Hide Article Text (OCR)
EVENING, DECEMBER IS. 1*44Gay French CityCaptivates WacsMARJORY AVERYPARIS. Nov. 1—From the first day they arrived—Aug 29—whenI .saw two of them talking to a gendarme and saying slowly and distinctly “Where is the«*5 Where is the hotel’and then laughing helplessly at his bewildered expression — the Wacs have loved Paris.Now that they've got out of combat pants into well pressed skirts and silk stocking*, you seethem walking jauntily in twos down the boulevards, buying postcards and souvenirs from thestalls along the Seine.A little shyly because of the dif-01 ference in language—they're ex-les. ploruig the French capital. Cradle ually the bolder ones are beginning to know and like French***• people.■*° Sgt. Grace White. St. James Mo., went to dinner with the rt young girl who is teaching her Fiench. and was returned to her. hotel on the handle bars of papa'so1 bicycle. She reported he wore a^ small white goatee and hummed to French songs to her all the way ■ home through the traffic L They're discarding British slang to!for French expressions. “Any gum, chum?** has become “Got a franc, Yank’ “Pardon.” “comment?” and “mem’’ have taken the place of “excuse me, “what’Iiw!\and “thank you.” |Cpl. Ruth Quinby. New YorkCity, reports her roommate is trying so hard to speak Frenah she sat up m bed the other night and j still half asleep said loudly, “Qu estce Que c’est que ca’“They’ve already bought most of the perfume they can afford and confine shopping to gazing long- j ingly into store window The army took care of the matter anyway—in a blanket order United’ States troops are allowed to buy cosmetics, cigarette lighters. pipes and ash trays, book -lands and billfolds, imitation teuelrv. maos and tooth brushes.VIwines, beer and soft drinks.This, and the fact that army pay doesn’t even make • chip inFrench inflation prices, has put the lid on spending money. I»I some of the wacsthat feminine urge to buy clothes by slipping into stores, trying on vomethmg elegant, twisting andturning in front of the nurrow, and then leaving with many “mem btens” and protesta lions ofsatisfaction. The Paris clerks areleft to shrug ami hope for betterlurk next time.There aie about 1,500 army women in Pari* and they're having no trouble at all getting dates “ Fi'ench people have been friend-lv and the Wacs are often stopped on the -treet and given invitations ,otto dinner. Sometimes they accept ' i ] and take K rations with them to N I help out the hostess’ larder. Some- j A i times the im nation is too pressing1.to be reiu-ed and the Wacs have happily tasted a few superb French ^dishesBli Their routine Is the same as 11 cu was in England. For those Wacs ,, who were stationed in London.1life Isn’t much different—except . they probably felt more at home in the British capital. For the . I Wacs who lived in barracks in theI•*country—Paris is a sensation.“It looks just like the Work fair. Sgt. Mildred Murphy told h me. “Flags, white buildings, so j Pmany hotels. |*m actually sleepingin a bed instead of an army cot. Sgt. Murphy’s home is Detroit.It’s cold—and the hotel she’s billeted in hasnt* any heat or hot water. The Wac in Paris is already wearing her heavy underwear. her wool shirt and a sweater under her uniform jacket. But it s jo Pari-, and its’ gay. and it’s wonCvhbAm*?
Newspaper Details
La Crosse Tribune
La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
Wed, Dec 13, 1944
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Midpointe L.
OH, USA 28 Dec 2021
Other Publications Near La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse Daily Badger
La Crosse Weekly Appeal
Amerika
La Crosse National Democrat
La Crosse Democrat
