U.S. NAVY S of the W( PARIS ^6«^D1TTV BOX GUIDE BOOK SERIES BUREAU OF NiWIGATION NAVY DEPARTMENT PARIS, FRANCE Published by BUREAU OF NAVIGATION C^^^^I^U' under authority of the Secretary of the Navy LIBRARY OF CONGRESS "ECEIVED IV1AY7-1921 DOCUMENTS U v.SION ti^ rp ^ CLOSE-UP OF NAPOLEON'S TOMB Contents Introduction ---------------11 Early Days in Paris ------------- 13 The French Revolution -------------15 "Madame Guillotine" ------- 16 Place du Carrousel -- .--.-18 A Treasure House ----- - 20 The Belfry Tower ------.------22 Tomb of Napoleon - .-.-- 27 The Unknown Dead ----- 28 Old Bridges and New - 29 An Arch of Triumph .----.-------31 The Latin Quarter -------- 33 A Gallery of Art - - - - 36 The Eiffel Tower 39 A Famous Chateau -------------40 Theaters and Hotels ---..------- 41 Money and Postage -------- 43 On the Battlefields - - 44 Rheims and Verdun ---.---------45 Other Trips - 46 Seven Foreword INCE warships flying the American flag have made the world of waters their cruising grounds and since they carry with them scores of thousands of seagoing Americans, the per- sonal interest of the Nation in ports, far and near, is ever increasing in recent years. In order to furnish valuable information to officers and enlisted men of the Navy who visit these ports, the Bureau of Navigation is preparing individual guidebooks on the principal ports of the world. Although every effort has been made to include accurate informa- tion on the most important subjects connected with this port, it is realized that some important facts may have been omitted and that certain details may be inaccurate. Any information concerning omissions or inaccuracies addressed to Guidebook Editor, Bureau of Navigation, will be appreciated. The information will be incorporated into revised editions. Acknowledgment is made to the National Geographic Society for its suggestions, both as to editorial policy and the interesting details concerning Paris and its environs. Acknowledgment is made to Underwood & Underwood and Pub- lishers' Photo Service for photographs contained in this guidebook, which photographs are copyrighted. Nine Introduction ARTIAL music, sound of trumpets, long files of bearded men in horizon blue, an eager Gallic laugh, an imperious gesture, a group of mam'selles dressed in the latest fashion, a polite bow, a glimpse of stately buildings, green trees, wide avenues, and boulevards, the tricolor of blue, white, and red — the spirit of Freedom — this is part of France, and what is France is Paris. Fleecy clouds float overhead in a sea of blue, cathedral bells ring their noonday call of Angelus, and red-cheeked gamins in smocks abandon their games and run to their homes in response to another call of porridge and milk. A French marine and a sailor stroll along the street. They salute an American Naval officer. On the corner by the church, an old flower woman sells a nosegay of roses to a shop girl whose shabby dress shows that she can ill afford the price. The basket is still nearly filled with flowers— the sweet scent of them drifts through the air. The warm sun shines down on the city; waves of heat rise from the pavem.ent, except where the trees cast cooling shadows on Eleven the asphalt. In the Latm Quarter the artist lays his palette aside, glances at the canvas heavy with oil paints, slips on his coat, and walks with his neighbor to the corner cafe for a chat over a glass of red wine. The day wears on; the avenues and boulevards become crowded with the afternoon parade of carriages and automobiles. A few brief hours more, and the sun descends behind a hill of crimson clouds beyond the Seine. Twilight comes; then night, and the theaters open. All just a bit of life in Paris. "You who have ever been to Paris, know; And you who have not been to Paris — go!" — RusMn. Twelve PARIS EARLY DAYS IN PARIS AKIS is first mentioned in literature in the Commen- taries of Caesar, one of whose generals, Labienus, occupied a collection of mud huts on an island of the Seine. The settle- ment composed the resi- dence of Parish, one of the numerous Gallic tribes conquered by the Romans. St. Denis introduced Christianity into Paris, then known as Lutetia, in the third century. In 506, Clovis, after he had defeated the Germans at Soissons, made the city the capital of his kingdom. Charlemagne visited Paris several times during the course of his reign, and finally, in the tenth century, Hugh Capet made this city the capital of all France. Paris was divided into three parts during the Middle Ages — the Latin Quarter on the left bank of the Seine, the Ville on the right bank, and La Cite on the islands. English troops occupied Paris during the reigns of Henry V and Henry VI, Municipal progress was halted during the wars of the last of the Valois when the city was frequently besieged by invading armies. Henry of Navarre, crowned King of France in 1589, expended large sums in improving Paris, the work being continued during the minority of his son, Louis XIII, and also during the reign of Louis XIV. More improvements were carried out, and Paris continued to grow under the various rulers until the French Revolution caused a temporary reaction. The first Napoleon resumed the work of improving Paris, decorating the capital with art treasures brought from various other European countries during the Napoleonic wars. Paris again fell into disrepair after the defeat of Napoleon, continuing so until Louis Phillipe began to beautify the city again. It was during Louis Phillipe's reign that many of the fortifications around Paris were built or strengthened. The French capital was still a city of narrow tortuous streets and rickety houses Thirteen PARIS when Napoleon III ascended the throne. Under his achninistration many public were erected, and, when the buildings international exhibition was held in 1 897, Paris was considered the most