Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-04-03

cons time nor in the trenches before
Scbastopol did the French soldiers
discover any sign of hostility, hatred
or incOmpatibihty among the Rus
slams. The past has vanished. liking
and affection sprung up from the first
direct contact between the two peo-
pies. and France Russian alliance
seems as II II had always existed.
And Yet the two governments. be-
fore they came TO an understanding,
had long regarded war between the
two countries as natural and neces-
sary state of things to be generally
accepted In virtue Of reasons of state.
The governments believed that both
nations were bound TO hate each 9TH
er, while the people themselves asked
for nothing better than mutual conf
dence. While the two governments
We're deciding for war, the two ma
tons were friendly. and neither de-
feat nor bloodshed nor bitterness has
been able 10 stifle this sentiment
1T was all very we'll for govern
ments to admit that they We're mis-
taken. but that did not bring back the
victims to life and 10 the service oil
their country. During a visit l paid
to Moscow. il seemed as II | We're
living the trials and sufferings OF our
unfortunate grand army all over
again. At least 6S0,000 men were
mobilized for the campaign in Rus
sla. They We're drawn from all the
countries conquered by France, and
they included about 250.000 young
French conscripts As the generations
III for service In the army had been
already wiped out. it was FOUND neces-
sary to lower the age-limit and be-
gin 20 take mere boys who, though
brave enough, were physically unable
to withstand the fatigues Of cam
paignlng All those youths had 70
be marched across Europe as far as
the Niemen and part of them, at
least beyond even the Russian
steppes. only TO take part In the eli
max OF war. the burning Of Moscow,
the retreat of all the inhabitants. car
rying away with them all means OF
subsistence and the most pitiless or
winters. combined with the retreat
coming as the announcement of the
tragedy
"My way back to France from
Mascow by railway took me over
practically the same route as the
French troops followed In their re-
treat. Even In an express train II
seemed endless. 1t took In whole
day and night and the names of the
stations. such as Berodlno, Smolensk
and Beresina, aroused painful mem
ories. Those were the places where
our troops had to fight their way
back TO n hostile Europe. the battle
field of Leipzig and the final cam
paign in France.
II saw the snow spread out over
the plain like an immense white
sheet. Not the least trace of road
was visible Tor many and many d
mile--a waste through which our Of
ficers and men, destitute OF almost all
supplies, had to make their way az
any cost Every day some of the
weaker succumbed. Shrouded In ice
before they were dead they were de-
voured by the crows and wolves.
Think Of tho nights those men passed.
Even one spent in a sleeping car berth
seemed long to nae, but what must Il
have been to them. and what an
awakening, 1t Is hard to say wheth-
er they had more to fear from isola-
tlon or from ambush and pursuit bA
fantlcal enemy
"Was it dream? II seemed TO me
as n Frances children were lying
asleep under the snow and that a.
the train approached they rose ~
and held out their arms lmploringly
The saddest thing of all was TO have
no reply TO make to their doleful
cry: We died for nothing