The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-07-17
PARIS Will.
NEVER WEAKEN
Harry Evans, Spends Four Days in
Paris and Such Days! City Bonn.
barded but People Calm.
VISITS DEs MONIES BOYS THERE
Iowa Boys Visited Were in Recent
Raid and Were Only Slightly Dam-
aued-Raids Like Gang Fight.
RY HARRY c. EVANS .

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY AT
THE FRONT, FRANCE, June S-Four
days in Paris; and such days! Ar
rived there two days before the allies
got their reserves between the city
and the oncoming German hordes, and
while the Germans were coming near
er each day!
Every day shells from long distance
guns and every night bOmbardment
BY airplanes. About midnight \the
screeching wall OF the sirene whistles
announcing the approach the enc
my's planes; then the terrific barrage
OF the French guns, their bursting
shells lighting up the heavens above
the city, followed by explosives from
Hun bombs as they struck.
Was ever city so harassed? Did
ever a people live under conditions
so likely to shatter their nerves? Yet
the Parisians go about their daily
business unconcerned and unafraid,
as Indifferent to their discontinue
as the Chicago populace to windy
day. All the frightfulness Of the,
Huns and Hades will never break the
nerve of the French people. =
What We Could Adopt.
Just let our people at home acquire
the nerve, the grit-and to use a
somewhat vulgar but popular express
sion over here, the guts-pOssessed
by the French, and victory is assured.
honestly believe that speedy vic
tory depends more on the nerve, the
morale of the people at home in the
United States than on anything else.
The British and French will hold
against the coming of our forces in
sufficient numbers to finish the job.
There's no question about the cour-
age the morale of our own boys.
They're the fittest lot Of men who
ever went into battle and as eager for
the fray as schoolboy for, a Satur-
day afternoon or fourth of July. AS
sure as there is God in heaven the
allies over here will stand as fast
as the everlasting hills of France
what will you folks at home do?
During the last few days + have
travelled more than q hundred miles
Just back OF the front, sometimes with
in hearing Of the guns, sometimes
dipping into the shelled area. A
strange spectacle, indeed. The fair
fields OF France ripening under the
harvest, while through them by rail,
motor truck and on foot move myriads>
of armed soldiers against further des-
ecrations by the invading despoiler. 1t
is indeed a star flung battle line,'
this thing known as The Front. this
band of iron and steel and flesh and
blood, on which millions of men have
been killed, millions more wounded
and where other millions are at
death grips. Nor is this the first time
this particular part of the line from
which l am writing has been baptized
in blood. We pass through a village
where Atilla, the Hun, camped with
his legions more than a thousand
years before America was discovered.
Another where was hatched plot
against the Bourbon kings. Here Is
the native village of Joan Of Arc, and
the old house where she was born,
and the pasture where she dreamed
dreams and saw visions. Over these
fields Napoleon fought the Prussian
armies under Bluches, Chateaus,
centuries old, dot the hills, impreg'
nable in their day, important now
against modern guns.
When Americans Fight.
l was in one American camp, not
far back of the front, when the or
der came to move to the front. The
order had been expected and every
thing was in readiness. OnlyNa a few
moments were required for the boys
to pack Invariably when COM
pany was formed and would swing
off to the meeting place OF the entire
unit, the air was made vocal with
song. They headed direct for the
front and in few hours. not stopping
to strike camp, they hurled them
selves on the German masses and
drove them back a mile and half.
These were the fellows who fought at
Chateu Thierry. where the Germans
had crossed the Marne They drove
the enemy back across the river and
blew up the bridge. ......
The day before American troops
in hand to hand fight with Germans
in Vevilly Wood, that blocks the road
to Paris, drove every foe from the
forest. ~ a
I was with a troop of Americans
on the march to the front line when
they passed through French villages
whose inhabitants had never seen an
American soldier Such a reception
The air rang with shouts of "Vive
rAmerique!" Many of the people
were on their knees in an attitude
of prayer. The hillsides were dotted
with white crosses that marked the
graves of French soldiers who fell
in the first battle Of the Marne. Oc-
casionally from some point in the
lines would tcome the strains of a
familiar tune.
"America" Sunu In France.
At one time thousands of voices
were making the valley ring with
"My Country, 'Tis of Thee" At
small village l saw half dozen lads
in charge of a sergeant One of them
had fallen and sDrained his knee.
The others were sick. One officer had
directed that they be billeted and left
behind. The boys were protesting,
two of them with tears in their eyes.
The chap with the sprained knee,
endeavored to show how good he
could walk. The knee gave way and