beautiful city in Europe. The siege of Paris by the Germans in 1870-71 caused some damage to the city, but the greater injury was wrought by the vandalism of the Communards, or revolu- tionists of the period. Pillage, bloodshed, and wanton de- struction followed the revolution. In May, 1871, when the Government troops of France began their advance into Paris, the Communards set fire to the city. Fortunately the blaze was checked before it had caused serious damage. Within two years Paris was back to normal, and life was as gay as in the flourishing days before the Revolution. During the World War, Paris was bombed by the German airplanes and shelled by long-distance guns; but the total damage was comparatively small. The Germans were halted by the French only a few miles from Paris in the first battle of the Marne, and in the second battle of the Marne, by the Americans and French. Fourteen PARIS THE FRENCH REVOLUTION N THE morning of July 14, 1789, during the reign of Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette, a rumor spread through Paris to the effect that royalist regiments were marching on the city to prevent a threatened revolt of the people. Later another rumor spread. The citizens were told that the Bastille, state prison of Paris, was about to bombard the Faubourg St. Antoine, a crowded residence district near by. The populace — men and women — flew to arms and marched on the Bastille which had become a hated symbol of royal oppression, as it had been used for years as a place of imprisonment for those who displeased the king. The Bastille fell. The governor, Delauney, and seven of his guards were killed. The prisoners were liberated. They were carried through the streets of Paris and wildly acclaimed as victims of the tyranny of kings. After- wards the Bastille was torn down. Itg rusty key was sent to George Washington by the contemporary American Minister to France, Thomas Paine, and is now at Mount Vernon. Very little remains of the Bastille to-day; only a few scattered stones Fifteen PARIS '--3-v''".;'"""":' -V ■'^' !^-^-. Place de la Concorde ill the pavement outline the spot where the towers stood in the clays of the revolution. In the center of the Place de la Bastille stands the Colonne de Juillet, a tall shaft erected in honor of the victims of the revolt of Jul}", 1830. The bronze column, over 150 feet high, is crowned by a winged Sixteen figure representing the ''Genius of Lib- erty" in gilt bronze. The storming of the Bastille by the Paris mob marked the beginning of the French Revolution, which brought a reign of terror to France. It was not until several years later that comparative tran- quillity was to come to France through the formation of the Directoire, the govern- ment established by the Constitution of the year 1795. The Directoire was soon to be overthro^vn by Napoleon, who led the French nation through additional years of strife, until the battle of Waterloo, when the Bonaparte power was broken by the allied armies of Europe. "MADAME GUILLOTINE" THE Rue Royale in Paris is the Place de la Concorde, a famous his- torical spot of the French capital. It was here in 1793, on the south side of the square where a bronze fountain now Louis XVI was guillo- of the same year that In October PARIS Marie Antoinette met a similar death in the same place. During the reign of terror a scaffold erected in the Place de la Concorde was used by the revolutionists for the execu- tion of some 3,000 persons. During this period the fish-wives of Paris would gather around the guillotine, their knit- ting needles clicking time to the thud of the heads as they dropped in the bloody basket beside the knife, while the tum- brils, or prison carts, rattled through the streets bringing more of the condemned to the place of execution. "Madame Guillotine," as the ma- chine was called by the people of Paris, was invented by Joseph Ignace Guillotin, a physician. It is said that the inventor himself ultimately died beneath the knife of his own invention. The Place de la Concorde was first called the Place Louis XV, and later the Place de la Revolution, but its present name comes from the signing of the peace treaty at Aix la Chapelle in 1748, by which the War of the Austrian Succes- sion was ended. Eight figures repre- senting:; cities of France stand in the Champs Elysees square. In the center is an obelisk brought from Egypt, where for centuries it guarded the gateway to the temple of Luxor. The Seine, touching the south side of the Square, is crossed at this point by the Pont de la Concorde. Seventeen PARIS If Lafayette Statue The Champs Elysees, the Fifth Avenue of Paris, runs west from the Phace de la Concorde. Many garden cafes are located on the Avenue, and also the Palais de I'Elysee, residence of the President of Eighteen France. The palace, built in 1718, was restored during the reign of Napoleon. The Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, now two fine-arts galleries, also stand on the Champs Elysees. PLACE DU CARROUSEL LACE du Carrousel, which derives its name from an equestrian ball given there by Louis XVI in 1662, is an open space between the Old Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. It was traversed until the middle of the last century by a maze of narrow streets. Removal of the houses was begun by Loids Phillipe. The improvements continued under Napoleon III, who caused a space to be cleared for the New Louvre. A statue of Lafayette, designed by Paul Bar<"lett, the American sculptor, and presented to France by the school children of the United States, stands in the square. Near the statue is an arch similar to that of Severus in Rome, but PARIS raised in memory of Napoleon. The horses of St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, which stood on the arch at one time, have since been returned to Venice. The square is inclosed on the