Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-27
PRIEST OF vOYENNEs
Continued from Page One)

that France would fight five years and
more if necessary. Sometimes, they
laughed scornfully at this, but lately
they could not contain their fury that
the war was lasting SO long"
And did the people suffer much 2"
he was asked.
"Ah, yes, he replied. Our food did
not last long. Then we had to work
for the Germans and take what they
gave us. Sometimes it was so bad that
even the cats refused to eat. Then the
Americans began to feed us and that
saved thousands of lives. Our people
are very grateful.
But let us not dwell on the physi-
cal side today, but speak of the ment
al and moral anguish we endured, for
1t seemed like the span Of 100 years.
1t has left us all but imbecile. | scarce
can keep my vagrant thoughts to-
gether."
Last Sunday when early mass was
over the German commandant at Voy-
ennes appeared at the church with
party of soldiers bearing petrol cans.
He bluntly told the priest that he was
tired of the war and, as one means of
tIic CII IlIdliCl, Hc NdS SO-
ing to burn the church. The priest
thought it was a cruel jest, until he
was escorted to his house and held
prisoner there. He was compelled to
look on impotently while the inflam
mable liquid was sprayed about and
the torch applied in a dozen places. OF
all the ancient interior, only the wood
en- crucifix against the altar wall, by
some strange freak, escaped the flames.
Late at night the Germans rode
away. Not another building in all Voy
ennes was touched.
But" said the old priest, Il lived
to see the German spirit break, from the
unspeakable arrogance of their first on
slaught and threat toward the Parish,
until few days ago an officer met me
in the street and said: Father. we are
lost ] have done much in this war that
rests heavily on my conscience, but I
have done it under orders. l dare not
disobey.'
II told him that he surely would be
absolved for he was not to blame.
There were others of higher station who
must answer to their God
when the Germans first came. the
commander sought me and said that the
people Of Voyennes had fired on his
troops and that reparations would be
demanded. 1t was the same old story.
and 1 told him it was lie. that we had
no firearms; that If shots were fired it
was done by German troops as an ex
cuse to make US suffer. The commander
did not carry out his threat. We have
had many commanders since then. and
one and all, they have ruled their men
with a discipline of iron. Some of the
officers treated their subordinate like
dogs; they said the men were their
slaves, and the French would be. |
saw an officers one day, without reason
whatever. cuff his orderly so hard that
the mans eye was black for a week.
The soldiers only reply was to click
his heels together and come to salute.
Some of the villagers asked the men
why they submitted to such treatment.
They replied that they were helpless
now as part of a military machine but
when the war was over. their time
would come. For a long time now the
German soldiers have hal no coffee and
their rations have been growing less
and less. l tell you with all solmenity
that when the war is ended there win
be reckoning. and Germany will know
a blood-red revolution.
THE best commander we had was the
one before the last. who spent Is years
in America and married an American
girl. He has tasted the joys of liberty
in a free country. and his every act. no
matter how stern, was touched with
kindness. He spared us much For two
years and a half we have been out of the
world. and will probably never catch up
THE Germans distributed a paper they
printed called the Gazette des Ardennes.
but we would not read its extravagant
falsehoods and accusations against our
country. One day We obtained French
paper. We knew then that Paris had not
fallen and would not fall We knew the
glory Of Verdun. OF America we knew.
only that Roosevelt was urging the great
nation to come in.
we knew last autumn of the battles
OF the Somme. for we saw wounded Ger
mans coming back until the roads SEEM
ed choked with mangled men. We saw
other thousands going back to the
trenches after brief rest and heard