Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-12-28

ilaClc IN some OF lGS QeGallS DIS Tue GelnpeS-
tuous return voyage.
The huge steel shuttle OF a boat runs
Absolutely dark at night. The ports are
closed from the outside and steel-clamped
beyond the power Of a passenger to open
them Every necessary light is carefully
shaded, so that no faintest gleam 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 If a 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
uneasy rest
Under these conditions voyage across
is no pleasure trip in wartime.
Congressman Dale had no trouble find
ing anything in France but the American
troops. Although their number and loca-
ton are, no double, thoroughly known to
the enemy, most mysterious silence
met him everywhere He actually had to
chase them up himself and he never
would have found the Vermont troops
way back of the fighting line--if it had
not been for some personal friends who
tod him where to go.
His own son, Timothy G. 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 the
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 Vermont" "
it was plain to Mr.. Dale that it was not
on account of the officers and men who
are now doing their bit 80 far as they
now can-in preparation for the big
spring offensive.
Mr.. Dale visited the Somme, the
Marine, scissors, Remy and Verdun.
On the latter hill he stood and look
ed over the shell torn ground where
the French made good their tremendous
slogan, They shall not pass"
To-day, and as Mr.. Dale saw it, the
French and German guns exchange
shots atlong range. Five-perhaps six
miles away, he saw the swift dash OF
smoke and belchng cloud that bespoke
big gun fired then, so long afterward
that one could count heart-bpats, 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 it buried itself in the earth and
presently threw up somber eruption OF
dust, smoke and debris.
In the village Of Albert, Bapaume and
Peronne, the party found not one living
inhabitant, just heaps of blackened stone
brick and .hapeless debris No one could
conceive of more complete and utter des-
olation than in the villages first taken by
the Germans and then retaken in this
years allied offensive.
The congressional party was enter
tanned in London by Mr.. Arthur j.
Balfour formerly here with the British
mission, also at more formal dinner at
which Lloyd George, the speaker, the
archbishop of Canterbury and Other
dignitaries were present.
I'VE were given the realm" said Mr.
Dale, "but there was no unpleasant