Evening star., 1915-10-17

ward the new bond or a hopeless ina
| b1lity to assay news values. But Paris
was quiet as a grave. AS people the
French do not f1zz. They are more
self-contatned than we are
During the past week the constant
arrival of the wounded has offered an
figures have been printed as yet, but
one hears that in "a week of fighting
the French wounded, alone, have
reached $4,000. What this means can
best be understood by comparing the
casualties with a battle in our own
civil war. The wounded on both the
Union and the Confederate side at Get
tysburg only reached a little more than
$1,000 men. If the Union losses alone
are considered. then one must lump
the wounded at Gettysburg, Spotsyl-
vania and Manassas to reach this ag-
gregate.
An excellent system for handling the
wounded had been prepared here. There
are 400 hospitals in Paris. qualified to
care for $4,000 men. All trains of
wounded were routed to arrive at the
La Chapelle station. to be distributed
from that point to the hospitals. La
Chapelle's extreme capacity is $500
men a day. The story goes-in the alb
sence of official figures this is mere ap-
proximation-that in the first twenty
four hours of high tide $4,000 men
reached La Chapelle. The system broke
down hopelessly. of course. The
The system was all right. 1t was
merely that the demands made upon it
were too great.
All night long the ambulances have
been rolling along the Paris streets
every hour for three nights past Often
they rumbled up to the doors of hos
pitals to find frantic surgeons waving
them away at the doors. There was no
longer an inch of space left. In that
case it often happened that room was
requisitioned in private houses. Many
a family has been awakened at mid
night by the arrival of stretcher bear
ers carrying wounded soldiers. It was
only temporary measure. of course,
as the vacant beds in other hospitals
could be located the men were taken
away. But for the moment the anibu-
lance men were forced to get rid of
them. Their own duty was to hurry
back to the railhead for more.
Politicians in Doubt,
A less pleasant featu-e-for the un-
failing welcome that such wounded
were given by the householders upon
whom they were unexpectedly quarter
ed spoke well for the patriotism and
unity of France-was the writings of
politicians at the chambers. Little is
known of this. Nothing has been print
ed Of 1t yet. But It is certain that the
parliamentary outs" wondered wheth-
er they could turn this victory to their
advantage or against the present gov
ernment-the parliamentary "ins." One
heard whisperings everywhere:
WAS IT wise? Can we go on with the
advancea Was 1T just move of poll
tics?"
| The outs" hinted that the Viviani
cabinet has been assailed because of
the manner in which it has "procrasti-
mated" This move was to restore the
government to popular favor. In Eng
land the talk of conscription had back
ed the government into corner. The
loan which had been asked for in the
United States seemed to be going badly.
4 victory would restore the govern
ment to the confidence of the people,
and close the mouths of the. opposition.
There comes a time in every great ad-
vance when the attacking troops must
pause.
They need to consolidate their newly
gained positions, to reverse" the
trenches which have been taken from
the enemy, and which present an un-
parapeted rear to his fire, to. get rid of
the wounded, to bury the dead, to bring
up new troops and more guns and shells
and food. 1t is not possible in this
trench warfare to rush on after a re-
treating enemy as the Germans did aft
er the broken Russian armies over the
wide Galician plains. The enemy has
had time since the attack was launched
to bring up reinforcements and check
the onrush -
Unpleasant Comment Heard.
But. when this pause came one heard
those. unpleasant suggestions. every
where: r"'. Er.
at was but political move. Thou
sands of lives have been sacrificed. 1t
was not the intention to press on. No
real gain has been made. At this rate
we shall never reach Berlin"
No doubt those suggestions had their
effect in restraining French enthusiasm,
but they did not furnish the prime rea-
son for the uuiet with which the good
news was received 1t seems to me that
the French have fastened their eyes
.pon the goal. The. milestones they
pass by the way are of little relative
interest to them. They have set out to
40 their work. and they will press on
ward to che end. There is certainly no
'ack. of courage among them. Even the
outs to whom I have referred are in
no sense douhters. 1t is not that they
eally quarrel with the manner in which
the war has been prosecuted. 1t is
-ather that they wish to have control
They think they can do better than the
"ins"
, At such times it is pleasant to listen
to the soldiers themselves. They are
flushed with victory. They can still see
in their minds eyes the Germans run
ming, and still feel the resistance of the
soft flesh to the keen bayonet They are
gorgeous optimists, these men, If they
fail to convince one, it Is still delight
full to listen to them.
by Christmas" they say, I'VE shall
be in Berlin"
Granted an Absolute Divorce.
Justice Anderson has granted an alb
soIuto divorce to Glenn A Smith from