Evening star., 1917-01-07
Idence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
PARIS, December 81, 1916.
- WAS with a party at the Rheims
m front.
Suddenly. there began an awful
q clatter OF artillery. Lets go
over to the batteries-just over there"
exclaimed the boy from Barcelona
Capt Delvert looked troubled. Wh-h-h!
(Noise like an express train entering
depot.) Crash, A full-sized German
shell exploded between and those
batteries. This way. IL you please,
gentlemen" said Capt. Talamon.
In ten minutes. the automobiles
landed us at some third-Iine trenches
on the other side of Rheims. Machine
guns commanded a highway. The
trenches ran through suburban gardens.
We saw lot of still life. This way.
gentlemen" remarked the captain,
shortly. And. amid a perfectly good
bombardment. the autos landed us at
the Pommery champagne establish
ment. No crashes of artillery reached
those deep cellars. The captain made
US inspect them thoroughly.
'T would not mind II you newspaper
nen should be killed" he whispered.
conhdentially. but I'm responsible for
this Dutch merchant. and the president
Of the Chamber of Commerce of Geneva,
and that boy eating sandwiches Is the
son of the mayor of Barcelona. What
would they think If anything hap
pened to him."
Such is 4 modern visit to the Rheims
front, and IT will probably be the same
at scissors tomorrow. Along with four
newspaper correspondents. there were
three chamber Of commerce dignitaries.
one New York clubman, one Russian
prince. one partner in an American
chemical works. one transatlantic ship
ping man and the boy from Barcelona
For parties Of women. the French
foreign office maintains a woman guide.
who posts them beforehand on heavy
boots, stockings. rubbers. wraps and
raincoats.
Such a party. composed of the mother
in-law of well known American ply
sician, the sister-in-law of a partner in
q Chicago department store. the daugh-
ter Of an American magazine proprietor.
Q woman writer and three girls with
letters about relief work in America.
not only got TO Rheims. but passed
three hours in first-line trenches
1t happens weekly. 1t is the new
movement
One had a letter from Herrick. one
from the French ambassador at Wash
ington: two lived in the same Paris
hotel with them. and the remainder
knew the two
Letters from local committees of
home relief works make a good founda-
tion. and in each American city there
are men and women whose names are
blessed in France. The rest is ac-
Quaintanceship and push in Paris.
Tho French foreign office Is well dis
posed that serious Americans should
zee wrecked Rheims while II is hot
and willing to throw in a few frst-line
trenches when not too dangerous for
non-professional visitors.
All go over the same historic road
None may take the direct trains for
Rheims To buy a ticket. you must
show your permit. The train is long and
crowded. but the first-ciass cars are
luxurious, and. returning at night. we
had a better and gayei dinner. in a
smarter restaurant car, better warmed
and lighted. than on the Monte Carlo
express.
Epernay! Two hours and half from
Paris The train goes on to Nancy.
The drst sight was a bunch of African
4nfantry-big. heavy fellows. as black
~ tnk-fn warm. new uniforms. horse
playing and disputing around the sta
Non. a distinguished young ofiicsr