New-York tribune., 1918-08-08


Epernay now, and facing in the op-
posite direction. Once they thought
they would get there. | remember Epernay
for two things, among others. One the best
piece of beefsteak that was ever served to
any one anywhere in the world Two a big
window full of battlefield trophies captured
from the Huns-bayonets helmets, clubs,
shells. Not thing would they sell out of
that window. 1t was temptation to turn
burglar!
Hun vandalism is not entirely a develop
ment of the present war. We visited the
home of Joan of Arc, at Domremy See
that beam across the ceiing?" asked a
French officer. "See where it's cut away?
The Germans did that in 1870, taking away
pieces for souvenirs" SO they hacked at
sacred things then in the spirit that is
made more powerful to-day by reason of
more powerful instruments of war.
One day we were guests of General
Gouraud, commander of the French 4th
Army, that has been much in the news these
last few days. The place where we met this
famous fighter was strictly utiltarian
headquarters rs-bare boards, no useless fur
niture just business. But gathered from
nobody knows where, were glasses enough
and champagne enough to serve each
traveller, and it was with gusto that the
toast "To France" was pronounced-and
drunk. General Gouraud is man ranging
around six feet in height, one of those
solid, four-square men that look like a pile
of stone or concrete. The face doesn't look
combative, but it does most surely look
powerfully resolute. You'd hate to try a
bluff on that man And you'd hate to try to
deceive him. He looks implacabe too not
from rage, but from conviction. It's fine
face he has for a general who has Huns to
fight
In Ireland were guests one sunny af
ternoon of Lord and Lady Decies al Leixlp
Castle beside a sparkling, ripping river in
which there is falls where you may watch
the salmon trying the leap with only now
and then succeeding Lord French was
there, and William Short, the new Secre-
tary for Ireland. For dinner we were taken
to the Royal St. George Yacht Club. where
you look out over serene and dreamy bav
Lord Decies hustes around in little old
Ford to and from his job as Chief Censor.
Lady Decies manages the 3OO-acre farm and
the "house" and likes it, She was en-
phatic when she declared that she never
wished again to be without useful work to
do She has a big job on her hands, and
likes it,
About Ireland and her troubles we heard
much from all manner of people, Just one
little feature of all that we heard may be
of interest, portrayng certain type of
mind that is there, born of the age old sor-
row of that land Here and there. we were
told, little groups were busying themselves
in dark corners. preparing for the trouble
that many thought was imminent. They
were making pixies. Pixies! Weapons of the
Middle Ages. That, think shows how child
ish and buried in the past is a certain tvpe
of mind to be found there It's very tinv
minority mind but it is interesting that it
should be there at all
Against that, however, are many fine, big
intellccts, working honestly and untiringlv
to settle properly the vexing question of the
Emerald Isle
Curiously like setting stage is the prep
aration armies make for retiring move
ments
Against that, however, arc many fine, big
lew Jagged pieces o. wall was the first
real mark of battle that We came upon in
visiting certain part OF the French front
Some soldiers were washing clothes in that
wreckage. Why they shouldn't nave SET u,
their laundry outside the walls instead was
something not explained. Near by was an
abandoned dugout. 1t was the rst of these
borrowings that had seen.
When you read about dugouts there's
something romantic about them. So wo had
to invade that dugout just on general nrin-
ciples 1t was nothing more than hole
in the earth, with two exits. In it were
some misaid cartridges and some broken
bottles. was crouched over going throuo,