The St. Joseph observer., 1917-02-17
EUROPEAN WAR
MAY CONTINUE
SEVERAL YEARS

despite their sufferings, the war in
Europe may continue for several years.
That is the opinion of David L. Pat |
terson, state university professor.
His discourse related to his own ex-
periences In the French trenches near
Rheims last year. At / time he was
within 200 yards of the German
trenches, with nothing between him
self and the Germans except small
growth of weeds and network of
barbed wire entanglements. "The
common people of those warning ma
tions realize the seriousness of the
situation, and how the results of this
war may mark the beginning of the
end of powerful nations, and for that
reason they are patiently enduring
their cares, and are assiduously work.
ing and fighting for their countries"
said Professor Patterson. 81 visited
| France only, but no doubt the con-
| ditions / found in that country are
on parallel with conditions that
prevail in the other nations at war.
The French people are sad, but con-
fident. 1t seemed to me that every
person, whether in the army or
working to supply the army was set
with purpose. All endeavor relates to
war. The factories turn out only war
material. and the women and child
rem and old men who toll stoically in
the fields mean to do their full
share in supplying the soldiers with
necessities. The peasants are pa
tiently working the fields up to the
very edge of the graves of dead col
diers. I asked several French Off
GERS when would the war cease? Some
expressed the opinion that 1917 would
| al 80 ~ ~
believed the war would last for sew
eral years. Something may happen
this year to bring the great struggle
to an end; but it is my opinion that
common people of these countries con-
/ tinue as confident and industrious as
they are now. and continue to be as
willing to make great sacrifices as
they are now, the war can go on for
quite number of years. The COM
mon people, as 1 observed them, have
no idea of forsaking their armies.
Their patriotism is something won
derful. If the war reaches an end
this year it will not be because the
common people threw up their hands.
l went to France as a newspaper cor
respondent and as q student of his
tory. ! used to be a newspaper man
at Pittsburs. Kan. On the way to
France, / spent a few days in Eng
land. While crossing the channel,
enroute to France, our party was
held up 2 days and 3 nights by a
fleet OF German submarines, but fin
ally we eluded them and arrived
safely on the French coast. at once
made Paris my headquarters. / soon
Joined party of 8, to be taken into
the French trenches by a French
I a a.
the Marne to be and s miles across.
On entering Rheims / got my first
glimpse at war trenches. Back of the
French trenches / saw old men, wo-
men and children toiling in the fields
They seldom looked up. and paid no
attention to the noise of great guns
They worked steadily, and seemingly
, with great purpose. They were work
ing for their soldiers. On arriving al
Rheims saw the great cathedral, and
its battered condition plainly told me
of the destructiveness of modern war;
fare. I found IL to be common opin-
ion that eventually the cathedral will
be restored. Battered as the structure
seemed to be, the main masonry is in
I tact. / had heard that the French
people and all of the warning peo-
pie in Europe hated Americans.
asked a few questions about that and
5 found the French people bear no mall
: ice toward Americans, but admire
= Americans very much, and wish them
well. l saw that Rheims was " de-
l. stroyed. and only a mile to the east
were the trenches. 1t is a tentles:
war. I did not see a single war tent
in France. 1t is a trench warfare
and under the trenches are counties,
H.. Il
diers and officers live. Underground
one finds the stores of ammunition
I was led into the 1st, End and 3rC
\ line trenches. These trenches are
= connected by lateral trenches. ant
the intersections of the trenches are
marked, like street intersections il
cities. remember the sensation
D produced in me when 1 first heard {
machine gun spouting out its dead
ly messages. 1t sounded like bo!
running a stick along an old-fashion
cd pailing fence. In the 1st lin'
trenches one does not find many sol
| diers. There is scarcely any fighting
= except during dark nights, when com
panies OF 20 of 80 soldiers attempt Il
make trench raids on the enemy
J, Verify the land between the German
5, trenches and the French trenches i
y NO Mans Land The condition
x found at the Rheims front Is common
along the entire western front. A
= only places, 1 of them being Yer
dun. the deadlock does not exist il
: a pronounced way. At all other plac
es 1t is an even break, think. 1 cal
not conceive that the war on tn
western front is nearing an end" Pre-
ceding Prof. Patterson's lecture, Ben
ton Peery sang a solo, and was hear
4 tily encored. The lecture was tn
closing number OF an indoor chau
tauqua conducted by the Mems Broth
D erhood of St. Marks church. Tn
chautauqua was a success in ever
way, and stands out as proof tina
n men folks can do something In tn
way OF church work II they make u
their minds to do 1t. A Dutch Mar
4 ket conducted in the church basemen
by the men broke all records In tina
church. The men admit that the
, did not cook all of the good thing
- to eat, but outside of that consider