Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-12-27

needed-but If we can build and commits
sion enough destroyers we shall soon rid
the seas of the submarine menace
Mr.. Dales description of the voyage
to and through the war-zone is as dra-
matte in some of its details as the tempes-
tuous return voyage.
The huge steel shuttle of n boat runs
absolutely dark at night. The ports are
closed from the outside and steel-clamped
beyond the power of passenger to open
them. Every necessary light is carefully
| shaded, so that no faintest CLEAN can be
seen a hundred feet away.
Blind, almost dumb and with every
human nerve strained to the breaking
point, the big shuttle huns through the
night II door slams, hatch falls
or heavy object Is dropped, the whole
ship is alarmed. Running feet, agitated
voices and general excitement pervade the
night; then the thing is explained and the
passengers settle down once more to I'M
easy rest.
Under these conditions a voyage across
is no pleasure trip in wartime
Congressman Dale had no trouble
finding anything in France but the
American troops. Although their num-
bers and location are, no doubt, thor
oughly known to the enemy, a most
mysterious 5llenC6 fHot MIN every WncTe
He actually had to "chase them up
himself and he never would have found
the Vermont troops-'way back of the
fighting lne-if 1t had not been for some
personal friends who told him where to
go.
| His own son, Timothy c. Dale, is
with the Harvard hospital unit and he
was discovered only after the most
/ persistent search. Mr.. Dale remained
| two days with the boy, the rest of tho
party going on to places of interest in
the North of France.
Mr.. Dale saw several hundred ver-
mont troops. Major Ashley, Captain
Howe, General Sibert and General Ed
wards The latter was full of praises
for the Vermonters. and, although he
did not mention the much discussed
affair of splitting up the First Ver-
mont it was plain to Mr.. Dale that
it was not on account Of the officers
and men who are now doing their bit
so far as they CABIN preparation
for the big spring offensive.
Mr.. Dale visited the Somme, the Marne,
scissors, Remy and Verdun.
On the latter hill he stood and look
ed over the shell-torn ground where
| the French made good their tremen-
dous slogan, '"They shall not pass!'
| To-day, and as Mr.. Dale saw il, the
French and German guns exchange
shots at long range. Five-perhaps six
miles away, he saw the swift dash OF
smoke and belching cloud that bespoke
a big gun fired then, SO long afterward
that one could count heart-beats, he
heard the sullen boom Of the report
If it were a German gun-so much
farther away-then perhaps one could
trace the course of the shell and see
where 1t buried itself in the earth and
presently threw up a somber eruption
of dust, smoke and debris.
In the villages of Albert Bapaume and
Peronne. the party found not one LIVING
inhabitant, just heaps of blackened stone
brick and shapeless debris. No one could
conceive of more complete and utter des
olation than in the villages first taker
by the Germans and then retaken in thi.
years allied offensive.
The congressional party was entertained
in London by Mr.. Arthur ]. Balfour
formerly here with the British mission
also at a more formal dinner at which
hop of Canterbury and other dignitarie
were present
I'VE were given the freedom of tn,
realm." said Mr. Dale, but there was n,
unpleasant Formally or distressful cere
mony. The dinners made me think O
American banQuets of the better class
Mr.. Dale expects to return to his dis
trct soon after the holidays and may tel
at greater length his Impressions of tn
: war and its serious meaning