NEW ZEALANDERS IN PARIS.
LEAVE MISN IN PAEJSu - {From Malcolm Koss.) 3rd. March. Between thirty and forty officers and other ranks from tho New Zealand Forces in the field in France and Belgium go to Paris each month on ten days' leave. Many more go to Kngland, Scotland, and Ireland. The great majority of the New Zealand leave men aro welcome in the British Isles; they are clean-looking fellows, and their behaviour has been such as to do honor to New Zealand. In 'Paris it is the same. Everywhere one hears them well spoken of, and their conduct has been unimpeachable. There are two social clubs in Paris where they are always made welcome —"A Corner of Blighty" in the Place Vendome and the British Army and Navy League 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 Zealahders. 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 and places of Paris and its environs. The history of these she explains to the soldiers who are usually very keenly interested. In the spacious rooms in the building, in the T'laco Vendome there is music and after, noon tea, the tea daintily set out on
tab'cs decorated with flowers. Several women from the little British colony in Paris do all the work in connection with the teas, and preside at tlie tea-tables. You may find a general's wife Washing dishes in the kitchen. Tlie tea Is excellent, and there are no end of good things to eat. The friendly and homely air that pervadeß the place, and the min- ' istrations of these kindly women, have made the "Corner" a very popular resort. There are newspapers to read, and pens. ink. and paper are supplied, ro that the soldiers may write home to their relatives and friends, Tlie Leave Club is a more ambitious undertaking. It supplies accommodation, meals, afternoon tea. find baths, all of which have to be paid for, lmt 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 S guides who accompany the excursionists. I If you go down to the Gare du Nord i when the leave trains are arriving you | will find the renres'entatives of the drib, distinguishable by their armlets, ' nlwavs ready to conduct tlie soldiers to the club or to their hotels, Girl guides |l take the men about Paris and accompany them on tho charabanc trips. The i club has Teading and writing rooms, a : billiard-room, an information bureau, ; tobacco and newsnaper stalls, and ottier I conveniences. The presiding genius, one of the honorary secretaries, is Miss ; Decima Moore, formerly .tlie well-known ! actress, now the wife of a British offiI cer. A printed pives tlie i men ft pood deal of valuable information [, as to what they should see inParis, and , includes a number of "don'ts' which it ; will be well for them to bear iv mind, i For instance, men are warned about | carrying all their money about with j them, and urged to deposit the hulk of I it with the hotel cashier or at the club's I information bureau. This very sound advice is largely availed of, and by now not far short of a million franc 9 must have been deposited in this way at the club. Here are a few other "don'ts" 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 don'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 forget when you order a drink at a cafe, that the price should bo marki ed on tlie saucer on which the drink is J served." "Don't ever ask advice from strangers ' of eitlipr sex, or "touts." if you can help it. Address yourself to someone in uni- " form." "Don't forget that, as British soldiers in a foreign country, you have the honor of the uniform to maintain." Since tlie club was opened in Auiust L ' last seventeen thousand British soldiers have registered at it. Tt is most used by Canadians. Australians, and New 7-ealanders. The Imperial Fores take their leave almost entirely in the British Isles, where their friends and relatives are. From 25th August to 31st, ■lanuarv, 20.05!) beds were occupied and 125,702 meals were served in th» club. There are entertainments every day in tho week. It will thus be seen tliat, these clubs r supply a very legitimate want in the lives of the troops on leave in Paris. The New Zealand forces recently .save inOO francs to the Leave Club, and its Theatrical Trotipe gave two highly-suc-cessful performances in aid of the funds " of "A Corner of Blighty:"
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Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1918, Page 7
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865NEW ZEALANDERS IN PARIS. Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1918, Page 7
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