| 43. "French cities are filthy." They are certainly dirtier today than they were before the war. The French haven't had paint for a long time. In some cities and districts, the acute shortage of gasoline prevents refuse trucks from making daily rounds. French cities and houses are a great deal older than ours; old cities and old houses smell more than new ones. French public sanitation, health and toilet regulations are certainly not on the same level as ours. But before the war, the French washed their streets and sidewalks more often than we do. France does not have the untidy back yards, the trash dumps in empty lots, the tin cans and refuse in public parks that are common in the United States. French women were always scrupulous house-keepers. But few of us ever got in to see a French home. |