The Washington herald., 1918-04-22
By JOHN l.. BALDERsTON.


Paris, caught by the two great
Gotha raids OF the last two weeks
comparatively unprepared for 'trial
invaders, is feverishly working 70
catch I'd to London in defensive rneSs-
ures. More guns are being prepared.
captive balloons with steel cables
strung between are sent aloft at night
and many other measures are being
taken concerning which nothing can
be written.
The contrast between the defenses Of
London and Paris is striking to the
writer, who has been in the principal
raids in both cities during the last
three months. In London, so herce u
the barrage all the way from the coast
up the valley of the Thames that oct
Of twenty, thirty or forty raiders. rot
more than two or three break thI ough
and drop their bombs on the capital
In Paris on the contrary more than
half Of the invaders have penetrated
to the city during the three great at
tacks, the first in January and the
last two this month.
Paris Most Damaged.
As a result much more material
damage has been done in Paris than
in London. Here. on the contrary. the
loss OF life has not ben much greater
than in the English metropolis. This
Is due to the fIimsy construction of
the houses in the London suburbs
which often collapse. burying their
occupants under the explosion Of a
single small bomb. In Paris, a city
Of flats and apartments. the houses,
even In the poorer quarters. are gem
orally well built aud Of several stories.
The people are. therefore, compare
lively safe .. the cellars. This differ
encc Ir conHtFuction accounts for the
fact that nile two Gothas In Lon
don often kill twenty or thirty pcnIle.
twenty enemy raiders over Paris have
been able to boast no bigger bag Of
innocent civilians.
Paris IL not neElectIng. during this
period Of PREPARATION for more md
still worse raids. plans for safeguard
ing her people. but the principal effort
during the last few weeks seems TO
have been directed towards protecting
the hundreds of famous monuments
and buildings which cannot be moved.
In every park and square OF the CITY.
workmen are sandbagging statues.
waIllng up with sacks of earth portals
Of churches containing sculptT-ed
masterpieces of the middle ayes.
Meanwhile private householders,
warned by the enormous amount Of
glass broken all over the city by the
recent raids and by the great NUM-
tions explosion last Friday near ST.
Denis. are pasting strips of paper over
their windowpanes. These strips. .ong
familiar sights in the much-bombarded
cities of the north, lessen the vibration
| OF the glass when explosions occrr,
and generally prevent breakage,
Crowds at Cathedral Doors.
Now that Paris is being outraged by
! the Germans. the people of Paris are
discovering how much they love their
city. which they have always taken
for granted. 1t is a touching sight to
see the crowds that surround the ia
nous doors Of Notre Dame Cathedral.
whose sculptured angels are retiring
| for the duration of the war behind
sandbags. Thousands Of people have
journeyed to catch a last glimpse Of
disappearing masterpieces who
frankly admit, when questioned,
that for years they went past
| them every day and never thought
CT looking at them.
The frescoes Of the Little Arch OF
Triumph, in the court Of the Louvre.
are being walled up. so crowds collect
| to look at the sculpture that has not
| attracted so much attention since Ma
poleon had II made to celebrate his
| triumphs over the Austro-Germans in
| the famous campaign OF Austerlitz.
Statues in the Place de Ia Concord ore
vanishing; even the column in the
Place Vendome. more than 100 feet
high, made Of cannon captured by the
great Emperor, Is slowly losing shape
under camouflage Of scaffolding snd
earth.
All over Paris. in every square. the