north and south sides by wings connecting the Palace of the Tuileries with the Louvre. The gardens of the Tuileries adjoin the Place de la Concorde on the east. It was here that Catherine de Medici, widow of Henry II, built the royal palace of the Tuileries, last refuge of Louis XVI and his family before their do^^^lfall. Napoleon lived in the Tuileries during a portion of his career. The palace was almost entirely demolished by the Com- munards in 1871 during the Revolution preliminary to the establishment of the Third Republic. Another famous square is the Place Vendome, south on the Rue de la Paix, or the Street of Peace. The principal feature of the Place Vendome is the Vendome Column, 140 feet high, sur- mounted by a statue of Napoleon in a Roman toga. The statue was erected in 1806 in commemoration of victories over the Prussians during the previous year. o\ Place Vendome It was copied from the Trajan Column in Rome. The base, made from cannon captured from the Austrians, is decorated with bas-reliefs illustrating scenes of the campaign in which Napoleon defeated the armies of Austria. Nineteen PARIS A TREASURE HOUSE IRST the home of kings, and then a repository for some of the most famous art treasures in the world, the Pah^ce of the Louvre, in Paris, is cele})rated not only for the beauty of its architecture, but for its precious collections of pamtmgs, draw- ings, and antiffues. The Louvre was begun by Phillipe Augustus, King of France, in the thir- teenth century, and the work of construc- tion was continued ])y Charles V, Francis I, Louis XVI, and other rulers. Na- poleon I expended over 36 m.illion francs on the palace which occupies three times as much space as the Vatican. The task was completed by Napoleon III, who joined the Palace of the Louvre and the Tuileries. The kings of France have fallen, and the Louvre is no longer an abode of roy- alty; but it contains something infinitely more precious — from the Am.erican pomt of view — in treasures of art from the four Twenty The Louvre corners of the world. All civilization, from ancient to modern, is represented in the galleries by thousands of paintings, sculptures, potteries, and drawings. The Louvre houses the largest collec- tion of paintings m the world, including PARIS many masterpieces. Among the most famous are Leonarde da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," which disappeared in 1911 and was returned later; "Madonna of the Rocks," and "Madonna, Infant Christ with St. Anne;" several Titians, including "Titian and His Mistress," "The Entomb- ment," "The Man with the Glove," and the "Rest on the Flight into Egypt." Correggio is represented in the Louvre by "The Betrothal of St. Catherine" and "Jupiter and Antiope." Raphael; the Flemish painters, Rubens and Van Dyck; and the Dutch masters, Rembrandt and Ruysdael, are also represented in the gal- lery. "The Angelus," by Millet, and the notable battle paintings by Meissonier are hung in the Louvre. The principal works of sculpture are the "Venus of Milo" and the "Victory of Samothrace." The Hotel de Ville is some distance west of the Louvre, on the Rue de Rivoli, It is the city hall of Paris, standing on the site of the first Hotel de A^ille, which was blown up by the Communards in 1871. The new building is a copy of the old, with a few changes, and its most distinc- tive features are the hundreds of statues. Hotel de ViUe placed in the pavilions and m niches on the several floors. Louis XVI was tried by the Revolu- tionary Tribunal in the old Hotel de Ville. Robespierre, during his brief exercise of Twenty-One PARIS power, made it the scene of his reign of terror. Rohespierre attempted suicide by shooting himself in the jaw after his fall from grace; but he was captured, taken Tvjenty- Tivo to the guillotine, and met the death he had dealt out to Danton, Hebert, and other Revolutionarv leaders. THE BELFRY TOWER NE of the most famous bel- fry towers on the conti- nent of Europe rises above the Cathedral of Notre Dame, whose stained-glass windows and majestic architec- ture, conceived and exe- cuted in medieval times, are a boast of modern Paris. The view from the belfry or south tower, and its companion, the north tower, is one of the finest in the city; and the traveler should consider his visit in Paris as being incomplete until he has ascended the windmg stone steps and viewed in this fashion the capital of France. In the belfry tower hangs the great Bourdon-de-ISTotre-Dame, the bell of Notre Dame, whose mass of metal has thundered forth the golden news of victory by France on land and sea for hundreds of years. PARIS The bell, weighing nearly 29,000 pounds, is one of the largest in the world — and the sweetness of its tone is a ''wondrous thing to hear." The clapper, weighing nearly half a ton, only consents to touch the inner surface of the bell when eight strong men ]iut their weight against it; and as the heavy tongue strikes the bell and a volume of sound rises and beats against the ears of the ringers, the scowl- ing gargoyles along the balustrades of the tower seem almost to prick up their pointed stone ears in silent approval of the music. The birds which nest around the cathedral have never become accus- tomed to the sound and, when the clapper is sent into action, the beat of their wings as they skim startled through the air adds a throbbing minor note to the music of the bell. The Cathedral of Notre Dame, of course, has its history. Several churches have stood on the same spot. When one was destroyed, another rose in its place, much as the fabled phoenix appeared from the ashes of a former self. During the days of Roman rulership the cathedral ground was the site of a temple of Jupiter. It later held the foundations of two churches, dedicated to the Virgin and St. Stephen, respectively. The first stone of the present cathedral Twenty- Three PARIS Interior