Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-25
~, ,.Eun,.E BERNARD SHAW.

Not long before the war. was re.
turning from Germany through Nosscs
not tied 10 time in any way. and pleas
ms myself a. to my route took
pomremy on my way for the sake OF
81. Joan "f Arc. and Rheims for ;he
sake Of it's datclcssly unique French
sculpture. especially NirGin. whom
intended some day 10 pu, into a PLAY
spent an evening In French gar
rison town. and reelected. not for the
frs, time for my tour had taken me
through 7oul and its warlike frontier
region AT It's outsetl. on the combina
ton OF hard-beaten efficiency and sud
den readiness and danSerousneSs. with
an extra ordinary rccklcssness of every
thing else, including appearances. ex-
h'h'ted by the French army in peace
time. They never brushed ihcir clothes:
they never cleaned their horses or
their wagons or their guns. They said
that Frcnchman Is never clean and
always ready. Implying unmistaka bly,
that an Ensiishman is always clean
and never ready.
compared them with rho endless
column Of German soldiers 7 had seen
not long before one morning in Tricr
'Trevcsr lowing down the street to
a sentimental German tune in a march
that was almost a dance. so prcttily
they swung THAR bodies to II, The
convention is that the Frenchman Is a
born dancer. and the German stiff
"ned. ovcr-drii!ed ramrod -swallower;
hut here was tho German. Uillowy and
musical. and the Frcnchman brusouc
contcmptuous Of the sraces. doing
everything with Jerk and a snap. as
r there wore nothing In tho world 10
ne considered except setting i, done.
Judged. il seems rightly.
that the Fr-nchman would be very
formidable fighter. And thought IL
pity that the German should be
soldering. which was evidently not
his line. though thought that he too
would hc devoted and difficult to con-
oucr A. for ourselves. | could not
think about us at all We are so out :
raE"ously thouEhtless that we defy
thought. Wc should have been work
ing as hard at our military business
as the French and Germans were: but
We would not listen 10 q word about
them. and were quite content to take
friShtful chances. We have had our
usual luck with them. but we have
not deserved II from the military point
OF view. and. indeed. have not got off
without paving dearly for our laziness.
THE WESTERN FRONT
BEFORE THE WAR
At Rheims II occurred 10 me that {
had never seen Yprcs, and that | had
Belgian uiptych IN my pocket. SO.
instead OF making straight for Bou-
losne. turned north. through Ham,
Raraumc. Arras lille aud Ypres, little
knowing That II VAS my last chance
Of seeing them as they were found
ArraS spanish town. dating from
the days OF Alva. with little square
that made M" wonder how big the
great square could bc II this was in
deed the little one. It's facades, made
up Of rows of ornamental gable ends,
wcr. unlik" anything else in France
that mad seen. and though its cathe-
dral was pseudo-cla ssical in the Renas-
c"ncc manner, which is a trinc better
than the eighteenth century or Dublin
manner, there was q medieval town
hall
iprcs was altogether charming As
emerged from the Vlam.rtince road
and saw the cloth Hall ii was noon
~ fine and pleasant day, and the
carlton was ringing on, a delightful
tune IN way that would have de-
lighted Couperln II was Flemish in
it's 2aYety and French N it's briliiancy
"f tone and ELEGANCE Of execution |
stopped the car and listened quite en-
chant"d, unJiI il was over.
Then went 10 tho Hotel dc la
thatcIIenie, IN the erca, square. at the
cast end ~ the o'lotn Hall. and had my
d"j"un"r. followed 10y the usual arGu-
meni with the hostess, who supposed
that was vegetarian for the sake Of
economy. and had reduced her table
dhoie price accordingly When had
convinced her that was millionaire
SWING extra troubi" and prepared 10
pay on that basis. We parted in high
good humor and. after seeing the
cathedral. made my way round by
furncs. Dunkirk and Calais TO Rou-
lorn". Wiling the last evening stretch
Of the journey by nventing play on
,h" Eodin theme OF THE Bursesses Of
Calais. which. lrke-the play abou, the
Rheims virgin. have never written
down ana perhaps never will II was
Ct very agreeable day. and left mo with
a Vcry pleasant memory of Ypres
VIZ. sniW'S WAR
VIEW or WIRES
have seen fpres again This time.
'hoGch sun superannuated civilian.
] "as m Khaki, like everybody else bv
way 81 camounaGc. / camc not
through Lille and Nlamcrtingc. but
from som where in France" b. a
NOR" westerly road was not an idle
tourist Was "a government guest:
anu the EoN"rnment was not the Bel
gran tut the British government on
my way discarded my cap. and, like
ION ~u'Aoi" "onncd the helmet OF
Namhriuo. Nnd / stuck INTO my cars
a pat "f seeming black collar studs.
Nh',h G'd not prevent my hearing any.
hmm Nm. n-n 1rn.-.u. - s.-.-..l -. :.