The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1915-07-15

Idly, through vertical and horizontal
planes, The ship had come lower than
usual, and It's noise just above my roof
was thunderous. No one knows just
when he will be summoned to his
midnight window to learn that the
clamoring visitor without is bent on
something other than the preservation
of the peace Of Paris. However, the
Partisan seems to like his almost
nightly excitement, and there are no
lines on the faces in the streets the
next day to show that fear and anxiety
have been using their knives to cut
burrows.
came to Paris direct from London.
Friends in America and in England
had said that the passage of the chan
mel was dangerous. had been told
on leaving the United States that
there was a good chance the ship of
passage would be sunk by submarine
before Liverpool was sighted.
No Enemy In Sight.
There was more perturbation
among the friends of the passengers
on shore than there was among the
passengers. The boat which brought
me to Boulogne from Folkestone went
at terrific pace. The channel pas
sage almost always is disagreeable,
but on the day that l came over IL
was the reverse of disagreeable, and
as far as the eye could determine, it
was the reverse of dangerous, but the
eye cannot see into the depths. &
At any rate, no vessel was seen
which sails under, on, or over the seas
and which would have been bent on
the destruction Of a boat flying the
English flag and carrying some sol
diers among its passengers. One
could hardly get thrill from thinking
of danger on such a beautiful day.
The channel was almost CLASSY in its
look. One channel boat has made one
passage at least on which no traveller
had so much as hint of seasickness.
Boulogne today is held largely by
the British. 1t Is a hospital base for
the English wounded. Last, year, just
as the war was breaking out, the
French people of Boulogne were fear
full that England would content itself
with fighting on the sea and would
not send troops to help France. There
was great anxiety in Boulogne, and
there was whispering that the English
government would not do its utmost.
and that its soldiers were to stay at
home. Then one morning a change
came over Boulogne. English trans
ports bearing troops were seen COM
ing out of the channel haze. Boulogne,
fisherfolk and merchant folk, went
the cry. 1t is probable that soldiers
never In the world before, except when
relieving some beleaguered city, had
so warm a welcome. y
See Soldiers Everywhere.
From Boulogne to Paris the railroad
runs south and southeast. A part Of
the road runs through country which
the Germans penetrated last August.
There are few traces only of their
temporary occupation. The French
themselves, however, in order to i'm
pede the foe, had destroyed some
bridges, and these today are only just
about again ready for use. The train
in which l travelled passed through
Amiens, where 1t was within consid
erably less than thirty miles of the
present firing line. Peronne, which is
only little way over plain and hill
from Amiens, is today In possession Of
the German forces. A few hours after
I had left Amiens a German aeroplane
sailed over the place and dropped
bombs.
All along the line from Boulogne to
Paris one sees soldiers. There are
engineer troops and others engaged in
the work Of railroad guarding, and In
some cases of railroad maintenance
1t is a constant moving picture of war
time color. In the fields of France the
women, the children and the old men
are at the nurture of the crops. Their
task Is just as vital to the well-being
of any country as is the hard duty of
the men at the front.
Into Paris l come at dusk. Many
of the street lamps are out, the shades
are drawn at the windows and the
great French capital is shrouded and
almost silent. War even today Is not
far removed from the citys walls.