of Notre Dame was laid by Pope Alexander III, in 11G3, the work of construction continuing until the thirteenth century. Henry IV assisted at the mass that was to make him the ruler of Paris^ and Mary, Twenty-Four Queen of Scots, was married to the dau- phin in the cathedral. Later the edifice was utilized as a Temple of Reason by the red-capped revolutionists. A few years later Napoleon was crowned Emperor of France in Notre Dame and the walls of the cathedral saw the diadem placed on the head of Josephine as Napoleon pro- claimed her the Empress of his dominions. The facade of Notre Dame is divided by buttresses into three sections, three stories high, and flanked by two square towers. The triple portal is surmounted by the Gallery of the Kings of Judah, where the rose window, over 30 feet in diameter, is located. An open gallery with slender columns and pointed arches forms the third story. The towers, over 220 feet in height, were to have been surmounted by lofty spires, but these have never been added. The north and south portals were begun under the direction of Jean de Chelles in 1257. The steeple, 147 feet high, was reconstructed in 1859. The ball sup- porting the cross is said to contain relics of the true cross and fragments of tlie crown of thorns which encircled the PARIS lacerated head of Christ when he died on Mount Calvary. The sanctuary and the choir stalls are separated from the other aisles by ex- quisitely carved railings. Rich Gothic sculptures stand over the portals. The carving over the central entrance, repre- senting the "Last Judgment," is compar- able to the "Last Judgment" on the Madeleine. In the cathedral there are 37 chapels containing the tombs of many famous prelates of Paris. Another notable church in Paris is the Madeleine, or Church of St. Mary Magdalen, built in the style of a Roman temple. The church stands in the Place de la Madeleine, adjoining the Boulevard des Capucines. This edifice, begun in the reign of Louis XV, was opened for Roman Catholic services in 1842. Destitute of windows, the interior forms one vast nave with cupolas through which the light streams to illuminate the paintings on walls and altars. The music at the Madeleine is exceptionally delightful. Frequently there is a picturesque flower market outside the Madeleine and the fragrant odor of freshly cut roses and The Madeleine violets turns the church into a kind of Parisian paradise. A third place of worship in Paris es- pecially worthy of notice is the Sainte Twenty-Five PARIS I ypical French Road near Chartres Chapelle, a small church of Gothic de- sign. This structure was built by the devout Louis IX as a resting place for the sacred relics brought back from the Cru- sades in 1239. The relics, incidentally, Tirenty-Six are now in the Cathedral of Notre Dame. The Mass of the Holy Ghost is celebrated once a year in this chm^ch. Sainte Cha- pelle, a part of the Palace of Justice, stands on the ground occupied by an im- perial residence during the Roman rule. The old Conciergerie of the palace, a prison in which Marie Antoinette and Robes- pierre were imprisoned, still remains. The Conciergerie was partially burned during the Revolution, but the palace has been restored and partly rebuilt. Of the 79 Catholic churches in Paris, the address of the one most convenient to the visitor may be obtained from the directory. The principal Protestant churches are as follows: L'Oratoire, 145 Saint Honore; Le Foyer de L'Ame, 7 R. Daval; Eglise de Pentemont, 106 R. de Crenelle; Eglise du Saint Esprit, 5 R. Roquepine; Temple de Passy, 49 R. Cor- tambert; Temple des BatignoUes, 46 Bd. des BatignoUes; Temple de I'Etoile, 54 Av. de la Grande-Armee ; Temple de Neuilly, 8 Bd. Inkerman; American Church, all denominations, 21 R. de Berri; American Church of the Holy Trinity, 25 Av. George V. PARIS THE TOMB OF NAPOLEON NDER _ the Dome of the Invalides is the tomb of Napoleon, in the form of a circular crypt, whose granite walls are in- scribed with marble re- liefs representing the principal victories of the emperor. A design is laid in the mosaic pavement of the crypt to form a laurel wreath, bearing the names of various battles in which the armies of Napoleon participated. In the middle of the pavement rises the red porphyry sarcophagus carved from a single mass of stone weighing nearly 70 tons. In the sarcophagus rests Napoleon's body, brought to Paris from St. Helena twenty years after his death, in response to his wish: "I desire that my ashes repose on the banks of the Seine in the midst of the French people, whom I have loved so weU." The crypt also contains the sarcopha- gus of the faithful Durco, killed at Baut- zen in 1813; and that of Bertrand, thcj Montmartre from Tower of Notre Dame French officer who shared Napoleon's captivity during his dreary years of exile. In near-by chapels are the remains of Tvjenty-Seven PARIS Napoleon's two brothers, and the heart of Jerome's second vnie, Catherine. The Dome des Invahdes is an auxiUary part of the entire Hotel des Invalides, "wliich stands on the Boulevard des Inva- lides, near the heights of Montmartre. The great Soldiers' Home was founded by Louis XIV in 1671 and restored under Napoleon I and Napoleon III. The Dome consists of a chapel sm"mounted by a round tower which supports the gilt dome — the top of which is over 300 feet from the ground. The grounds of the In- valides include many courts and gardens containing numerous statues. Another interesting feature of the institution is the museum containing specimens of ancient and modern weapons and armor. The Palais Bom'bon, built as a palace for the Ducliess of Bourbon in 1722 — and now the meeting place of the Chamber of Deputies — is a short distance north of the Hotel des Invalides. The deputies are elected directly by the people and serve four years at an annual salary of $1,800 a year. It was here