Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 311, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1919 — YANKS ARE MAKING GOOD IN FRANCE [ARTICLE]

YANKS ARE MAKING GOOD IN FRANCE

Have Not “Americanized" Country, but Meet Success in Business. SOME HAVE BECOME WEALTHY Several Thousand Discharged American Soldiers Remained in France to Try Their Fortunes —Newspaper Men Land on Feet

Paris. —Several thousand discharged American soldiers who remained in France to try their fortunes are faring as must fare all pioneers. A few have become reasonably wealthy; tome are “reporting progress;!’ the majority, however, are flying rather lower than they were "when they set ont to “Americanize France." • Nearly 9.000 American expeditionary force men were released here, ancTyj Is estimated a fourth of these settled down to work here. The others are visiting, sightseeing or have gone home after a discouraging look at business prospects. Several hundred found employment with large concerns, chiefly American firms preparing to do business In the deyastated regions. Another group took various small places to pay their way while studying. The majority, it was said, started to make good by capitalizing American methods. But most of them agree that easy money Is not one of the natural resources of France, but a few have proved that it is. A negro made 125,000 francs (normal value. $25,000) buying and selling army and navy supplies at Brest His case is vouched for by a well-known American commercial executive. “■ Chicago Press Club Driver Wins. The most striking success reported is that of “the fox-trot kings of Paris,” as they terra themselves. Gerald Riley, who drove the Chicago Press club ambulance, anti Harold Fitch of St. Paul, who was at the wheel of one,, of Airs. W. K. Vanderbilt's ambulances and later, went to the front. Kiley and Fitch, the former said, got their start over here-when the wife of an American banker “pressed 500 francs (about $100) on us” when "they played in a three-man jazz band at a dance she gave. They organized a Wilson welcome ball at a leading hotel when the president arrived in. Paris and netted more than 10.000 francs on the affair. This success, they said, they often duplicated ; at “the Dixie club” dances they organized. -Knowing that good things must not be overworked; the men took over the Ice cream making equipment of the has a capacity of a thousand gallons*an hour: and late in October began wholesaling “Dixie” ice cream. < ' Some of , the most Interesting of the American business. experiences here etc those of "me:;' who rraTfibd French girls. Three of these are farming -east of -Paris,' “making more money than they ever thought possible in theUnited S'uues.” v their business adviser said. One man married into-a dairy shop. Another returned to his trade of tail -ring in the same way. Scores of American boys are in business with their French fathers-in-law.

Rebuilt typewriters, familiar to Americans, have been introduced to the French by Lieut. J. L. McCann of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and George E. Howard of Pasadena, Cal. Their difficulty is too much business. Isridore Court, who was a pajterhanger, boldly set himself up in the decorating business in a fashionable suburb. Lieut. S. 1.. Tyler of Memphis, Tenn., became a merchandise broker. 1 Larry L. Drucker, photographer, returned to his trade. One n)nn who wanted to bring in carloads of automobiles and bicycle tires turned defeat into success by opening a tire sale and repair shop. -Another one with the same idea Is awaiting arrival of a real steam vulcanizing plant & give Paris a taste of fast work. He said virtually all tube repairs here now are made with cement patched instead of vulcanizing, ;uid take a week instead of an hour.

Newspaper men s4m to have landed on their feet most quickly. Nearly all of those who stayed are developing some “idea”'outside of office hours. Ideas fur Wealth may result in the establishment of a chain of hotels and restaurants along fh<T battle-front towns. One young man who missed the American “shine” is negotiating a feuse for a slioe-shining parlor.