French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-07-18
France AS Seen
By Lieut.. J. B. Belk
France, June 20, 1913

were 1aSC anu we AOSG hO IAAAS" w
knew we were close to land when
day broke and I was up at tve.
was excited, we were really
at high pitch but not afraid. Two
DAYS in the zone-keeping death
watch"-had not dampened my
spirits, tho twice our guns opened
as if in barrage. We were too foxy
for Mr.. Sub.
The day was perfect tho the sea
was running high. I went in the
nest at eight and soon a long black
line came in sight, a lighthouse be-
came visible, and sea-gulls came by
my head to welcome US.
Thousands of lusty American
voices shouted in glee. There was a
small gap in that black line which
had materialized into high cliffs,
and we steered for it. The.
foam of mighty waves climbed up
these rocks and turned to spray.
About ten o'clock, June 18th, he
slowly crept thru this black gate,
seon the harbor flashed in view, corn
cred with tiny boats that looked like
wooden shoes, and sales many tiRes
as large as they, in different cOlOrs.
There were big ships and graceful
schooners anchored there.
The cliffs fell gradually away, ex-
cept on one point at my right. This
point was covered with a mass Of
tangled forest, dark gray towers Of
rock rose far above the trees. At
first I thought it natural, but almost
Immediately / realized it was a castle.
How impregnable it must have once
been! It looked as If the hill had
blossomed into a gray flower so close
~ did the lines blend. Beyond the
base of the castle, the landscape
sloped smoothly away, beautiful with
checkered spots of Vineyards, but, at
the apex of the harbor, the ground
was still high, and the water ended
against a cliff, or appeared to. I
learned later that a narrow channel
veered off, and ran far into the in
terror. To my left the city stood,
built of rock on many hills that
jutted the high plateau, and seemed
to tumble into the harbor, as the
steep slope from the ridge Of the
plateau looked like a picture Of a
cave-dweller's city. At the foot were
the docks, from them . road zig
zazed up to the city. 1t is said this
road was built in the days Of Caesar
possibly by him. 1t is certainly
steep, for I marched up it, and felt
like l might be climbing Queens
Greek mountain, and cobble stones. I
spent several hours wandering
around with Lieut.. Chester, Of Raj
eigh. We had loads of fun. We
had learned enough French to get
Nlong on, but 1 know it was crude
stuff. These people look on Amer
lean officers as millionaires. Crippled
soldiers and children cried for aims
and we got a pocketful Of 10 CEN
times and endeavored to keep them
disallusioned! 1t takes 5 centimes
to make one U. S. penny! They
look on a franc as we do a dollar.
Things are cheap, except staples. I
got dinner, a shave, hair cut, had a
crystal put on my watch, a hand, also
and it cost only 6 francs-$1.O2.
But clothes, etc., are out Of sight.
This city on the hills is one Of
about the size Of Richmond only
more compact-cobble-stOnes and
wooden shoes! The parks are filed
with children all the time red faces
and flashing eyes, but with great big
wooden shoes-pitiful!
In fact my heart bleeds for these
poor people, they have the queerest
expressions, a mixture Of resignation,
hope, pain, with a poor effort at
cheerfulness. They treat Us with
distinct difidence, look ON US as
some kind of saviors.
We were standing on a park corner
where some French guards came.
marching along with a big bunch Of
German prisoners. They are big
sturdy fellows-those Germans
most of them wearing scars, and rag
ged uniforms. They had an express
sion of the Gagged leopards-exeept
two or three boys. They looked at
us hard, passing within 2 feet of
me. I wanted to (safely) experience
the proximity of German troopsI
AS we wandered thru the parks,
French crippled soldiers rose and
saluted US, and we stopped and pass
ed them a coin-with, bon jeur,
never loosing an opportunity to dis
play our vast knowledge of simple
phrases.
The lower class is poverty stricken.
They CLEAN the warves where our
abundant supplies are unloaded, they