that President Wilson made his historic adchess outlining the plan for the League of Nations. Tiventy-Eight THE UNKNOWN DEAD OT far from the Fontaine Notre Dame, in the He de la Cite, crouches a small queer building whose very appearance is forbidding, ugly, and gloom y — in vivid contrast with the glorious atmosphere of the cathedral. It is the Paris morgue, where the bodies of the unknown dead who have perished in the river, or met their death in other ways, are held for possible identifi- cation, but it is not open to the public. The bodies are frozen, then placed on marble slabs in the exposition room, which is kept at a temperature of below freezing. The bodies are kept in this con- dition, if necessar}", for two or three months and are then biu'ied in one of the Paris cemeteries. Hundreds of bodies are brought to the morgue every year, many of them being identified by rela- tives or friends; although the majority are buried, as they died, nameless. Paris contains 14 cemeteries, the most prominent being the Cemetery of Pere- PARIS Lachaise, where rest the remains of Balzac, Mohere, Racine, Chopin, Rossini, Belhni, Marshal Ney, and other men of fame. The Picpus Cemetery, in the south- eastern part of the city, contains the re- mains of Lafayette. In the Montmartro Cemetery are the graves of Heine, Gautier, Murger, and Vernet. According to one legend, the Montmartre Hill received its name from the martyrdom of St. Denis, the first Bishop of Paris, who was executed there. Another legend relates that in early times the hill was the site of a Roman temple dedicated to Mars, and that "Mont- martre" is derived from "Mount of Mars." Nearly six million persons, it is said, are buried in the catacombs which extend under the greater part of Paris on the left bank of the Seine. The catacombs were originally subterranean quarries, operated as far back as the time of the Roman occupation. About 1774, the bodies from the Cemetery of the Innocents and other burial grounds were transferred to the quarries by order of the Government. The galleries and tunnels of the cata- combs are supposed to be completely lined with human skeletons. Visitors are admitted to the cata- combs, generally twice a month. Each must carry a torch or candle purchased at the entrance and should also wear a heavy coat and overshoes. The entrance is in the Place Denfert-Rochereau and the principal exit is at No. 92 Rue Dareau. Permission to visit the cata- combs must be obtained from the Prefet de Police or the Prefet de la Seine. Trips may also be taken through the labyrinth of sewers extending under the city — the sewers made famous by Hugo. OLD BRIDGES AND NEW HE winding Seine is trav- ersed in Paris by 27 bridges, the most inter- esting perhaps being the Pont Alexandre III, and the oldest being the Pont Neuf , or "New Bridge " — - paradoxical as that term may seem. The Pont Neuf, more than 500 years old, has been partially destroyed and Twenty-Nine n PARIS restored again and again since it was first completed in the fifteenth century. It connects the upper point of He de la Cite Anth both sides of the Seine, affording an excellent view of the Louvre. An eques- Thirly i trian statue of Henry IV stands on the bridge. Nicholas II, the late Czar of Russia, laid the cornerstone of the Pont Alexandre III, which was built for the Exposition of 1900 and named in honor of Alexandre III, who was instrumental in bringing about an alliance between France and Russia. Another famous bridge of Paris is the Pont des Arts, which crosses the Seine near the Quartier St. Germain. This bridge, erected during the early part of the last century, is named after the "Palace of Arts,'' now the Louvre. A quay, reaching from the Pont des Arts to the Pont Royal, furnishes a mooring place for boats which sail to Paris from the sea. The notorious Tour de Neale, which once stood on the other side of the bridge, is said by tradition to have been the scene of many cold-blooded murders during the life of Margaret of Burgundy, wife of Louis IX. Among other well-known bridges in Paris are the Ponts d'AusterUtz, de Carrousel, National, de la Concorde, des Invalides, Marabeau, and Royal. PARIS AN ARCH OF TRIUMPH NE of the largest triumphal arches in the world — and without doubt the most famous — stands in the Place de I'Etoile, from which 12 wide ave- nues radiate, much as do the points of a star or the spokes of a wheel. The Arc de Triomphe de I'Etoile, begun by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victories, was completed by Louis Phillipe in 1836 at a cost of nearly two million dollars. The arch is 164 feet high and 147 feet wide, measuring 95 feet under the keystone of the great archway. Four sculptural groups rise from the four square pillars. On the roof of the arch are panels bearing the names of the principal victories under the First Re- public and the Empire. The names of generals taking part in the battles are also inscribed on the arch. A spiral stairway ascends to the plat- form at the top of the arch, from which the visitor has a magnificent view of the. Arc de Triomphe Champs Elysees, the Avenue de la Grande Armee, the towers of Notre Dame, the Seine, and the heights of Montmartre. The most opportune time to view the city from the arch is toward evening on a pleasant day in summer, when the sun Thirty-One PARIS Bois de Boulogne is going down, and the twilight shadows are just beginning to lay a soft mantle of black over the warm earth. Then TMrty-Tvn all the romance and mystery of Paris seem to be alive, and the imagina- tion weaves fantastic stories which are always in perfect harmony with the spirit of the capital of France at the twilight hour. From this arch of triumph can be seen, too, the Bois de Boulogne, the great park of Paris, an extensive garden of over two thousand acres, embracing two lakes, Superieur and Inferieur, The Bois de