul Simon" was an objective
observer of the changing Paris scene
until Abetzs henchman began clos
Ing in on his underground office
and he felt it was high time he
escaped. For M. Simon has no
Immediate yearning for fruitless
martyrdom.
Hotels Taken Over.
To most American visitors the
most familiar spots in the French
city are the hotels which have been
their temporary homes. The follow
Ing, he reports, are now occupied
by the German army: Majestic,
Avenue Kleber; Edouard VII, Ave-
hue de IOpera; Meurice, Rue de
Rivoi: Grand Hotel. Place de
fOpera: Terminus st. Lazaire, Rue
st. Lazaire. Ambassadors, Boulevard
Haussmann; Astoria. Avenue des
Champs Elysees; Crillon, Place de
la Concorde: Claridge. Avenue des
Champs Elysees; GARNER, Rue
Street Lazaire; Grand Hotel du
Louvre, Place de Palais ROYAL; Lu-
tetia, Boulevard Raspail; Napoleon
Bonaparte, Avenue de Friedland:
Normandy. Rue de lEchelle: Pals
d'Orsay. Quai d'Orsay; Hotel de
Paris, Boulevard de la Madeleine;
Ritz, Place Vendome; Savoy. Rue
de Rivoli; Commodore, Boulevard
Haussmann.
The Continental, near the Amer
lean Embassy, has been taken over
for the German counterpart of the
WAACS, uniformed women
who have been brought to Paris by
hundreds as secretaries, telephone
operators, etc, for the occupation
forces.
Officers Brought Families.
Most of the flats in the erstwhile
erlstocratic 10th ACCOMPLISHMENT
have been taken over for German
officers who have brought their
families to France. Some of the
best restaurants and theaters have
been set aside exclusively for the
German forces. Civilians are strictly
excluded. They are not allowed, for
example, in such restaurants as lie
Wepler, place Clichy; lie Viel. boule-
ward de la Madeleine: La Terrasse,
avenue bousquet; L'Alsace. avenue
des Champs Elysees. Among the
movies reserved exclusively for Ger
man troops are LIE Rex, Grands
houlevards; LIE Paris and LIE Marig-
nan, avenue des Champs Elysees.
1t is difficult to estimate. M.
Simon says, the number of German
troops in Paris, but when he left
the force was estimated, exclusive
of women, at about two divisions,
mainly young recruits. A lot are
barely out Of high school and they
are kept here to harden up while
their elders are on the eastern front
Most Of the night clubs still are
running. The stars of other years
entertain the Germans, but with
their tongues in their cheeks. Some
OF them, M. Simon believes, have
been falsely accused of being col
laborators.' Among these is Maui
rice Chevalier. He appears almost
nightly. He went to camp in Ger
many at German invitation to enter
tain prisoners of war. But he sings
his songs, M. Simon says, "in a way
to bring tears to the eyes of old
PariSians."
The big stores naturally are bare
of stocks and the chief customers