The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-04
WIELDER Of Fen
IS W0MEN'S IDOL
Editorial Writer Most Popular
Man Among the Fair
Ones in France. =
BARES FOIBLES OF SOUL
Issues Strong Appeal to All Patriotic
Frenchmen. Irrespective of
Party.
BARES FOlBLES OF SOUL

April Oil you dch =" HO az
the most popular man among womer
in Paris today. nine women out of ter
will unhcsitatingly answer Maurice
Barrcs, who has far outdistanced Pres.
ident Poincare or Paul Bourget, the
greak student of the heart feminine.
What the Parisienne admires ir
Barres is. first of all. his unflinchins
patriotism, his strongly virile opinions
on anything that touches the welfare
of the nation. his magnificent courage
and the brilliant way in which
first page of L'Echo de Paris, hs
guides public opinion toward the
highest and most ideal goal.
So strong is this brilliant writer
that he does not even hesitate to lay
bare the passing weaknesses. of his
soul. his short alterations from the
course he had once mapped out fol-
himself
Recently he has issued strong ap-
peal to all patriotic Frenchmen, ire
spective of party. to unite under the
standard of the Ligue des Patriotes
and counteract the small group of in
ternationalst dreamers in whose pusil.
Luminous sympathy with the suffering
of German people he sees a danger
to the future of France.
Saw Frrn Goal.
IA the beginning of the war" Ire
says. Il thought that the Ligue des
Patriotes had lost its raison detre,
and that. spurred on by the PREACHER
Gus assault upon us by Germany, all
France would unite to drive out the
invaders and take back Alsace-Lor-
raine, and when that had been done
Franch should have reached the goal
of her ambition.
The clock tower of StrassburE, 1
said to myself. is the goal 1t is now
almost within sight of our armies at
the front. and before long we shall
he able to use the $4,000 francs COL
lected by admirers of the late Paul
Deroulode to raise statue of him at
Strassburg. The day that is done our
task shall have been done These
were my thoughts, which [ expressed
in words ] stood 1T his grave at
Saint Cloud last November ,.
Il was surprised to find that my
friends did not agree with me, and
what they said made me modify my
plan without changing my views l
was beginning to think that they
might he right, ana that the league
might still be useful when throughout
the country were heard voices that
did not ring true. and which. perhaps
without knowing it. served Germany
and pleaded Germany's cause.
These voices asked for a rcferen-
dunn in AlsaceLorraine. and TO settle
the destinies of the left bank of the
Rhine, they insisted. VIC must con-
slider, l do not know what ideologies,
instead OF making the necessity of
guarding the safety of France and
Belgium the starting point of every
discussion.
Ola -cd for Org zation.
From everywhere French men and
women wrote me. We must have ~
organiza ton, and no better can be
found than the Ligue DIES Patriotes.
You must not say that it should dis
appear at the very moment when we
all going to join. IT appeals TO
al! classes and all parties, and makes
a possible reunion of all the French
men and women who demand that this
dreadful war should regenerate
France and end in peace only after
glorious victory
Preparation and guarantees are
what France demands today, or. as q
French officer writes to me from the
front. For three days we In the fore
most trenches have heard the Ger
mans ring the church bells, our French
church bells. to celebrate their imaei-
us take a holy oath, We will have
revenge, we will stop only when the
beast has been muzzlcd. so that it can
neither bite nor threaten our CHI
dren."'
This is what all France must de-
ma nd-the disarmament of Germany
and absolute security for our children
and grandchildren. We must disarn
Germany to save France"
who never for a single moment loses
sight Of his aim is Irresistible to the
French woman. Hence NJ Maurice
Barres today stands adorned by the
entire womanhood of France.
FRI -c's -inor Idols.
OF course. besides this universally
hero. the women of France !
have their minor male idols, and TO !
be accounted among these you must |
be brave, wear a military uniform |
and be bearded
Every officer and private who re-
turns TO Paris from the front wears
beard Too much occupied in fight
ns 10 bestow thought on their t.
cial appearance. they allowed their /
boards to grow. They got accus-
lomed TO hirsute pendants. and did |
not consider it worth while to re-
move them when they came to Paris.
Unknowingly. they set fashion.
W omen no longer will look at
face So Furness to
The Nosges every man wears a beard.
For woman the beard means that a
nan has fought for his country. and
[ Is prophesied that the new fashion
Will last for two seasons at least
ifter peace has been concluded. and
I Will be for men a mode as glorious
Is was the necktie a la Steinthal
Ifter the brilliant victory won over
he Statthalter by the Due de Ven
lone.
All Believe in -ctOry. l.
TO any one not living in France IL
$ impossible to form an idea of the
normous enthusiasm with which
oldiers OF all classes go to the front l,
ND the absolute certainty of ultimate
'lctory which pervades the whole ma
ion.
Yesterday at the Northern Railway
tation, while the young soldiers were
departing for the front, I met an old
volunteer. who had evidently been
rounded, and who was now returning
o the trenches in the Argonne. His
ace interested me, and entered into
with him,
He told me that he had been wound.
q at Arras, had spent many weeks IN
hospital. and had then been given
hree months leave of absence to re-
over his strength. Six weeks later.
oweyer. he declared he had had
nough.
Three months" he said, might h.
III right for q young fellow, but NOT ,