Boulogne also contains the race course of Longchamps, where thorough- bred horses of France and other Euro- pean countries are raced in the spring, summer, and fall months, the principal races taking place in April, May, and September. The Zoo, Le Jardin d'Acclimatation, is another attraction of the Bois de Bou- logne — and there are also numerous open air restaurants, the Pre Catelan being one of the more popular. The suburbs of St. Cloud, Passy, and Auteuil are included in the boundaries of the park. Passy and Auteuil are popu- lar residential sections of the wealthy Parisians. PARIS THE LATIN QUARTER N THE left bank of the Seine is one of the most interesting sections of Paris. It is the oldest part of the city and is known as the Latin Quar- ter. Here students from all over the world con- gregate to study and to observe the quaint customs of its Bohemian life. It is filled with disciples of all the arts — both masters and students. In the Latin Quarter the travelers may become acquainted with the French tem- perament more easily than in other sec- tions of Paris, for an unusually delightful spirit of camaraderie prevails here — and the Bohemian, provided he sees in the visitor a kindred spirit, is very apt to take him to his heart. Not only do dilettantes, with the spirit of Bohemia deeply entrenched in their natiu-es, make the Latin Quarter their place of residence, but learned societies make their headquarters here — and many naval and army officers, artists, archi- Cascade in the Bois du Boulogne tects, civil engineers, surgeons, and other professional men take pride in the fact that they received their education in the "Quartier Latin." Thirty- Three PARIS Latin Quarter The Frenchman in the Latin Quarter, as indeed in other parts of Paris and of France, though not so effusive about his Thirtij-Four personal, domestic, and spiritual affairs, opens the floodgates of conversation on topics of literary, philosophical, and artis- tic interests. And the average Frenchman is more temperamental usually than the most temperamental American or Englislnnan. He does not hesitate to make a public demonstration of his emotions — which he expresses by means of kisses, tears, em- braces, and battalions of vivid words. Politeness is a national characteristic of the French; and, too, his intellectual alertness is remarkable. This trait has caused intense hatreds between parties and individuals in France, that find full expression during peace times; but, when France is at war, the intense patriotism of her people keeps the nation together. In the matter of patriotism the French and American people are alike, as indeed they are alike in many other respects. These similarities have done a great deal to aid the respective Governments in building up a lasting friendship between France and the United States. The French are remarkably straight- forward people. This characteristic dis- PARIS plays itseK in their arts, which, sometimes go to extremes, although they do not re gard themselves as being immoral, but '^ simply frank." There was never a more good-natured, more patient people; but at the same time they are brave to the ex- tremes of heroism, as the German armies learned in the years 1914-1918. But in discussing the temperament of the French, we are getting away from our subject, which is the Latin Quarter, and back to the Quartier we must go if we are ever to conclude our tour of Paris. Leaving City Island (He de la Cite), and going to the south side of the Seine by way of Pont St. Michel, the visitor finds himself in the Latin Quarter. A short walk down the Boulevard St. Michel brings one to the Cluny Museum, one of the most interesting in all France. The building, erected in the fifteenth century by the Benedictine abbots of Cluny, is built on the Gothic style of architecture. It stands on the site of an ancient Roman palace, the Thermes (or baths) of which are still standing. The museum collec- tion includes specimens of medieval art Paris Seen from the Louvre and industry, enamels, j^rints, stained glass, and pottery. Just south of the museum is the Sor- bonne — a famous institution of learning founded in 1253 by Robert de Sorbon, the Thirty-Five PARIS Palais de Luxembourg confessor of Louis IX. The Sorbonne, reconstructed by Cardinal Richelieu in the seventeenth century, was entirely Thirty-Six rebuilt again between 1885 and 1900, vnth the exception of the old church which now serves as the tomb of Richelieu. The University of Paris, near the Louvre on the left bank of the Seine, com- prises five academies — letters, sciences, arts, political economics, and the French Academy. It is the ambition of every French A\Titer to belong to L'Academie Fran^aise, for then he is recognized as one of the foremost devotees of the art of belles-lettres. The French Academy has only 40 living members — the ''Forty Immortals" they are called. A GALLERY OF ART HE finest paintings of con- temporaiy French artists are on exhibition in the Museum of Luxembourg, a part of the Palace of the same name on the Boule- vard Palais du Luxem- bourg, the main thor- oughfare of the Latin Quarter, Pictures on exhibition in the Museum are usually sent to the Louvre, or to E = PARIS galleries in provincial cities, a. few years after the death of the artists who paint them. Many of the paintings in the Museum are as excellent as those in the Louvre, but can not be transferred while their creators are living. The Museum also houses a collection of sculptures, among them some by St. Gaudens, whose statue of Lincoln and other portrayals of American life brought him into popular favor in the United States. The Palace proper was a residence of royalty during many reigns and served as a prison during the French Revolution. It is now the Senate building of the Republic. The Petit Luxembourg on the Rue cle Vaugirard was transferred to the ownier- ship