Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-08

tallic temperament. loffrr, the sane. pain
soldier man, was forgotten II WAS ms last
period Of obscurily.
Returning to my hotel on tho afternoon
of July 81 1914. I was confronted by one
rf TN" cn1pluycs In tears General mohiliZa-
tion has been declared ! am leaving at
once for my regiment u" explained. u
seems absurd now tu admit having been
SURPRISED Yes was no exception to any
visitor or indeed to many ParIsians IN"
war had seemed a muu-trou* impossihiiiiN
Before sunset ON that bright summer day
the reality of the conflict was grtnlE, star
tlugIy revealed.
Did Paris Expect Siege?
"pid Parisians expect siege" is not
question often asked Undoubtedly many,
especially those closest to 1871, did. hut to
me it seemed that many also refused to
think 'ep far ahead They simply pinned
their hopes ON Ioffre justified his constant
retreating with confidence in his ability
to countor-atracl when the right time came,
ana held t.ght.
Above all there were no Illusions about
anything Vast bodies Of troops marched
without either cation or despair through
the streets to the eastern aud northern rail-
way stations. unacCompanied by bands or
music uC any sort No one sang the Mar
scillaise" or the even more stirring "Sambre
ct MeuSe" Comparatively few flags We're
displayed Tears were dried after mohilza-
tiou day Even the newspapers were not
eagerly bought My N""y anxiety to learn
what was happening DcLI-toned about the
only smiles I ever saw ~ Paris during that
August and Septemh. Pas de nouN"lles'
tno ncws > the vendrr would observe, with
n queer little twinkle in hs eyes that
seemed To- say. "llow like those "NcitahIe
Americans"
The last theatrical performance in Paris
M a.
Fraucaise Iahichcs breezy uttlc &c Nny-
age de Monsieur pcrrchon" was the bill
About cnty-fiNC persons composed the
audience. After that. an awuscments IN
Paris ceased save the persistent and I'M
eNtnCuishah,c moNfs 'ate "rchestras
promptly disappeared, but, contrary to some
impressions. there seemed TO he absolutely
no shortage Of either good food or good
cooking FOyOt'S and FredorjCS alone Of
all the enirurcau resorts closed their doors.
After the dinner hour. however, nothing was
permitted to he served, and woe tn the
cafe keeper who kept his Lights going one
minute after p. m. lie was instantly
visited by a group Of mandatory gendarmcs.
War Bread
When say that excellent fool prevailed.
| must except bread Tough, teeth-veXing
"pain de guerre" Immediately replaced the
crisp and tempting long bread sticks, over
the pride or lHil~. NduU'Sl ~ tI, lIf
dainty breakfast crescent" half pastry,
halr-hread. completely vanished and is even
vet scarcely proCurable in the city. But,
on the whole. Paris gave no hint whatever
of imminent food shortage, and this pro-
fusion Of cdhles was always one Of the
strongps' arguments against the possibility
Of an investment
twice only between July 81 and Septem-
her II did the city alter hcr mood. The
invasion of AlsaCe. AZ first successful. sent
a pathetic undercurrent Of JOY throughout
the capital. Wel-dressed, dainty French
children once more played in tn" LuXem-
bourg and the Park Nonceau. and that de-
lightful Paris institution the waffle man,
plied his trade with something of his old
assurance,
The second tempcramental change came
mt the heart Of the crisis. Algerian troops,
turbaned "hernOused," daShing on spirited
Arab steeds marched through the houle-
wards en- route from Marseilles 10 the front,
Their progress through the Faris streets
was made at night yet the populace
thronged the sidewalks and cheercd these
swarthy warriors 10 the echo The Marine
frav was then fully under way. The tide
had been turned, but Paris did not know
that,
The average Parsians. indeed through
out this whole period seemed rather badly
informed concerning the true march of
events For this the Government cannot he
blamed II is true that the two daily
communicates scarcely ever employed such
expressions as retreat" or 'defeat," but all
the towns on which the armies had fallen
back were explicitly mentioned. I pored
over mans and easily learned the truth.
while mt French friends still relying on
.Ioffrc and on the devotion of democracy,
almost scoffed at my enthusiasm for details,
ON the first day of the battle of the
Marine | encountered group of slightly
wounded British soldiers in large military
auto before the British embassy Cen
darmes were brushing the crowd away,
My native tongue proved my passport. ]
was permitted past the Gordon.
where have you come from. ST. Quen-
tin?" ] asked one of the ''rommies.' "Blame
me, II ! know" he responded YEARLY,
somewhere in France" II was the first
time I had heard the expression, now be-
come a commonplace of war Had the Eng
lish. too become as indifferent to such de-
tails as the French? Were both nations
pinning merely blind hopes on Joseph
Joffre? Truly, il seemed so then, and now
I'm the light of events the world is con-
vinced of It,
Nor did the daily visits OF German aero
planes shake this almost incredible stoical
courage. Joffre and the grand war strategy
were the answers to all occurrences. tragic
or otherwise one wonders whether trust
In democracy alone. without this distinctly
personal element. could have wrought this
miracle in Paris. Certainly The two COM
bined gave to the world its most astound-
ing exhibition Of quiet nobility and sober
chivalry
Paris was slightly more animated last
summer when | made my second wartime
visit there during the Somme offensive
1 looked in vain for a statue OF Joffre or
any memorial OF his triumphs. But his
name was on every lip. as II Is on ours In
Americs and ~ civilisations today