Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-21
POILUS' HEROISM
MASKED IN SMOKE
Homeric Deeds Unregistered, Un-
recorded, in the Defense of the
Craonne Plateau
BY HENRI BAZIN
Special Correspondent Of the Evening Ledger N
Frdnce)

| Especial Correspondent Of the Evening Ledger ~
| Frdncc)
PARIS. July &c.
WHEN one has passed an afternoon In Q
w tree observatory platform before
panorama whose center was as vast
smoking inferno where thousands OF men
full in the face Of death, were fighting with
all their energies amid cratered ground
that was n target for unclaimed engines OF
destruction, one is struck with the unre-
corded herolsm that must have been lived
out there, hidden behind the veil of smoke
and flame of the last four day7
How many episodes, tragic. 'ic, SOUL
stirring, must have come into Being and
passed into tho beyond without register
episodes and incidents in which courage,
presence Of mind, quick thinking, quicker
action, sacrifice and devotion played desper-
ate part The idea came suddenly to me- as
looked yesterday and the day before upon
a seeming veritable string Of volcanic erup-
tions that, screened from my sight by
smoke and fire, were not only all these
things ! here record but all the tales &.
poesy and literature reportraycd, all the
to the Civil War.
For there had been combined action. ac-
tion that had decided something that had to
be decided for France, and the United states,
too involving death for those who made 1t
possible, action in which a dozen men did
the supreme thing at the supreme moment.
action where one man had given his life
for another thing equally supreme. There
had been technical and strategical action,
part of the game, which, in due course, VIII
be reported to the high command as orders
carried out, even though the grim reaper
barred the way. There had been, too. deeds
that are sealed in lips dead other deeds
done by those who had died in u" doing.
And it seemed to me IL was reflection of
this character that made one feel impotent
in attempt at description Of even portion
of this battle, which for days and nights
has been raging before me, that brought
the thought that between men of France VINO
are making war for the right with every
ounce of their all. In intelligence, courage,
devotion and sacrifice. and !, who Witness
cd in but relative danger, or whosoever
sitting comfortably upon a porch chair
reads my all too feeble and incomplete rec
ords, there was a wide and unfathomable
abyss.
Islands of Resistance
I wanted ere returning to Paris, the
opportunity of touching the hands in pro-
found respect the hands of few poilus
who had borne the brunt of this Craonne
attack Some in particular. that in the
California Classmates salient held true
where their comrades on either side had
been compelled to give way under the feroc-
ity of German attack, who had remained,
forming as il were, little islands of resist
ance separated by tiny space from the
enemy for, in one instance, thirty-six hours
under n rain of fire from Boche and French
artillery, holding on, and, in due course,
taking part in the fnal drive of the devil
back to his own lines.
But I could not. They were still in their
newly redeemed trenches, still under fire,
still on the job, with a capital j.
My way back to Paris led 10 another and
calmer section of the front, where we took
train. Here we stopped to witness the re-
view Of a division by General Petain. The
men whom he was to honor, IL any honor
could be done these brave warriors, stood at
salute as so many statues, cavalry, in
fantry artillery, engineers, with every uni
form un-spick and un-span, hut every gun
shining brightly and at their head their
three bands, and their three flags of France.
These were of the men, ! thought, who had
past before my eyes. A week past, these
before me had been on the firing line. With
in a day or two days, they would be on the
firing line again. ready. when occasion
called, to do exactly that which l had seen
their fellows do these last four days.
Reviewed by Petain
Suddenly the commander -in-Chief ap-
peared with his staff, his rank being saluted
IL. Isr
countenance was fun of nobility and, to me
rich in thought as to what these men before
him We're. wNnt they had done, what they
would do ar IN After the review, the same
divisional review | have often witnessed In
this war behind the lines or within sound oi
fire, witnessed, too, in the days past Of
peace at Longchamps, General Petair
placed the insignia of commander upon the
breast of the general commanding the divi
| sion decorated a score of officers with tn,
| CroiX de Guerre. a long row of poilus witt
| the medaille militaire. The ceremony wa'
austere and beautiful. carried out to th'
! extreme of etiquette conforming to it. And
| then, as the commander-in-chief and hi
staff took position to one side, the division
passed in parade, flags flying, bands play
| ing The "Sambre ct Meuse."
| Again II surGcd through me these wer
| of the men had seen in battle but littl'
| before. The flags they carried were soie'
| ana torn, as were IN some degree TO the last
their uniforms. But the flags We're battl
| flags, representing France and her ideals
the ideals now of all the civilized worl
| loving the right; flags that had been unde
fire, that would presently return. And wit
| the repeated thought | seemed to under
| stand, as | saluted, exactly what n salut
to the coOrs meant, understand more deep
ly and more genuinely than in Paris ut
| Prix dArmes in the lnvaldes or as
regiment passed me in the streets of tn
capital battleward way
For here, with the roar of gun in the dis
tance. the flag seemed guarding France r
deed, close by, death and strife and bal
barian enemy; and | sensed this believe
Tri-color as an integral part of France an
the cause of Liberty to the world, the syn
bol of men marching under it in support c
all the world holds dear, and all free me
keep sweetly near their hearts desire
"ATTABOY" ABROAD
The shout of the camp and the prospe
tive hattla cry of the American soldiarS