of Cardinal Richelieu in 1626. It is now the residence of the President of the Senate. The former cloister is used as a winter garden. Americans desiring to visit the Palace must make application through the American Ambassador. A few blocks east of the Palace of Luxembourg stands the Pantheon, for- merly the Catholic Church Ste. Genevieve, but now a mausoleum, containing the tombs of Victor Hugo, Voltaire, Rousseau, The Pantheon and other great sons of France. Ste. Genevieve, incidentaUy, is the patron saint of Paris. She was buried on the site of the Pantheon about 1,400 years ago. In front of the Pantheon sits the bronze statue "The Thinker," by Rodin. Thirty-Seven ThiHy-Eight PARIS Near by is the new Church of Ste. Gene- vieve, The Jardin des Plantes, a com- bined zoological and botanical garden, is located east of the Pantheon. THE EIFFEL TOWER HE Eiffel Tower, highest structure in the world, standing in the Champ de Mars, and a gathering place for tourists of all nations, is probably the best knoMTi place of in- terest in the capital of France. The Tower is 984 feet high, more than 200 feet taller than the Wool- worth Building in New York City, nearly twice as high as the Washington Monu- ment, and more than double the height of the Great Pyramid of Egypt. Over a million dollars was expended in its con- struction, which was completed in 1889. It is named for its designer, Gustav Eiffel. The admission fees almost paid for the tower during the first year after it was built and the Government has cleared an Temple of Love, Versailles enormous amount of money in fees from later visitors to the Tower. During the war the Eiffel Tower was used as a wireless and military observa- tion station, rendering invaluable service Thirty-Nine PARIS (luring the Gorman air raids on tho French capital and its suburbs. One may either climb to the top of the Tower or ricle in an elevator, but must pay a fee at the half-way landing and at the tlmxl platform — very nearly at the peak of the structure. A FAMOUS CHATEAU ERSAILLES, formerly the residence of the kings of France, is famous not only because of the his- torical events that have taken place there, but for the siu"passing splendor of the Chateau or Palace The town, with a popula- and gardens tion of over 60,000, is located on a plateau smTounded by wooded hills. Versailles is crowded with historical associations. Those of most interest to visitors center about the Chateau and its grounds. Versailles was a hunting lodge during the reign of Louis XIII, and the Chateau was constructed by Louis XIV — le Roi- Soleil, the Sun King. The most cele- brated architects of the day were called, F»rty Interior of Palace of Versailles (Room in Which Peace was Signed by Germany) together to build the royal palace and eventually the elaborate gardens, and Ver- sailles became a 'perfect expression of beauty and royal splendor." Louis XV entrusted the architect Gabriel with the task of erecting new buildings, among them the theater. Later the revolution- ists drove Louis XVI from the Chateau. Napoleon attempted to restore the Palace, and I^ouis Phillipe, toward the PARIS middle of the last century, converted it into an historical museum, opening it to the public. Reliable guides for tours of the Chateau and the grounds are available. The most interesting room in the Chateau is the Galerie des Glaces — hall of mirrors — where William I was crowned Emperor of Germany-; January 18, 1871, and where the Germans signed the peace treaty on June 28, 1919. Thus the Hall of Mu^rors was the scene of the beginning and the end of the German Empire. THEATERS AND HOTELS |HE Theatre Franpais and the Opera are the two most popular theaters in Paris, the former being devoted to the presenta- tion of French comedies, while the latter is devoted to opera. The Opera House on Boulevard Hauss- mann was built in the years 1864-1874 at a cost of over ten million dollars. It covers three acres of land. Materials for its construction were brought from Place de I'Opera Sweden, Finland, Italy, and Spain, as well from the Provinces of France. The Forty-One PARIS interior is rich in decorative paintings and sculptures, the number multiplied many fold — in one's vision — by a dazzling array of mirrors. The staircase is considered a masterpiece of decoration and grouping. The Theatre Franpais, adjacent to the Palais Royal Hotel, is a group of buildings designed under the dhection of Cardinal Richelieu, and later presented to Louis XIII. The theater was founded early in the seventeenth century, and its growth is connected with the name of Moliere— the ''Father of French Comedy." A few steps up the Rue de Richelieu, at the corner of the Rue Moliere, is the Fontaine Moliere, by Viconti, erected to the memory of the poet in 1844. Performances are given daily at all the theaters of Paris, excepting the Opera which holds but four performances a week — on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. At the Theatre Fran^ais and the Odeon there is a special series of classical matinees on Thursdays. Among the principal theaters — besides the three previously mentioned — are the following: Opera-Comique,inPlaceBoieldieu; Odeon, in Place de I'Odeon; Theatre Sarah Bern- Forty-Two hardt, in Place du Chatelet; and Theatre Moliere, at 209 Faubourg St. Denis. "Now for hotels. The choice of hotels in Paris is naturally a f|uestion of taste and funds, inasmuch as prices vary in proportion to the service, from the small hotels to the hotels de luxe. Comfortable rooms can be obtained in the Rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, Fau- bourg Poissonniere, Rue Saint Honore, Rue de Richelieu, Rue de Seine, Rue Bona- parte, and other sections, for prices rang- ing from four to five francs a da}^. Rooms in the more expensive hotels, fitted with every "device of modern comfort and luxury," cost from 15 francs