South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-24

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| moment.
! You ask me what kind OF exist
ence we are leading" says this let
ter We'll it is not particularly an
exciting one, in spite Of the eXcit-
ing news which reaches us from all
sides France in general and Paris
III particular have made up their
minds that the war must be won and
shall be won, and they have &C
copied this conviction with such
thoroughness. that they simply work
toward the rapid fulhllment OF this
aim, md do not question at all the
! possibility of its not being attained.
We do not care if the war is to last
five, 10 or 20 years. In fact we have
got used 20 il as we'll as 10 the many
inconvenience which it has brought
along with it, What we trouble
about is whether our men in the
trenches are provided with all the
comforts they require, and whether
our wounded are properly cared for.
We know very well that neither the
men nor the wounded murmur at
the hardships they have to go
through or the sufferings they have
TO endure; that in fact they hail
with joy hardships and sufferings in
the thought that they bring them
and the whole of France together
with them nearer to that day OF vic
tory for which we are preparing
The HerOism of France.
"Of personal heroism there is no
longer any question. individuals
have ceased to be heroic, the whole
country has behaved like one great
hero, and if we found one man who
had failed 10 immortalize himself
by some particular act Of valor or
of courage, we should simply look
at him as on something quite extra
ordinary that ought to be sent to
some museum or other towards
have disappeared together with hot
water, taXicabs, pastry cooks and
other sundries of the same kind,
which formerly were a part of Par
isian life.
The theaters are still open, at
least three times a week, on which
days the Metro runs late trains up
TO II o'clock. But those who care
to go there generally walk. and the
greatest simplicity is considered the
thing for the women, whose tastes
lead them TO attend a performance
at the Theater Francois or the
vaudeville. Music halls. however,
are full, but this is because patriotic
songs are the rule and because the
public can give way there better
than in "a theater TO its enthusiasm
whenever a 'poilu makes his ap-
pearance with crutches or led by a
Red Cross nurse, who smiles as she
pilots him along.
The churches are crowded not
only on Sundays, but also during
the week. and the amount of candles
burned before the miraculous statue
OF Notre Dame des Victories, one of
the most popular of Paris shrines is
simply stupendous. The Parisians
have become a serious people, who
realize very we'll the seriousness of
the struggle in which France is en-
/ gagged and who have quite decided
that they are going to help il to
win the war and 70 drive the Hun
back from whence he came-that is,
TO those regions of darkness he
ought never TO have left.
Self Sacrifice Everywhere.
Foreigners. and in spite of the
difficulty of obtaining passports the
place is full of them. have also be-
come imbued with this spirit of self
sacrifice with which the whole Of
France is penetrated. and they ac-
cept without grumbling many small
and great unpleasantnesses which
they encounter in their daily exist
ence. They DO not object when
: they are told at their hotels that
: they can have a bath only on sat
urdays. or when they have TO eat
war bread-which is not nice. what
ever YOU hear 10 the contrary, or
when milk for their morning break
fast is unobtainable. You never
hear any one complain. Everybody
seems happy because everybody
contrives in some way or other TO
|. make himself or herself useful and
!: can thus enjoy the satisfaction Of
: thinking that he contributes TO the
great work OF delivering the world
from the menace of a Prussian vic
tory.
We do not even find explosions
: OF hatred against the enemy who
: has done US so much harm. French
people simply despise the Germans.
: and they would not do them the
honor 10 hate them. They look up-
on these modern Visigoths as they
would upon some unclean monster
which must be DESTROYED. not be-
cause ne is disliked, but because his
existence is a blot on the fairness OF
the world and an insult 10 civiliza-
ton With such a spirit pervading
the whole French nation. can one
wonder at the resistance OF Verdur
and al the heroic conduct of Frenci
troops all through the weary month.
Of this everlasting war; Indeed
France is "A revelation in itself. anC
after one has been here for som'
time one realizes that this victor.
/. which we al hope and expect is