THE POILU'S CHANCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1016, 19 November 1917, Page 7

THE POILU'S CHANCE.

Talking of army pay (says Frank Edwards, in the Sydney Sunday Times), I hoard a story worth repeating from a wounded French soldier. At the start of the. war the French soldier was paid 1 son (a halfpenny) per day. Of course ho was found in everything—cigarettes, soap, writing paper, razors, and all such things that another soldier might be required to get for himself. The French Government lias since increased this pay 500 per cent. Now the poilit gets 2RI a day. But it was still early in the war—in the 1 sou days—when my informant happened to be undergoing transfer through Paris whilst in possession of a brand new German helmet. All the world was souvenir hunting. An opulent Parisian saw the helmet, and coveted his neighbour's goods. "f don’t suppose you'd take 100 francs for it,” he said. The vendor would have taken 20 gladly. He saw in a flasli how the helmet market lay, and with commendable dignity be used appropriate French phrases which menni, “Gain, yer never ad’ a hlanky ’ope.” This evidently had the psychological effect intended, for the bargain closed at ISO francs, cash down. That represented 3600 days’ pay—roughly, the military wages ol ten years. And, said the poiin, with a reminiscent look. “Oh, I did get very drunk that night.”