Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-07
AT THE FRONT
WITH BAZIN
What a Man Sees and Thinks
While Watching the French
and English Fight the
Boche
By HENRI BAZIN
std0 Correspondent Of the Evening Ledger
IN France

stag Correspondent Of the Evening Ledger
IN France.
PARIS, June 15.
MIDST a moonlight as dulcet as lovely
1Nl dream, I looked from afar Away up
in the heavens in a field of deepest blue
there was great peace, the peace of
million stars crowned in the reflected glory
Of the sun upon a satellite dead But be-
low and before my vision, men fought
fought to the death for piece of SCARED
earth, a piece Of this dear. dear martyred
France, while artillery doomed and the
pure sweet air of the night was poisoned
with that which has prostituted science.
looked upon these men, those Of France in
blue and those of Germany I'm gray, each
seemingly a hdeous monster in the impress
sion that came to my mind through the gas
masks covering their faces.
A little while ago, a mere matter Of days
| had seen this same territory taken by
those of France And now | saw It de-
Tended against a tremendous mass of Boche
in close formation, defended as men de-
fend their souls their loves, their honor
For the thousandth time | bowed my head
IN a great admiration, in a fun reverence
for the poliu the silent, patient, sacrificing
poilu, and mOre's the grave pity. the old
poilu Of France. As they held true against
vicious attack, the thought flashed through
years despite soiled uniforms, despite their
gathering from high and humble walks of
life under the banner of n common cause
had taken upon their shoulders in full
worthness the mantle OF old. For ii was
their prototypes who were Compatriots OF
st. Genevleve when she defended the
island fort In the Seine who went crusadinR
with st. Louis; who fought at Rocroi at
Fontenoy at Austerlitz. And vet what
were these ancient gloTies in comparison
with the glory that has come to France and
Frenchmen since the Marne? As nothing
against the Infinite. AS a grain Of sand
against the sands of the sea. As the lamp
upon my table against all Gods stars Since
it is neither for conquest, nor sanity rever-
ence, nor the ambition of a king that the
poilu Is in arms. but the purer, nobler more
deeply ingrained thing within the souls of
all true men-honor and the right with
these thoughts passing in certain sub
conscious mistiness through my mind, I
looked out upon the moonlit scene before
me, And I saw
Five successive attacks by the Boche
| against the two plateaus OF California and
Vauclerc, fve successive advances of
massive close formation, shoulder to gray
shoulder, man touching man. Afterward /
was told seven full enemy regiments were
| engaged. And all upon a breadth Of ground
measuring at most 1900 meters!
Courage Of the Boche
They came forth bravely to their death
| these barbarians. They came under an in.
! describably whitening fire from seventy
| Ave tir de barrage. And as they came thew
| fell. And as they fell the gaps were filled
| And again, And so they died-died for evil
ambition. vainly, for the thwarted fantasy
| Of their vainglorlous Emperor. In but ON,
| instance, in but one tiny space, did tNey sue.
| ceed In occupying the trenches OF France
| at $3.50 in the morning, with the certain
| sign OF day 10 come forecast in the heavens
| as It always is to those who know the ni0hi
| and love it, It was a corner of CalifornIs
| plateau to the northeast corner lost tc
France at $3.50 and regained by 4I5.
| All during the hours before and until 4,
the morning the ight ragged a fght wa gef
hsuch as 1t Is seldom given observers 10 zee 7,
was wonderful, horrible, fascinating. unfor,
| gettable Those Of the enemy who succesdaS
temporarily in occupying a trench OF Franc,
| were I'm the very occupying Isolated frorr
their companions In arms, surrounded h,
the braves of France Those that ala No,
surrender died. Not one Of these odd- hun
dred escaped save as a ''kamerad."
Then II was over! In the fun light Of IN,
early morning sun 1 looked out unon 49,
neld Not a square inch Of its territon' o,,'
was in the hands Of Germany. ana ali ~,
had for her futile effort was but the A.,
in gray. II seemed as II they yVera 80
| countable. My escortlng oficer From, 49,,
| point Of observation estimated thai az.
Numbered $500. They lay In All snr,s =,
positions, positions that were grotesons III,
nafionetteo; some sitting. soma Win 49, -
IN hand as II IN profound thoaobf ~ s-,
upon their knees and faces a. II M ~ ,..+