IN THE OFF SEASON

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 205, 18 May 1918, Page 3

IN THE OFF SEASON

NEW ZEALANDERS IN PARIS

LEAVE MEN, FOOTBALLERS,

AND THEATRICALS (From Mfllcolm Eoss, Otlicinl Correspondont witli the New Zealand Forces.) March 3. Between) thirty and forty officers and other ranks from tho New Zealand Forces in the field in France and Belgium go to Paris each n onth on ten day's leave. Many more go 1 to England, Scotland, and Ireland. The great majority of the New Zealand leave men are welcome in tho British Isles; <they are clean-looking fellows, and their bohaviour has been such as to do honour to New.Zealand. In Paris it is the same. Everywhere one hears them well spoken of, and their conduct has lieen unimpeachable. There are Lwo social clubs in Paris where they are always niado welcome—"A Cornor of Blighty" in the Place Vendoine and the British Army and Navy Leave Club in the Place de la Republique. "A Corner of Blighty" has aptly been described as "a little bit of Home." It is conducted by a committee, and ✓ its direct management is in the hands of Miss Butler, who takes a particularly keen interest in the New Zcalanders. Miss Butler has been a professional lecturer, and she conducts, almost daily, numbers of soldiers from England and overseas in a big motor brake to see the historic monuments aud places of Paris and its environs. The history of thesa she explains to the soldiers, who are usually very keenly interested. In the spacious rooms in tho building in the Place Vendome there is music and afternoon tea, tho tea daintily set out on tables deoorated with llowors. Several women from tho little British colony in Paris do all tho work in connection with tho teas, and preside at the tea-tables, You may find a general's wife washing dishes in the kitchen. The tea is excellent, and there are no end of good things to eat. The friendly and homely air that pervades tho place, and the ministrations of these kindly women, have made the "Corner" a very popular resort. There aro newspapers to read, and pens, ink, an<[ paper are supplied, so that the soldiers may write home to their relatives awl friends.

Tho Leave' Club is a more ambitious undertaking. It supplies accommodation, meals, afternoon tea, and, baths, all of which have to 1m paid for, but at reasonable rates. It also arranges tours or, drives round Paris and to Versailles and Malmaison, the fare being ten francs without fees to the competent guides who accompany the excursionists. If you go down to the Gare du Nord when the leave trains are' arriving you will find the representatives of the club, distinguishable by their armlets, always ready to conduct the soldiers to the club or to their hotels. Girl guides take the men about Paris and accompany them on the charabanc trips. The club has reading and writing rooms, a billiardroom, an informatioii bureau, tobacco and newspaper stalls, and other conveniences. The presiding genius, one of the honorary secretaries, is Miss Decima Moore, formerly the well-known actress, now tho wife of a British officer. A printed pamphlet gives the men a good deal of valuable information as to what they should see in Paris, and includes a number of "don'ts" which it will be well for iJhem to bear in mind. For instance, men are warned about carrying all their money about with them, and urged to deposit the bulk of it with the hotel cashier or at the club's information bureau. This very sound advice is largely availed of, ana by now not far short of a million francs must havo been deposited in this way at the club. Here are a few other "dontV for the British soldier on leave in Paris:—

"Don't engage rooms in an hotel without first asking the price, including light and service, and dou't think that your hot bath is gratis."

"Don't forget that the chambermaids, valets, and waiters of the hotels are unpaid, and depend upon the gratuities of the visitors."

"Don't furget when you order a drink at a cafe, that the price should bo marked on the saucer ou which the drink is served."

"Don't ever ask advice from strangers of either sex, or 'touts,' if you can help it. Address yourself to someone in uniform."

"Don't forget that, as British soldiers in a foreign country, you have the honour of the uniform to maintain."

Since the club was opened in August last seventeen thousand British soldiers have registered at it. It is most used by Canadians, Australians, and New Zealandei-6. The Imperial Forces take their leave almost entirely in the British Isles, where their friends and relatives are. From August 25 to January 31, 20,659 beds were occupied and 125,792 meals were served in the club. Thero are entertainments every day in the week.

It was thus be seen that these clubs supply a very legitipiato want in the lives of the troops on leave in Paris. The New Zealand forces recently gave 101)0 francs to the Leave Club, and its Theatrical Troupe gavo two highly successful performances in aid of the funds of "A Corner of lilig'lity."

New Zealand v. France. The annual ltugby football liiateh between teams from tne Armies of Franco and New Zealand took place on a recent Sunday at the Pare des Princes Velodrome, Paris. Parenthetically, it may be remarked that, except for the church services, Sunday, in the war, is the same as any other day. All work goes 011 just as on other week days, and tJicro is iiu half-lioliday at the front. The teams were as follow:—

New Zealand.—Bdr. Capper, back; Dvr. Doull, Unr. Ryan, Spr. Loveridge, three-quarters; Spr. Murray (captain) and Pte, Carnegie, five-eighths; L.-Cpl. Brown, IhjiU-back; Cpl. Stamlen, Sgt. Fogarty, Sgt. Wilson, Gnr. Tfest, • Sgt. Bell, Pte. Geary, and Spr. M'Donald, forwards.

