Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-04-29
Former Resident
Thinks War Will
@~ End by This Fail

Mrs, Charles Fl. Norton, a former
resident of this city, and wife OF an
old time conductor on both the Iowa
Central and Northwestern out Of this
city, has just returned to her home IN
Omaha from her native land-France.
Mrs. Norton thinks the European
war will come to an end this fali.
Naturally she believes that the allies
will be victorious. Her views and i'm
pressions of the war are told In the
Omaha Bee of Thursday. which says:
THE war will surely end this fall.
the French people believe. They feel
they could not endure another such
winter as the last one-but they VIII
win.' was the paradoxical exclama-
ton of Mrs. Charles HI. Norton, 2S06
North Sixty-second avenue. Benson,
who has just returned from seven
months stay in France. at times being
just forty miles from the firing line.
Mrs. Norton. who was Angelo
Marcy, a French woman. prior to her
marriage. braved the dangers of the
sea to reach France last September.
7 couldn't stand 1t here any longer.
had to go abroad to see my peo-
pie Three cousins I have already
wounded l went on the French mail
liner Espagne. bound for Bordeaux,
and returned on the same boat. Part
of the time our cabins were locked ana
we slept on deck, fully clothed, and
with life preservers bound about us,
the lifeboats all ready to be manned al
a moments notice in case of danger.
All lights were darkened and we We're
constantly apprised by wireless mes
sages when We were in danger zones
Visited the Wounded.
while in France Mrs. Norton visited
the wounded soldiers in hospitals con-
Quoted by her uncle. One of them was
formerly a seminary, but was hastily
converted into a hospital at the out
break of the war. One is at Belfors and
another near Nancy. The soldiers
never lose their spirit. They sing and
laugh and joke. and as soon as they are
recovered even little. they spend their
time In basket making, embroidering
and even sewing, just like the women
But the women of France! They
are glorious.' exclaimed Mrs. Norton.
with all the gestures and verve OF the
typical F'renchwoman. They hav"
slipped right in to fill the places of men
gone off to war. They fill the shops
and stores run elevators and street
cars, have gone into the ammunition
factories and yes, even clean the
streets. Nothing is too difficult for
them to undertake.
GIarine Results of War.
The women in mourning weeds ana
the number of crippled men who walk
the streets. armless, limhless. noseless,
or with half a face blown away-these
are the glaring results of the war apa
parent on the surface. according I"
Mrs. Norton. Otherwise. life and bust
ness go on just the same. the people
having grown accustomed to conditions
by this time. AT the outbreak of the
war I was told that things were alto
gether different Everything was sus-
pended and pandemonium reigned. The
war had come so Unexpectedly upon
them. she said.
They Love Americans.
"'Oh. but the French people love the
Americans for all that has been done
Tor them. On every hand are proofs
OF gratitude and regard for US. The
American flag is displayed everywhere.
and especially is it noticeable IL the
theaters. The most popular act depicts
an American woman visiting in France
and being accorded all honors-they
sing American songs, and IN countless
ways show little courtesies to Amerl-
can people. Here is the only place
music is heard. Its note is hushed in
all the cafes. parks and public places
Mrs. Norton came to this country
when a girl of Is. She made three
trips abroad. Her husband, who went
to New York to meet her last week, is
a retired employe Of the Northwestern
lines"