Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-08-05
BLIND EDUCAT D R
VISITS WEST FRONT


FRANCE, August 4.-(Stiff CorrespOn-
dence of The Associated Press) -Blind
himself, and head of the British Ma
tional Institute devoted principally to
men blinded in the war, Sir c. Arthur
/ Pearson, of London, was recently a
most interesting visitor at the British
front. His enthusiasm for all he
saw" was unbounded, and he declar-
ell he would take back to the sight
! less men at home new words of en-
couragement as to how their" army
was carrying on.
! Sir Arthur climbed the Vimy Ridge.
and to his great delight some German
shells broke SO close they splashed
him with mud and the party had to
take temporary refuge in dug-out.
"A man doesn't have to see to know
when to duck, does he" laughed Sir
Arthur in relating the incident that
night II also find" he added, that
it doesn't take long to know when they
are going and when they are coming"
That is always a great source of en-
tertainment to visitors in the fighting
zone. At first the shells that are go
ing over from the British guns swish
along through the sullen air with a
noise that is quite startling enough,
but the sight-seer fortunate" enough
tc hear German missile coming in"
soon finds its sings a somewhat diff
ferent song, Sir Arthur aptly describ-
eG it.
"Our Shells he said go with a
bang and whiz; the Germans come oy-
err with whiz and bang. 1t all de-
ponds on the position of the whiz."
Sir Arthur was deeply impressed by
the work of the guns. He remained
with some of the batteries for a long
time and listened to their noisy NUT
terings with keen appreciation of all
that was going on about him. He was
particularly delighted to hear above
the reverberating echoes the songs of
larks-always to be remembered by
the soldiers on this front as their ev
er-cheerful companions of trench and
battle fields.
Trudging over some of the older bat
tlefields of the Somme, walking thru
the trenches, and standing in the high
err places where the panorama of bat
tie spread below him, Sir Arthur drank
in the atmosphere of the war-the
meaning of it all. He saw the
tanks" in repose and heard them at
drill, he stood outside a prison cage
ard visualized the Handicapped Ger
mans within the barbed wire barriers.
He asked a guard if any Of the pris
oners ever attempted to escape.
Escape, sir?", replied the old SER
geant; why, sir, you couldn't drive
'em away; they likes being prisoners,
S4i. lISJ dOS6.
The ruined cities of the Somme Ba-
paume and Peronne. affected Sir Ar
thur deeply
Il wished the whole world-all but
the Germans who already know what
they have done-could come and stand
in the grand squares of these cities as
1 did to-day" he exclaimed, "and see
and feel the desolation and the wanton
destruction They are ghost-like,
these cities of the dead. l knew them
on motor trips in other days when they
were alive and 1 could see, and l could
picture the scene to-day as if / were
looking at a painting. The Germans
will find, however, the day of reckon
ing is near at hand. l shall take back
words of great cheer to the men at st.
Dunstan's."
Entertained by officers of all ranks,
Sir Arthur said his days and nights at
the front had been filled to overflow
ing. No visitor ever followed the
workings of the vast British army ma
chine with quicker, keener apprecia-
ton and understanding than he. He
was gratified to find in the army a
similar interest and appreciation in
the work at St Dunstan's for the
blinded soldiers and sailors.
Sir Arthur told of the resentment he
felt when unthinking people referred
t. St. Dunstans as home" for the
blind" as if the blind were to be segre-I
gated there for the rest of their days
1t is not home for the blind, he
protested, and l do not believe in
homes for the blind. st. Dunstans
is an institution where those who can
not see are helped to equip themselves
t. retake their places in the ordinary
walks and affairs of life. Often des-
noDden+ al first thav ara cot some