France—Sgt. Navos (Olyinpiquc, Biarritz), back; Sgt. G. Andre (ltacing Club de France), Sgt. Strohl (Racing Club do France), Sgt. Lassewe (Aviron Bayonnais), and Cpl. Jaurreguy (Stadoceste Tarbais), three-quarters; Cpl. Struxiano (Stade Toulousain) and Lt. Domercq (Aviron Bayonnais), half-backs; Sec.-Lt. Muariat (Football Club de Lyon), Sgt.Maj. Nicolai, Lt. de Beyssac (Stade Bordeliiis), Sgt. Julps Forgucs (Aviron Bayonnais), Sgt. Fernand Forgueu (Aviron Bayonnais, captain), Sgt.-Mai. Ilouzies (Stade Toulousain), Lt. Thierry (Racing Club do France), and Sgt. Saillot (Cerclo Amical de Paris), forwards.

Referee; Lt. A. H. Muhr.

Tiio match was watched with the keenest interest by a crowd of between 15,000 and 20,IIIX) people. Lieutenant Boyau, of the Flying Corps, was to have captained the French. He has brought down thirteen German 'planes. Last .year ho flew over to l'aris in his 'plane from tlio front, played as captain in the match, and then flew back to the front in the evening. It was his intention to have repeated the same performance this time, but the weather was too fine for sport when there were Boche 'planes about, so the gallant Boyau stayed at home, and that day brought down his thirteenth, enemy 'plane. There were several distinguished people, military and others, present at the match, but duty at the front prevented any Anzac general from attending. The New Zealand team was in charge of Colonel A, Plugge, C.M.G., who acted as one of the line umpires. The referee was an american , resident in l'aris, who after the war commenced joined up with the French Army and was now in the uniform of Ihe American Army, but wearing the Croix de Guerre, gained, I was told, at Verdun. Miss liusscll, daughter of the New Zealand General, kicked ofr, after having been presented with a very handsome bouquet by , the promoters of the match, which, by the way, was in aid of the purchase of football for the French Army. Moving #nd other pictures of the play were taken by the New Zealand Official Kinematographer and oilier operators. ft was thought that the New Zealand team, which had only a few days before handsomely defeated a famous division's team at the front, would win easily. Soon aftor Iho kick-off it, however, became apparent that they would have all their work cut out to win. And eo it

happened. Indeed, their win was a very luoky one, and thero was no New Zoalanders present who did not admit that tho bottor team did hot win. The Frenchmen began with great dash, their forwards were very fine, and somo of their backs exceedingly fast runners. Moreover their passing was at times quite brilliant, and they wero not afraid to puss, even in their own territory, when danger threatened. The game was a very hard one. Indeed, so willing was the play that often there wore times when two or three players wero temporarily knocked out at the earno timo and tlic game had to ho stopped. Physically the French were a fiue-looking lot, and they ccrtahly displayed the dash ami quickness that have been characteristics of their race in this war. The defence was as good as it was at Verdun, and what luck thero was in the gamo was certainly 011 the side of the New Zealanders. Competent judges who saw last year's match said that the present .French team was forty points better than last year's. Certainly th'e French Army has learnt to play Rugby football. Of late the whole army has been playing it at the front, and this practice, as well as the training in the war itself, has made the French soldier the fine athlete he now is. The French are keen now on sending a team to tour New Zealand and Australia after tho war. It is almost a pity that they could not go out during the war. Such a team as played in Paris the other day would give a splendid account of themselves, and would, I feel sure, get a rousing reception. The Entente reauires no. further '.mentiiiK at present, but. in tie rears to come, such an exchange of visits between the Dominion and the Republic would surely be mutually beneficial. One of the outstanding features of the game was the play of Andre, a wing-three-quarter, who seemed one of the fastest men we have seen on the football field for many a long day. Some of th£ othar backs were also very quick and fast, and the defence of a player called Naves was exceedingly fino. It was well on in tho second spell beforo tho French scored the first try, and not till near tho end that the New Zealanders, after a series of dosperate attacks, managed to scoro and to place a difficult goal. It was a lightning-like o\t of passing that took the play at this stage right •into tho French twenty-five, and enabled Carnegie to dash through near tho corner flag. It was Capper who kicked tho goal, thus giving the New Zealanders a lucky win by the narrow, margin of two points. But for tho fact that the ".'eferee'a watch had stopped in tho first spell, so that tho second spell had to bo prolonged for several minutes, tho Now Zoalanders might not have scored at all. •

