Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-14
WITH THE BIC CANNONS
IN STRICKEN FRANCE
Judge Ben B. Lindsey Writes Interesting Story of Life in
the Trenches Among Allied Soldiers With Shells
Screaming Overhead and Earth Fairly Shakes.

hiOlHeT eyes ana tWlulnS ms small
arms about her neck with all the
strength he had left. whispered in her
ear-cvcn amid the loud tumult and
struggle OF the dead and dying all
about him-"Don't cry, mummy: 1 die
for France"
And thought of that little boy and
all the little boys-and girls-when I
stepped up TO that French battery right
on the fightin. line and with my own
hand pulled the trigger that sent a
l05-millimc;cr shell into the German
iines-the lines defending the hellish
instrument of Prussia which killed that
little boy who died for France" And
while l hate hate. ] pray to God that
that she'll blew some of those damned
scoundrels TO pieces.
OLD RHEIMS A GRAVEYARD
FOR THE MEN WHO DIED
But started 10 speak just of yester-
days return from the front, and you
see where IL Is leading me. | was one
or the first civilians to enter Rheims
since the recent terrible bomba rdment.
Poor Rheima. 1t has lived in history
because OF rs great cathedral, rs Joan,
It's browning OF kings. its romance. It's
glorious memories. But Rheims
Rheims Is graveyard. Its cathedral
is IL ruins. There lay a big German
shell right by the side door where we
cntercd-dropped there the day before.
Ana from n distance was the NAL bang
and crash OF shells. Were they even
trying to prevent a few soldiers from
rescuins the statue Of Joan In front
of the cathedral? Joan serene-stiN on
her iron horse-hcr head aloft as In
life We helped pull down the statue
such little help as We could give--to
save II for Paris and civilization-wh
Rheims may be shcll-churned battle
ground. II Is impossible to describe it,
But for the hellish bang! bang! bang.
OF occasional shells still falling IL was
as silent as the cemetery beyond. With
population OF over 100000 before
the war il dwindlcd to less than 90 600
up 20 last February when notices were
posted calling on ali civilians to leave
the city.
have copies OF these notices that
took from the shell-torn walls of the
Hotel de VILE. Before that many
braved the danger OF bombs and she'll
IRE 10 the very last In one battered
house made my way into the Kitchen
II was left just as the family had hur-
richly fed before the batteries reached
II part OF the meal was still! on the
Kitchen stove; I'm the dinirg room the
table was still set: and all the furniture
and artistic hangings IN the rooms be-
Eond untouched save by Tho falling
debris that gave 1t an !ndcscribable ap-
pcarance OF chaos and disorder On the
uttered floor OF another house knew
there had been children, for saw their
playthinSs. deserted In some mad rush
from the house. Ii there had been
doli-and there MIST have been-it was
not there.
In the salon here IN Paris hope the
Grand PriN Will go to the marble OF
La Petite refugee" little girl flee
Ing from "A shelled city without even
stitch OF clothing. but clutching des-
perateiy 10 her little doll.
As | write this l read In the Paris
refugees from Rhclns-who had fed
10 an orphanage whose methods
would appeal TO Judge Lindsey OF
Denver. according 10 the writer. May
not one OF them be the little girl whose
home ! saw in all its tumbled ruins
amid the she'll fire of Rheims? Well
my wife and | are going to look up the
children in the orphanage. Who knows
what the strange vic!ss!tudes this mad
reality may not bring forth. Rheims
Denver-and orphans-trom the crash
OF battle.
Not such bad condition after all.
For Denver is known here for its
work for children. had hardly
passed the threshold OF the Tribunal
des Enfants" when a man in u long
black gown stepped up to me and sa-
Irted me by name in good American"
] won't repeat all the nuttering things
he and the others said. But it was
good TO see there the picture OF Den
vcr's court and other reminders OF
home. They were eXtravaGant, like
all Be!Gians in praisinS Denver for
their work here for children. They re-
called the commission that had visited
us years ago. the bills and letters
sent them, and said that the court re-
suited directly from that.
And when we visit the little mar
tyrs OF Rheims there may be more to
tell and especially more TO do. For
their home is good. and even their
beautiful city OF Rheims in only a sem
blance OF its former self. Wounded
gasping, like some living thing. as each
new she'll bangs into 1t. with that
Wheeling scream that precedes explo-
sions. / wish every American could
see Rheims I wish the world could
see it. Typical OF the beauty and
loneliness, the history, romance, and
poetry Of heroic France, IL now lies
PROSTATE, nailed 10 the cross Of Ger
man brutality. For there was no
earthly use Of all this butchery except
the damnable doctrine OF German
frightfulness that is to blackmail the
world TO its imperial ambitions.
SAVIOR OF MANKIND IS
FIGHTING SPIRIT OF FRANCE
But France has not yielded. and
France will never yield. When the