The Mena weekly star., 1916-05-18
FRENCH GROWING MORE CONFIDENT
Battle of Nerdun Has Moral Effect on People, Paris Declares--lselig- ious Controversies Are Quieted
 and Socialists Decide Go Stick.

Paris. May l5. The Battle of Yer dun appears to have had a greet moral effect in France. It has turned attention from the irritating discussion over the details of the conduct of the war and has cut short an incipient revival of part sian spirit in parliament and in the press. which had been favored by the relative statgnation at the front Also it seems to have diminished the number of pessimists and hence in- creased French confident in the final outcome.
 They have shot their bolt is q frequent commentary heard in thf places where two months ago there were nervous complaints as to the prolongation of hostilities. "Thes can do no more than they have done. which is far from enough ever to shake the French army"
 Shortly before the Germans at- lacked yerdun some radical and socialist papers attacked the priests the clerieals and the easy class charging them with shiring arduous and dangerous missions. No priest or aristocrat, they said, had ever been seen in a trench. They also accused them of aiding and abetting the Germans after having helped to bring on the war in the hope that a disaster to France would over throw the republican or parliament ary regime. They accused them of sending money to Germany to sub- scribe to the German war loans. A wineshop keeper of the Department of Lot who repeated these aecus- tions was prosecuted and sentenced to three years imprisonment and was fined 1000 francs.
 Adam Draws storm.
 The campaign against the priests and clericals was even taken up by such a conspicuous writer as Mon sieur Paul Adam, who made similar charges in the leading radical news papers of the South of France, the Depeche de Toulouse. and drew up- on himself a storm of protest. The Battle of Verdun did far more to stop the campaign than the convic- ton Of the wineshop man of Lot and the protests against the articles of Monsieur Paul Adam. It has, perhaps, accomplished even more than the letter of the Premier Mon- sieur Briand declaring that all such calumnies should be punished Today all parties. including the so- eialists who have just renewed their declaration in favor of a war to thu bitter end, are working in harmony
 About two months ago it was pos sible to witness such incidents as that which took place in the center of a Paris cafe. Two soldiers in stained uniforms, smacking of the front, were taking their morninp coffee in retired corner -modestly and inconspiciously as is the way with the men who have seen real service. They were concealed from two civilians who were discussing the war. I've had my fill of it. said one of the civilians. Its about time it was brought to finish Ii the generals in command can't dc it they ought to he replaced.n
 One of the soldiers rose to his feet and confronted the pessimist My good friendN he said, you must have had hard time of it When were you mustered out? Tell us what you've done in the war and what the wars done to you to give you such a tired feeling" The civilian eulped down the rest oi his coffee and rushed out of the cafe without replying.
 Today the cafe conversations are all about some exploit around Yer dun and what will happen to the Germans if they persist in their ef- fort to take the ancient stronghold
 There is also less discussion of the high cost of living than two months ago. although there has been no ap- preciaDle easing of prices. This too, is accounted for by the heroic resistance of the army.