Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-07-26

We had tried other means, but NJ
one can realize how hopeless an dn
dertaking it is over here at this
time to try to secure such {
privilege, unless he tries. In Paris
where We met the Vicomtesse de
Rancougne, also engaged in work
for the Belgian soldiers, who is al
so a friend of the Vanderveldes, she
expressed to us her frank amaze
ment that We should get such pri
vilege.
Patterson of the Chicago Tribune
and McCutcheon, had been to her
to secure her aid to get them to
the Belgian front, but she was un-
able to thus assist them. Regula-
tions get stricter with every passing
day. Where even a year ago, cor
respondents were able to get to the
front, now it is almost impossible.
| At Calais, and DMnkerque, we had TO
pass three detectives, English, Frencl
and Belgian. But a full account of all
our vicissitudes will follow later,
in due order, just now we are at the
beginning. Only let it be said, that
We succeeded in getting What We
started out for. But we do not wish
to seem in any way boastful in any
thing. We know that a higher pow
or than that of any government on
earth, was working fer US, for we
were not seking our, but His glory,
So we want to place the credit for
all where it must forever belong.
But M. and Nine. Vandervelde were
human agents, together with the
Queen of Belgium and Belgian Cap
tain Of the Engineers, in bringing
these things to pass, and even now
after three months have elapsed, as
I write these articles. the wonder Of
it all grows upon me.
After receiving our authorization to
visit the front, which really read, to
visit LaPanne, we lost no time in
making our preparations for depart
ure. We cut down our luggage as
much as possible, but carried with
us when We left London the first
day Of March, plenty OF warm things,
for we knew we should need them
all La Panne, Belgium, We knew was
right on the sea, and in travel thru
France, We remembered that practi-
cally every hotel even in the coun-
try places, had central heating. That
farther means, that between the
hours of eight and ten at night, the
radiator slowly warns to comfort
able degree of heat, remains in that
condition for all of a half hour,
then good bye to all heat until the
next night. And probably on Sunday
they will give you no heat at all;
because it is Sunday suppose, al
though the French do not observe
the day after any other fashion.
But the French cannot be blamed for
not keeping very warm these days,
Fo everywhere that we were snt, in =
with the Germans in possession OF
most Of their coal mines.
We carried with us as We set out,
a huge box of warm things for Bel
gian soldier boys whom we meet at L
Panne. These had been donated by
different friends, and were almost
all hand knitted things, as well as
several pairs of puttes, or leggings
contributed by manufacturer.
The quantity of official papers we
had as we set out was truly appalling
There was beside our American pass
port, two different kinds of French
passport two or more Belgian auth
orisaticns, and every city in France
and unconquered Belgium, m,that we Wis
tied afterward added another quota,
For wherever that we went, in the
war zcne, the police waited upon Us,
Or we We're notified to wait upon
them, where We were put through
stiff examination and given our pa
pers of permission to pass stated
length of time IN that city. But
these woes shall also be mentioned
later. But before leaving London,
we had written over fifty letters to
our different boys at the Belgian
front, telling them the date of our
visit to La Panne and asking them
to meet us while there, for that was
the real objective Of our visit. So
we set out happy in the prospect Of
the happy reunion that lay ahead.