The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-16
French Not Excited About
Raid, Trusting Airmen
OF Own Army.
AMERICANS LIKE IT
What IL They Hit Hotel, "
Says Hubby, We Don't
Own the Place."
sy c. c. Lyon.

=
Paris. Sept. .l6.--lsere II a picture Of
Paris as I saw It d,Iringa German air
raid. !, NJ 4. N ID
y About II o'clock the fire department
motors pounded through the streets
blowing siren whistles that aroused
everybody from, bed. Now that the
raid is 4. matter Of history recall
that one OF Its most terrifying features
was the amount Of noise the fire de-
partments made
was stopping at a hotel whose
chief patronage comes from Americans
and British. At the first warning
blasts. the French mailman. hired be-
cause Of his proficiency in English,
pounded on one door after another.
calling out:
"Darken your lights! Darken your
liehts!"
Soon the hotel was in pitch dark
ness The night itself was inky black
and the entire city was canopied with
thick. low-hangirg clouds There was
hardly d star to be seen.
The four sides of the hotel enclose
spacious court. From the amount Of
grabbing, It was evident that most Of
the guests were ut their windows
watching for the German machines.
Across the court. woman was be-
coming hysterical.
rh"Oh. George, what shall we do II
TINY hit this hotel?" she implored her
husband
A large audience awaited Georges
solution. George was quick with re.
partee.
George Right on Job.
what do W. care, MabsI?" rs
said, eonvincingly, I'VE don't own
i. do WEI"
This. Venerable joke cracked for the
first time ON the Ark. sounded ex-
cruciatingiy> funny there in the dark
ness as We waited for the German
bombs to fall on us, and George got .
round Of applause from every opened
window.
. Anyway. It broke the tenseness.
Why stay here and be killed? Let's
all 70 down into the street and die"
another humorlst n few floors down
suggested.
It carried unanimously.
In about 10 minutes we were in the
street. The fire motors were still
rushing by blowing their whistles.
!
gardens and sat on the stone steps.
- Paris Not Excited.
But the real situation proved en-
tirely different from the story book
descriptions Of the air raids.
Paris was positively refusing to get
up Precipitation over such thing
al a German air raid.
The few Frcnchmen out at that hour
passed rs swinging their canes and
chatting about subjects far removed
from bombs.
About this time number of stars
appeared In the sky to the east OF
Paris.
1T will get lighter and then It viii
be easier to see 'eni," said a Britisher,
noting the stars.
hut pretty soon the stars" began
to move. and then we discovered that
they, were in reality French airplanes.
each carrying electric lights. that had
taken to the air to defend Paris
against the invaders.
At times 1t seemed as if the entire
eastern sky was in motion as the
French machines dartcd from side to
side up ana down and criss-cross.
There seemed to be hundreds Of
them. personally counted 70.
Followed Definite system.
There appeared to be a certain, well.
defined system that they followed.
Electric signals flashed every few mo.
ments from a machine that remained
in the center of the group, and each
signal was followed by new maneu.
yer.
It soon became clear to us why resi-
dents of Paris no longer pay serious
attention to enemy air raids.
Hundreds OF trained aviators, on
duty constantly at the Paris stations.
take to the air In their swift machines
the moment they receive Geographic
warnings that German machines have
been seen passing in the direction of
Paris. i
Air Virtually Fenced OF.
The French airmen virtually "fcncc
off the air east and northeast Of the
city. and it would be only through pure
luck. that any German machine could
get through their lines.
On this particular night We watched
the French machines maneuver until
the fire motors came back again.
sounding signals that the daogcr was
past.
A German official statement the next
day said the airrnen had dropped
bombs on Paris the night before.
A French official statement declared
the French machines had driven off
the raiders before they reached the
city limits
Doctors Can't Locate His
Heart So Army Rejects Him