Bonus

To make life in Paris happier for free-spending U.S. soldiers, France had already set up three G.I. nightclubs (dull and se date but with controlled prices), and ar ranged to give tax rebates on their purchase of such luxury oddments as perfume and cosmetics. Last week, the French Government took new steps to ease G.I. economic pains.

In gay but inflated Paree, the pay that U.S. soldiers get -- at the official rate of 50 francs to the dollar, v. the black-bourse rate of 130 to 250 francs -- goes nowhere fast. Henceforth, the Government an nounced, it would pay each & every man of them 850 francs ($17 at the official rate) for every month they were stationed on French soil.

It was only a small bonus, but it would help. To many a G.I. it appeared to be quite a lot when he heard later that France had tightened up on its own poilus. The French soldier's pay was summarily cut from 800 to 180 francs a month, just about $1 a month at the black-bourse rate.

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