The Dinner. In tho evening the two teams were entertained at dinner at the Cafe Cardinal. Thore one met seveial\of the French players -who have distinguished themselves in the war. Everyone regretted the absence of Boyau, who captained last year's team at Ho already wears tho Legion d'Hwiiieur and the Mcdaile Militaire, and has been eleven times mentioned in orders. As already stated, lie had that day been bottor employed. Opposite me 6at Andro, a sergeant, and tiaillot, another sergeant, who wore prisoners in Germany, but escaped, and are jiow back in the French Army. They burrowe<l under the German wire, killed two of the guards, and, getting into civilian clothes, which they stole, worked for a considerable time in Germany as plumbers. They travelled to Berlin, lived there for a fortnight, and walked two hundred kilometres to the frontier, bringing back with them important information. For this servico they were rewarded with the Legion d'Honneur. Saillot has won prizes as a long-distance runner. Andro is one of the best all-round athletes that France has produced. He lias done tho hundred yards in 9 l-3sec., was second in the 20 feet broad jump at Stockholm, and has established himself both as a high jumper and a hurdler. As a wing, three-quarter he was so fast that he made our fellows 6eem blow. Near me was ono of "the team—Lieutenant 'Ihierrj who had lost an eye in the war. He had also received a bayonet wound. Ht wore tho Legion of Honour and tlia Croix de Guerre. There wero no fewer than seven airmen in the team. Two belonged to the Tank Corps.

The sceno as the evening wore on with song and choru* und speech, and the | bluo smoke wreaths rosb to the chandeliers, was one to ho remembered. The New Zealamlers in their sombre khaki wero in strange contrast to the French in their variety of gayer uniform. The New Zealanders did their Maori war dance and song, and English and French joined in the "Long Way to Tippcrary." Later the Frenchmen broke into tho songs and choruses of their own districts —those little songs of a great nation that stir the pulses at any time, but more particularly in such years as we are now passing through. As we strolled homewards, past the towering black column in tho Place Vendome, its baso now concreted and sandbagged, with a turn' to gain the Rue Royalo, at the end of which tho splendid columns of the Madeleine seetned more impressive than in the day, and so 011 to our hotel in the Place de la Concorde, Paris, withi its blue-shaded, wartime lights, was ethereally beautiful in the clear moonlight. The anti-aircraft guns were booming, and away in the direction of tho Arc de Triomphe parachute lights in the sky blnzed brilliantly, indicating an air raid. But there were still many people abroad in tho streets, and all seemed unafraid. All old woman had come back from her home to be with her daughter, who was still selling newspapers in the little stall on tho pavement. They were sipping, each, a cup of hot cott'eo, and had a cheery word for us'as wo bought a paper in passing. In the fourth year of the war, with a big German offensive threatening, the morale of Pariß was certainly still high.

The Kiwis, Later, to Paris came an invasion ot Iviwis. They arrived in the guise ol' soldier players, partly for a well-earned holiday, but aleo to raise funds for "A Corner of Blighty." They hired a small theatre iii the Kue do Rocher, secured tho distinguished patronage of the British Ambassador, Lord Bertie of Thame, and the Lady Bertie of Thame, got handsome uotices in tho "Continental ■ Daily Mail,", the New York "Herald/' and some of the French newspapers, and then set about tho sale of tickets. The curiosity of the British and Americans in Paris and of a few of the French was aroused, so that boxes w® l '® easily saleable at 100 fraucs, and the ordinary seats at 12 francs ami 6 francs each. Two after, noon .performances wero given, the theatro was packed, and the "reatest enthusiasm prevailed. Somo of the prettiest girls in Paris ushered the audience to their seats, and sold programmes printed by a divisional press at the front, and. that, oven in these days of paper shortage, must have left a very handsome profit. The performance was the pantomime of "Achi iiuba and tho Forty Thieves," but was in reality more in the nature of a revue than a pantomime. From start to finish the play went with a great swing, the orchestra, too, excelling itself. The audience was a fashionable one, consisting largely of women of tho British colony 111 l'aris, nearly all of them war workers. There was, however, also a fair sprinkling of French und of Americans. The Astonishment of- the audience, especially the fairer part of it, was evident when the handsome Morgiana, robed in the draperies of the Far East, came 011, disclosing graceful baro onus and a beautiful face crowned with a mass of dark tresses. "Oh, I hey nave got one girl," said a lady in the eudience. So perfect was the illusion that for a time on one suspectcd that Morgiana was realiy a gunner from tho New Zealand front. She looked as if she might really have stepped out of an Kastern harem. It was not till she engaged in the duet with the youthful Ganeni—

Let thij groat big world keep turning round, Now I've found someone like you.; For I only know that I love you so, And there's no one else will <10. that it dawned on tliein tnnt Morgiana wj\3 really ci mere vnoii ironi the'"trout line. 'J'lie son;; was received with mpturous applause, and f roni that moment success was assured. 'the songs and choruses, and daiiccs Here cheered to the echo, bouquets were handed up to the "lady" performers, and during tho filial dance and chorus the stage was strewn with flowers thrown from the balcony. Altogether it iva« a remarkable performance, 1 believe, the first of its kind giveii in Paris, nnd if tho war only goes on long enough, and the Kiwis return to Paris, they will have lo take a bigger theatre.