The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-10-10
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touch them She point
ed to the arch across the street, few feet away.
thronsh which they would soon pass with the
American and French flags intertwined and the
motto In big scrawly letters. "Soyes Bienvenus."
She explained that was American. They
seemed TO understand. and their faces lighted up
Tor this was In early June. and these pitiful
ones, VINO had been where little had reached
them for nearly four years. knew that the Ameri-
cans were in France in good numbers now. and
were their niles. d
So the group ceased to shrink from my camera
\ woman thrust her child forward and
snoOthed Its hair that 1t would look well In the
picture But. just about to snnp the
SHUTTER another woman In the group. standing u
little back. looked ut me with an expression that
was full Of condemnation. full of appeal. as she
said: "Yes. my friends let stand up straight,
so that he can get good photograph OF miseryl"
Then she laughed bitterly, and L-well. did not
take the picture.
At this moment the rest of the convoy began to
out Of the station. led by the Chasseurs' lit
tie band. With them came Red Cross men and
nurses. carrying or helping those who could not
walk Into the waiting camions and ambulances.
l put up my camera and hurried ahead to reach
the casino, whittier the procession bound be-
fore their arrival there. Someone struck up LA
Marseilnise,' woman with a high, shrill
voice. As climbed upon the front seat of
ambulance and started to pass the crowd
thought for a moment that 1 was going to
see, going to hear what had come up from Paris
from these people now that they fully realized
that they in France, among their own free
from the German yoke, which had lain their
necks since 1914. But our ambulance went by
the procession there were no other voices raised
to Join that of the sing pg woman. and after a few
bars she. too stopped singing and the procession
went on, silent, shuffiing. except for sraall
boys, town boys, who trudged ahead Of the Chas-
seurs, still playing their tune on drum and buge.
reached the casino ahead OF the procession
tto for hppn tn tho,
Rue du Casino The narrow, steep street was
crowded along its sidewalks with townspeOple,
and from windows flung the tricolor. while the
American flag waved here and there. too. AS the
procession came around the head OF the street the
people hailed 1t with cheers and the waving of
flags The Chasseurs played loridly-now
il was "vve rArmee' they were footing. A few
Of the children raised their heads and looked with
glad eyes the enthusiastic natives who
trying hard to cheer them home. An old man
In the procession Strengthened up and shouted,
.yiye Ia General JofYre." But otherwise there
we're no cheers. thrills of happiness any
thing but just that dOwn-bent attitude, that shut
fling walk. that dazed whipped cowed express
sion. 1t was. the woman at the station had
said, misery For Evian Is the clearing house of
misery these days.
II was not so at first. the American Red Cross
doctor told me. and so the subprefect of the de-
partment of the Haute-Savoie also assured me.
(which Is why we make such great effort to
cheer them us they come in nowadays" he said.
..Thes are crushed. these people they are like
deo, men and women, and the children, even the
little ones are scarcely alive to the situation.
Free from Germany once more! They cannot be-
l,eye it-there is scarcely enough strength left in
their poor minds and bodies for them to be able
to understand"
"Yes" added the Red Cross doctor. pointing out
a GIRL of eighteen or nineteen who passed; look
at the expression on the face OF that girl.
.oskaa rcaueht here eve us she turned In NV "''