G.I.s who at first found themselves paupers in price-inflated Paris (TIME, Sept. 18) have by now solved their problem. Since goods were worth far more than money, they soon discovered that they ought to buy with goods.
One soldier swapped a 2-lb. can of coffee for a bright scarlet dress in Schiaparelli's shop. Eyeing the coffee greedily, the Schiaparelli manager moaned: "Vous êtes dur, monsieur."
Since barter has its limitations, more often the G.I.s sell for cash. Informal G.I. markets have sprung up around the Arc de Triomphe, in the Place Pigalle, under the Eiffel Tower, in bistros, restaurants, around jeeps pausing in...
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