The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-12

of getting there. He had a stack of
typewriter copy with him as he
talked-part of an article for the Sat
urday Evening Post on the work of
the volunteer American ambulance
corps. I had heard just the day before
that Irwin had got to the front by
ruse. The story was to the effect that
he and another friend, dressed in
French uniforms had been Smuggled
to the front by some friends after he
had failed to receive permission from
the French government.
Irwin's Rumored Trip.
/ told Irwin about his rumored trip.
OF course he was greatly amused, and
then he told me all about 1t, briefly
the weeks he had waited for permis-
sion, the chance by which in the
meantime he got to the Italian front,
then the care with which his creden-
tiaIs were made out, the strict sur
veillance under which he proceeded
thru the French lines, his views of
great aviation camps, ammunition de-
pots, ambulance corps, titanic batteries
of guns hammering at the German
trenches during the allied advance on
the Somme, and how the American
ambulance drivers were cheerfully
risking their lives and their Fords In
most admirable style.
Twins article in the Post can't pos
sibly be more graphic than his brief
account that night, with Mrs. Irwin
sitting there, alternately glowing at
his pictures or shuddering at the pos
sibility Of a stray shell lighting too
near. Here is a unique honeymoon.
1 venture Not everybody can manage
a trip to the Italian and French fronts
and a honeymoon at the same time.
Twins Story.
Twins story of how he got permits
sion to go to the front revealed some
interesting incidents of journalistic
-
started. For example, he tells of how
one day Madame A., the wife of
a new correspondent, met on the
street her warm friend, Madame
b the wife of a veteran Paris jour-
nalist BY some chance Mr.. A had
received permission to go to the front,
whereas the other man; older in ex-
perience and long a resident of Paris,
was still denied that privilege. As
Madame A tells the story, Il ex
claimed unthinking to Madame B.
| All, Madame B; what good news.
My husband has at last received per-
mission to go to the front The next
moment I could have bitten off my
/ tongue, for 1 had forgotten that her
husband was also trying to get there
/ All, Madame, she replied, stiffening-
I Your husband is indeed to be con-
graduated and whisk-off she went,
head N the air. She hasn't spoken to
me SINCE
Correspondents in Batches.
So, of course, there is =. long wait
ing list of correspondents DESTROYS of
seeing the real stuff. At irregular
pull are good enough, the fortunate
ones are taken out in patches of five
or six. So far only a few big fellows
and the representatives of large press
have enjoyed unusual privileges. The
press bureau is always anxious to get
all the publicity possible on certain
operations IN the war zone, but has to
| conform to what is deemed military
necessity. The French are not taking
any chances about letting military
! secrets leak out.
AS L said before; Irwin is a prince,
| and his wife, his feminine counterpart.
The thing that fingers with me about
that interview and my butting-in is
4 the fact that / needed a shine very
badly, but SO far 1 have not found a
Greek shining parlor in all of Paris.
| Why doesn't some shrewd Yankee put
f, in string of Greek parlors here
| There is also need of some good NOV
ing picture shows at popular prices.
| l thought there would be nickel
show on every corner here, but one
really has to hunt to find one. 1
might also mention the need of fly
swatters. If 1 knew how to say swat
/ the fly in French, I'd shout it from
the housetops-
Paris Newspapers Good.
| I find the Paris papers very good
reading The New York Herald and
the London Daily Mail issue editions
| here in English OF course, the Her
aid is strongly pro-ally and anti-Wil-
son. The Mail prints the best stories
from soldiers back from the front
that have read since the war began.
! They are positively blood-curdling. the