The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-07-18
CAPITAL DOES NOT WORRY
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Continued from Page u
The shells bursting in the air over
the city are from the barrage. The
scene resembles a Fourth of July
celebration minus the comet-tailed
colored effect of fireworks. The fall
ing shrapnel is heard on the roofs Of
houses and on the pavement. 1t has
caused one or two deaths. There is
no fighting by the planes immediate
ly over the city, as the French planes
do not enter the barrage. They at
tack the Huns outside the city. Fights
at a distance, only the shooting flames
from machine guns being visible.
1t is impossible for the folks at
home to understand the tension under
which the Parisians live. More inn
possible still is it for them to compre-
bend the stole morale of the French
people.
With the Prussian legions literally
swarming along the north bank of the
Marine a few miles away, e~ndeavoring
to batter their way into Paris; with
bo~mbardment by airplanes by night
and bombardment by long-distance
guns by day, they go about their bust
ness in the usual way without doubt
DC 70 tho Gnal ntttnnn,n Of tho u-or
Windows of business houses are
shattered and the man next door strips
his windows with lath and opens his
doors for the daily trade. The streets
are thronged with people, unafraid.
Greater than either of the seven mys-
teries of the world is the mystery of
the morale of the French people.
1t is Illustrated by the story of the
old French mother who was found
among the new-made graves near a
battlefield in northern France. When
soldiers demonstrated with her for
being in the danger zone, she stated
she had located the graves of five of
her sons who had fallen on as many
battlefields. and was looking for the
grave of the sixth one, her last.
They pointed it out. She knelt a
moment over the sacred spot, her
tears mingling with the dust that Gov
cred her last born, then flung her
hands in the air and shouted, "Vive
la France"
The day after the drive for Paris
began, refugees arrived. The Ameri.
can Red Cross quickly took over
buildings and erected tents near the
depots. Fences we're built about va
cant lots and %stockades formed into
which refugees were huddled like
rabbits in a warren. A hurried call
was made by an officer Of the Red
Cross on the Y. M. C. A. forces, and
every day since representatives oil
these two American institutions have
been Good Samaritans under more
difficult conditions than ever existed
on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho
Thousands are fed every day. Special
trains arrive from the battlefields
carrying refugees only.
Hastily they had bundled up cloth
ing, provisions and valuables and lef,
their homes. A man, his wife and
five small children had nine parcels.
| saw the cover over a basket move
and lifted it. In the basket were two
half-grown ducks. We carried sev
eral sick women off the trains and
laid them on blankets in the stock.
ade. Two strong Y. M. C. A. men
had just laid one woman on the
ground when she made known her de-
tsire for a doctor. Two Red Cross
nurses responded. The men carried
her to a secluded corner behind a
truck where her baby was born.
A conductor carried a woman down
the steps of the car and called, "Some
one take her." l took her in my arms,
She was 80 years old and as frail and
delicate as a piece of Dresden china
She didn't weigh over seventy.ive
pounds. Her face and hair were as
white as a lily. She put her frail
arms about my neck. smiled and said.
"Mercee Monsieur" On her lace col.
lar was a cross. A fair target this
for Prussian guns!
The refugees are sent into the
country, and distributed by vans and
trucks throughout the city. They dts.
played no fear. no hystcria. no tears.
They went about the business u %.