The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-24

NC od1O naJ tho \
duties Oh a war correspondent are inst
as Disappointing as they are peri]ous
All the permits and passes in the
world are of no avail, apparently
when y nOn-commissioned offcer ga
a handful of men bar the road. Tbev
stand unprotected, open 10 attach
from every side; they risk their lives |
every minute to defend their country
against the invader. but no chances
will they take with a civilian VIZ ,
may be a spy.
The war correspondents lot. al the |
same time. is an unhappy one indeed.
Determined to get a story cost what
II may, he too endangers his life at
every step in his dash toward the ac-
tual nshting line and gladly does he
run the risk in the hope of reaching
the front. While shells pass over his
head bombs from Taube a%eroplanes
fall around him, but he is still far
from the battle front and the only
troops he sees are those who make
him turn back.
The following narrative affords a
good illustration of the difficulties of
the war correspondent. 1t is the story
of an American correspondent who,
together with the representative of
one of the leading Paris papers, al
most reached the front. Max Pa
IoulduO, Tile EIeUCn news SdlOeT0T.
suggested a raid into the ArraS dis
trict, where the operations seemed
particularly lively, and the suggestion
was cheerfully welcomed:
Our reason for choosing Arras can
not fully be explained, but it may be
said that we had good cause to think
we should meet more friends in that
quarter than the correspondent had
fallen in with on his last expedition,
which ended in three days c%onfine-
ment in a granary.
1t was Il simple matter to go TO the
Care du Nord and take a ticket to
Amiens. The ninety miles between
the two cities took eight hours last
Sunday instead of the hour and a
quarter that expresses required in the
days when expresses ran to Calais for
London
But at Amiens we met with our first
difficulty. No one was allowed to
leave the station without explaining
why he had come. And that e%xpiana-
ton must stand close examination.
But after all a connection with two
leading Paris and New York papers
has it's influence and without entering
into details as to 10Y it was done we
obtained a permit to enter the town.
1t was half past 8 when we reached
. hotel and asked for the dining room.
Closed. monsieur, since they
came. ("They" means the Prusslans
In northern France today.) There Is
q restaurant lea by, but monsieur
must hurry as by military
orders close at g."
Advance on DOullens.
The little we could find to eat was
no danger to our digestion. A goOo
night in bed, and hen we faced the
problem of deciding where to go
Operations were going on, we knew
toward, as the French papers are
compelled to say, c., D., b
and 4. meaning Gomiecourt
Doullens, Bertramcourt and Arras
Arras could be reached by train only
but the railroad takes a very Wlut
turn and would allow notnlng W y,
seen on the way, while the dlf1icuite
of getting out of Arras station Wouie
be greater still than at Amlens.
mother friend, however, came U
the rescue and obtained a permit =
go to Doullens, and although all suc1
permits were strictly llmlteo 70 use =.
the railroad, ours by some IoT.unat'
hazard was stamped available 10
Doullens on foot or by carriage. bt
a permit to use a carriage does no
provide one, and we were at ,1ds
thirty miles from the front. Hel'
again our good fortune served uS. ~
Paroutaud recognized the drl'er y
a military automobile. who consehte'
to lake us TO Bertrancourt, twenty
four miles from AmienS. without ao
suming any responsibility Tor "ha'
ever might happen to US there. :.
Our friend the chauffeur mas III
necessary permit to take his autoHlo
bile anywhere and we have a perm
to travel by carriage in this di!ec'i pa
but the absence Of any connectlon &c
tween the two permits our pies
mnhi,e meant at least twenty long ex
plantations during the run. MOS
French military people will; ho~e,t'
listen to explanations and DISCUSS :,
question, wherein they dl1er IRON -.
English officers in France, VINO -,
ilian and refuse to argue, but sen
him at once 10 headquarters 10 aiso
his case there.
Soon after leaving Amiens we hega
meeting troops. principally aI.lil
held as IoS0IN =