a day up. The districts most highly recommended are the boulevards from the Faubourg Poissonniere to the Madeline, the Avenue de rOpera, Rue de Rivoli, Faubourg Saint Honore, the Champs Elysees, and the neighboring thoroughfares. The American Y. M. C. A. is located at 12 Rue d'Aguesseau. The American Welfare Worker's Club, operated under the auspices of the Y. W. C. A. and the American Church, stands at 33 Rue Caumartin. PARIS MONEY AND POSTAGE IVE centimes in French money may be reckoned as equivalent to 1 cent American money, 50 cen- times to 10 cents, and 1 franc to 20 cents. Copper, nickel, silver, and some gold coins are in circulation in Paris. The following table gives the approximate values of the coins in normal times : FRFNCH AMERICAN _ COPPER 5 centimes (or sou) .... SO.Ol 10 centimes (2 sous) ... .02 NICKEL 25 centimes 05 10 centimes 02 5 centimes .01 SILVER 50 centimes 10 1 franc 20 2 francs 39 5 francs 96 GOLD 10 francs 1.92 20 francs 3.81 Forty-franc, 50-franc, and 100-franc coins are also issued. Since the rate of Belleau Wood exchange is constantly fluctuating, the visitors should ascertain the prevailing rate. Letters may be sent from France to the United States, or to other foreign Forty- Three PARIS Battlefield — Chateau Thierry countries, for 25 centimes; registered letters, 40 centimes; postal cards, of less than five words, 10 centimes; and those of more than five words, 15 centimes. Note. — Standard exchange is quoted. It is impossible to anticipate fluctuations. i Forty-Four ON THE BATTLEFIELDS N JUNE, 1918, when the German armies were sweeping toward Paris, crushing the allied armies in their paths, or hurling them back, even though the}^ fought so desper- ately and heroically, a handful of American marines and soldiers was rushed to the sector around Chateau Thierry. The vanguard of the ^ray-clad army came on until the point of the attacking wedge struck the American lines. A short, sharp struggle followed. The Ger- man forces started on their countermarch toward the Rhine ^and the rest is history. The Yankee soldiers and marines had saved the day, as did the French earlier in the war, when General Von Kluck came marching on Paris and was defeated by the ''taxicab army." And the Americans who visit France can hardly afford to leave without visit- ing the battlefields of Chateau Thierry, Belleau Wood, and other points in the PARIS desperate struggle which resulted in the defeat of the Prussian Guards and other shock troops of Germany at the hands of the Americans in the memorable sum- mer of 1918. By following the road along which the American troops were rushed to the front in motor trucks, a view of the ruined villages of Torcy, Vaux. and Rouresches is secured and, farther on, the town of Chateau Thierry. In the vicinity lie the immortal Belleau Wood, now called the "Woods of the Brigade of Marines." RHEIMS AND VERDUN IHE remains of the Rheims Cathedral, battered al- most to pieces by Ger- man shellfire, can be viewed on another trip from Paris. The most thrilling trip of all is to the scenes of the three greatest battles in either French or Amer- ican history — Verdun, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne. It was at Verdun that Marshal Retain voiced his defiance to the armies of Germany — ' ' They shall not ^■9 \\ V pass"^ — and, as all Americans know, St. Mihiel was the scene of the second Amer- ican offensive which resulted in the obliteration of the St. Mihiel salient by the First American Army, under General Pershing. On the Meuse, in the Argonne sector, over 900,000 American troops broke through supposedly impregnable positions and defeated the Germans in an incredibly desperate struggle lasting from September 26 to November 11, 1918. Forty-Five PARIS On Hill .304, m the Argonne Forest, stands a concrete tower — its walls ex- tending 30 feet into the earth^ — which served as headquarters for the German CroAvn Prince during the Battle of Ver- dun. The Cro^vn Prince, it is said, Forty-Six stayed at the very bottom of the tower and watched the battle through a peri- scope. And the traveler may also visit the American military cemeteries where rest the gallant men who gave up their lives on French soil during the World War. OTHER TRIPS ISITORS having time in which to make additional trips in and around Paris should see the palace of Fontainebleau, a day's ride from the capital, a place of very great inter- est from an historical standpoint. Fontainebleau is almost as prominent in the history of France as Versailles, although not connected with such recent events. The palace was the home of Louis XIII, Anne of Austria, Catherine de Medici, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, and other rulers of France. The palace is rich in art treasures, fres- coes, paintings, and antique furnishings, PARIS and contains also some very rare Gobelin tapestries. The forest of Fontainebleau, sprawling about the chateau, has always been a favorite wandering ground for artists. Near by is the village of Barbi- zon, where lived some of the greatest French painters, including Millet, Corot, and Troy on. In addition to the trips about Paris already described, there are many addi- tional tours of interest, including visits to Sevres, near St, Cloud, where Sevres porcelam is manufactured; St. Denis — a short distance north of Paris — whose history is connected with that of Char- lemagne, Joan of Arc, and Napoleon; Pierrefonds, with its gloomy fortress; and Chantilly, famed chiefly for its race meets and its chateau filled with historic treasures. WASHIXGTOX ; GOVEKX.MENT PUIXTING OFFICE : 1920 Forty-Seven PARIS MEMORANDUM These blank pages should be used to note items of interest to which you will want to refer Forty-Nine PARI S MEMORANDUM Fiffy PARIS MEMORANDUM Fifty -One CITY OF PARIS LEGEND LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 029 906 193