Norwich bulletin., 1917-03-30
STORIES OF THE WAR
The Priest of Voyennes.

 yoyennes, Monsieur le Cure Caron, who stood in the shadow of the still hot walls of his church, which had been set alight by the Germans the day they slipped away from this plain little village perched above the valley of the Somme. Flashes of passionate protest mingled with a spirit of proud resignation in his recital of the life at VoyeHnes~ during the two and half years of German control-a civil irc- prisonment which ended Monday last when through field glasses from the loft of his presbytery the priest who was also acting mayor, saw four khaki-clad horsemen on the road and knew that the Germans had gone and British relief was at hand. A few minutes later a French cavalry patrol appealed and the allies had formed new link in the pursuit Of the com guns in this pursuit could be heard over q stretch of eighty battle miles.
 The cure told how a few narrow scars in the earth know as German trenches, ribbons of barbed wire be- hind them and a bit of shell-torn waste called NO Mans Land" has is- plated a section of the French people from their country as effectually as if they had Leen suddenly transplant ed to another hemisphere. He told now in VoyenEes women and children and old men lived and toiIed for the invaders in Utter ignorance of what
 
 just as other thousands still shut within the German lines are living. toiling and wondering today. They were told long ago that their beauti- full Paris was to fall within a week and would be pillaged and burned.
 Later they were told: Paris is dead" and the Germans added insult to injury, the old priest exclaimed, by pronouncing it Paris" instead of Farce"
 The inhabitants of Voyennes sub mitted to e1emy domination with heads erect ard patient calmneSs the Germans could not understand. We will break your pride" Prussian of All France shall fall at our feet"
 The cure continued: T told them that never again would France yield to such a foe. They said they would crush Europe in a few months. We replied that France would fight five times 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?"
 "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 1t 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" said the old priest, "1 lived to see the German spirit break. from the unspeakable arrogance of their first onslaught and threat toward the parish, until a few days ago an officer met me in the street and said:
 % FatheF . we are s.n;5 lost; dr have ns done done science but I have done it under or ders. I dare not disobey.
 q told him that he surely would be absolved, for he was not to blame. who must make answer to their God.
 When the Germans first came, the commander sought me and said that the people of yoyennes had fired on be demanded. It was the same old story and I told him it was a lie; that we had To firearms; that if shots were fired it was done by German fer. 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 discipline of iron. Some of the ofii- cers treated their subordinates like dogs: they said the men were their slaves. as the French would be. saw an officer one day. without req son whatever. cuff his orderly so hard that the mans eye was black for week. The soldiers only reply was to slick 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 nnili-. tary machine but when the war was over their time would come. For long time now the German soldiers have had no coffee and their ratiOns have been growing less and less. I tell you with all solemnity that when the war is ended there will be a reck- oning and Germany will know a blood red revolution.
 "The best commander we had was the one before the last, who spent fifteen years in America and married an American girl. He had 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. One day we obtained a, French paper. We knew then that