The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-10-26
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eu 10 the arch across the street a few feet away,
.'iioush Winch they would soon pass with the
american and French flags intertwined and the
moIto 10 big scrawy letters 'Soves les Bienyenus"
N'ne explained That | was an American. They
seemed TO understand, and their faces lighted up,
for this was In early June, and even these pitiful
ones who had been where little news had reached
them for nearly four years. knew that the Ameri-
cans were in France in good numbers now, and
were their allies
so the group ceased to shrink from my camera.
woman even thrust her child forward and
smoOthed Its hair so that 1t would look well in the
picture. But, just as | was about to snap the
shutter, another woman in the group, standing
little back, looked at me with an expression that
was full of condemnation, full Of appeal as she
said: Eyes, my friends, let us stand up straight,
SO that he can get good photograph of misery"
Then she laughed bitterly, and I--weI / did not
take the picture.
At this moment the rest of the convoy began to
SCfne out of the station, led by the Chasseurs lit
tie band. With them came Red Cross men and
nurses, carrying or helping those who could not
walk into the waiting camions and ambulances.
put up my camera and hurried ahead to reach
The casino, whittier the procession was bound, be-
core their arrival there. Someone struck up la
MarSeillaiSe," some woman with ligh, Shr
yoice. AS climbed upon the front seat of an
ambulance and we started to pass the crowd
thought for ii moment that was now going to
see going to hear what had come. up from Paris
f0r-the glad burst of enthusiasm, OF happiness
from these peopla now that they fully realized
that they were in France among their own, free
from the German yoke, which had lain on their
necks since 1914. But as our ambulance went by
the procession there were no other voices raised
TO join that Of the singing woman and after few
bars she, too stopped singing and the procession
ciIo chr f1fpu for som MI
boys, town boys, who trudgcd ahead of the Chas-
seurs, still playing their tune on drum and bugie.
reached the casino ahead Of the procession
and waited Mt the door for them to come down the
Rue du Casino. The narrow, steep street was
crowded along its sidewalks with townspeople,
and from windows was flung the tricolor, while the
American flag waved here and there, too. AS the
procession came around the head Of the street the
people hailed 1t with cheers and the waving of
flags The Chasseurs played more oudly-now
II was "yive rArmee" they We're footing. few
OF the children raised their heads and looked with
glad eyes on the enthusiastic natives who We're
trying so hard to cheer them home An old man
In the procession Strengthened up and shouted,
aVlye lie General Joffrc.' But otherwise there
were 60 cheers, no thrills of happiness, nor any
thing but Just that downbent attitude, that shut
ding walk, that dazed, whipped. cowed express
sion. 1t was, as the woman at the station had
said misery. For Eyian Is the clearing house of
misery these days
Ii was not so at first, the American Red Cross
doctor told me- and so tie subprSfect of the de-
partment Of the Haute-Savoie also assured me.
(which Is why we make such great effort to
cheer ahem MS they come in nowadays" he said
'yThey are crushed, these people; they are like
dead men and women, and fhe children, even the
little ones are scarcely alive to the situation.
free from Germany once more? They cannot be-
iieve it-therc is scarcely enough strength left In
tbcir poor minds and bodies for them to be able
to understand"
"Yes,. added the Red Cross doctor pointing out
a Girl Of eighteen or nineteen who passed; .Iook
at the expression on the fnce Of that girl"
Hooked caught here eye as she turned In my dr.