The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-12
READY FOR FRONT
Herbert Flint, State Journal
Correspondent, Is Anxious.
"W0n't Be Any Climbing Out
of Trenches by Christmas"
HAD VISIT WITH WILL IRWIN
Interesting Conversation With
Well Known Writer.
Newspapers in War Zone Most
Fascinating, He Says.
HAD VISIT WITH WILL IRWIN
BY HERBERT FLINT.
State Journal Correspondent.

Paris, France, July 10 am row
busy trying to get permission from
the French government to see some
thing of the front and other such
things not open to the general pub
lie: trenches, ruined territory, hos
pita1 trains. schools for mutiles,
ammunition depots, aviation camps,
and so on, but am uncertain yet as to
what privileges 1 will get. Locally the
woods are full of correspondents, big
fry and small potatoes, from VIII r.
win down to me. OF course we are all
clamoring, begging; praying to be all
lowed to go to the front. And the
French officials in charge of the
propaganda bureau which sends news
favorable to France to the outer
world would like to send US all. But
the military officials at the front
think very differently. So here most
of US pine away-some new arrivals
like me, but a lot of others residents
in Paris for a year, two years or
maybe more, without ever getting near
the smell of powder. Problem: If it
took Irwin two years to get to the
front, how long will it take me?
l say this because I learned yester-
day that Irwin was staying at the
Hotel Regina I didn't know him per
sonally, nor did he have the honor OF
my acquaintance, but at the suggestion
of Merle Thorpe. of the K. L. school
VI ~ III IdliS1fls WAOIn L met IN WASH
ington, 1 went up and butted in on
Irwin.
In 1900 Model Lift.
gave the attendant-there are no
young impertinent bell hops here
my name and sent up a request for an
audience. To my surprise 1 got the
signal to come ahead. assembled five
stories in a 1900 model one cylinder
elevator run by an ex-cab driver, and
finally located the proper room. Now
wouldn't have known Irwin had !
met him alone in the middle of a
Kansas wheat field, but when the
door opened I liked the looks of the
red and-curly-headed man who open
ed it.
Apparently he was used to meeting
stray Americans. for I did look a bit
tough, or else he has learned to be
polite since coming to France At any
rate, he took me, and ushered me
down toward his suite of rooms with
more of pride than resentment, !
thought. What was wrong with the
/ turned : corner into a brightly
lighted room and there sat Mrs Irwin,
bride only since New Years, all tog-
, ged out, waiting to receive me.
Lone American Welcome
I saw 1 couldn't four-flush with her
there; so when 1 got thru suffering
my pleasure at meeting her 1 made a
clean breast of my impertinence in
butting in on a honeymoon in such
a fashion and called for my sentence.
Instead of kicking me down the back
stairs, however, the Irwins gave me
the sort of friendly treatment that
lone Americans in foreign lands, sell
dom receive when they butt in. In
cidentally Irwin put me next to how to
go about getting favors from the
French press bureau.
He had Just got back from a three
days trip to the front in which he
saw about everything. It was his first
after two years of this war; so I was
thoroly encouraged at my prospects