The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-21
TEUT0NS POSSESS
App aren't HATRED
OF ALL CHURCHES
Penfeld States Catholic Ed
ifices Are Especially Tar
gets for Cannon.

States and reached New York on
Wednesday, night, gave a statement
yesterday with regard to his personal
observations in the zone of northern
France evacuated by the Germans.
The trip. which took him to the fir
ing line. was made only two weeks
ago.; and Mr.. Penfield characterized
the behavior of the Germans toward
the population as "barbarity and
fiendishness'' and their destruction of
fruit and shade trees as systematic
numbering of nature" With regard
to conditions in Qua. Monarchy the
Ambassador Is unwilling to speak at
present, for he has not yet reported
to Washington: but he does not hold
out any prospect of immediate COLI
lapse in Austria-Hungary.
II cannot speak of conditions in
Austrfa-Hungary," said Mr. Penfield,
before seeing Secretary of State Lam
sing and comforting with the Presi-
dent. But while it is no secret that
the distress in the Dual Monarchy is
very great, it must not be assumed
that the people are at the end of
their resources. The masses know
little that is transporting in the outer
world, because the censored press
tells them nothing that is detrimen-
tai to Teutonic interests.
1.-THE people are fed readily with
statements meant to prove the mill
tary and political strength of. the Gen.
trail Powers, While, England and
France are always described as in a
state approaching collapse
Few Americans remain in Austria.
fifty or sixty, I should say. These jim
clude representatives of American in
surance companies and commercial
houses as well as a few persons dwell
ling In the Tyrol. whose long absence
from America amounts practically to
expatriation. All received, the chance
to come away on the embassy train.
Few bona fide Americans remain in
Hungary, but there are hundreds of
naturanzed citizens dwelling in > the
Magyar land. The government an.
nounced weeks since that no Amert-
| can remaining in Austria-Hungary
who n conducted himself properly
would be troubled. Is,
"Our journey from Vienna to Par
is was made in special salon cars at
tached to express trains, and through
out the journey my wife and I re-
ceived every official courtesy that
i could possibly be shown us. At the
| Swiss frontierSwe were met by a mill
tary delegation representing the Swiss
government, who escorted us to Gem
eva. 1t seemed strange to find our
selves in neutral country where ev-
cry second man was not in uniform.
4 The most interesting thing was told
| in Geneva was that the cost of the
Swiss mobilization, forced upon a
people not engaged in the war, was
ESQ francs per capita. This means a
billion francs for a war in which
| Switzerland is not a participant.
I'm France my wife and were al
most made the guests of the nation,
SO great was the satisfaction over the
saw the United States acclaimed in
Paris, and at the Hotel de Vile took
part in the session of the city govern
i ment called to do honor to Ambas-
sador Sharp as the representative of
President Wilson and the American
| government
i That day. and for a week follow
4 ing Paris was gay with American
flags and the enthusiasm seemed
i boundless.
by invitation of Premier Ribot I
went to the French front to witness
the great drive slowly but surely fore
ing the German. invaders from French
soil, and to view the area recently
evacuated by the Germans. Secre-
tary Frazier of the American embas-
sly and were sent in military auto
mobile in charge of a high official
from the Foreign office. We had
been told much of the ruthless devas-
tation, prompted by military neces--
sity or custom; but no oral account
could give more than suggestion of
what we saw that ,oay.
Y 1--WE travelled practically all over
the department of the Aisne, and ap-
preached to within eight miles Of the
lines OF the German Crown Prince
near St Quentin. A terrific artillery
| battle was in progress. Many obser-
!, walton balloons were above lis and
military filters seemed battling as
, fiercsly in the sky as were the artil-
lerists from their hidden positions.
We visited Noyon. Peronne, Ham,
Couchy, Chauny1n fact practically
every town on the west and Verdun
!, on the east. Scores of towns and vii
lagos isolated cflateaus and factories
, were RACED to the ground The entire
Aisne department seemed DESTROYED
beyond repair
THE Germans appeared to have
an antfpathy to Cathgolic churches, for
battsring had reduced all to shane
less piles of debris. The destruction
everywhere was complete, outrag-
. eous. ffendish. During the day we
saw no living native to the land-no
cow, sneep, or horses, no dog, cat, or
, fowl.
I'VE visited many Stately chatea,s
, that had been destroyed heyond
mans ability to repair. At one place
t we found the private chapel Of a his
torfc family Of France whose coffins
, had been opened by vandals search
, ing for plumber. Everywhere French
soldiers told us that it had been onIv
five weeks earlier when the rout OF
. the Germans had become SO urgent
. that they fastened through villages
Plundering and burning as thew went
but not until all art objects and
, furniture Of value had been dispatch
ed beyond the Rhine.
Critics Of Germany claim that one
has but to visit the northern depart-
ments of France to learn that the re-
finement of baFbarism is not confined
to Germany's program on the seas
for it is expressed in the invaded
zone of France in manner causine
lrevulsion to witness. From every
town and village men and women had
been driven into Germany like ami
mails by the infatuated and beaten
Teutons.
/ "As I saT the destruction end
thought of the generosity of nv conn
Ltry people I wondered If liberal
[Auericans would not he clos