Evening star., 1918-01-27
NUN BRAVES THREATS
IN FIGHT TO PROTECT
WOUNDED FRENCHlNEN
German Invaders Place Pistol at Sister S
Throat 400 Times, But She
Wins Her Point
Princess di Poggio-Suasa Tells of What She Sau
and Heard on Visit to the French Front

to the French Front.
, diers who were locked up in house
| in the village and were to be shot the
next day. She asked the reason. Be
cause they were so gangrened that an
| epidemic might result, was the reply
In a moment Sister Gabrielle was De-
fore the German colonel and charged
him with what she had learned. The
interview must have been tragic. The
revolver at her neck. yet she was de-
termined and gained her point. FINAL
ly the key was given to her ana sne
rushed to the rescue or tnose poor
children Of France.
For ten days twenty-five wounded
men had not had a drop Of water pass
their parched lips, had not had their
wounds looked at, nor received any
Sister Gabrielle pointed to her desk
where slips of paper were spread ana
on each a flower. IT have been today
to visit those graves. Pauyres petlts!
am sending these to their mothers.
May they never know what way their
children died."
We left Mussey and our kind hos
tesses early in the morning to join
Mile. Sirodot, who wanted to show us
through her efforts almost all the in
habitants, that is the women and old
folk, have returned.
Temporary wooden cottages have
been created and their Inhabitants are
again courageously fighting the battle
of life.
Oppose Wooden Houses.
Our Secours Franco-American Pour
lie France DeyaStee is doing work on
about the same principle, but we feel
there is much to say against these
wooden houses. If they are to come
across the seas what space they will
here, how expensive! So much is re-
quired by the military necessities that
good seasoned building wood is not to
be had. Beautiful forests have been
rif1ce more than are absolutely neces-
sary of the remaining ones?
This question has been solved and
We can put up semi-permanent houses
building materials found on the spot
can be used. These houses will last from
ten to fifteen years, long enough to
shelter the families until the government
can pay for the permanent reconstruction
of their ruined homes. Sheds for fodder
principle.
Now we must leave kind Mile. Sirodot
and start for Yerdun. It Is dismal day.
not raining. but the clouds are low and
wounded villages and meet large ceme-
teries for soldiers scattered along the
fields. We become more conscious Of
what is going on beyond as we get nearer
the heroic town.
Owing to the screening clouds, large
military movements are being executed.
Our motor must pass between the con-
voys going up to Verdun and those
going to the trenches. others coming from
them. these last covered with mud. tired.
but brave looking. They watch us with
curiosity. as women are rarely seen In
the region We now have reached. Those
going up to watch over our safety are
fine, well fed, happy looking youths;
many smile and wave to US as we go
past. and we wonder how many will
come back.
We skirt by cannon after cannon, vans
transporting every kind of war imple-
ments, many ambulances.
The roads are splendid. the order per-
! feet. and we are gaining a feeling of
security, although We can hear the firing
Of our guns.
One comes suddenly into verdun close
to the citadelle. and a wave of strong
emotion takes hold Of me as Lieut. Gas
quet says, Now we enter the gates of
Verdun."
A Day in Lifetime.
This day has been one Of those that
count in a lifetime. The rumbling Of
the cannon. the entrance into the long
galleries of the citadelle, the movement
the earth. We must be twenty yards
| underground, and we visit with keen in
terest all these wonderful and complicated
passages.
Col DELAY offered a cordial welcome
| and an excellent lunch. after which we
had the great privilege of being invited
| to visit the fort OF Souville.
1t would be useless and pretertious
$NSs trry
saw Others have writer Of that re-
gion. 1 feel as il 1 had been suddenly
| transported into Dantesque dream.
where every movement of the atmos-
phere murmured words OF woes untold
How many young men had passed
onward in full life to meet a glorious
| but too often painful and lingering
death.
No more vegetation. no more trees,
a few shattered, torn trunks stand
| Ing on volcanic soil, yet we are told
some beautiful forests stood there not
long ago. We are allowed to visit the
fort In which a fierce hand-to-hand
| battle was fought, and presently we
stand upon the summit and see the
battlefield. for our batteries fire con-
tinually around US. About US are
Douamont, Vaux. LIE Mort Homme,
| Cote 304, and down the valley the Ger
man trenches We now are before
land that has lost all agricultural value
| for many years; those who lived in vii
lagos around US will never find even
the trace Of the spots where their
homes stood.
| One has the feeling of being at the
border Of the Valley Of Death. All is
bare before us.
We walk through deep mud: what
we are treading is sacred ground
which has absorbed French manhood
more noble men have given their lives
here in defense of their country than
ever before in the history of. this world
sacrificed themselves for an ideal. and
my heart is very heavy. ~-
We turn down toward verdun. for
the hours have gone quickly A won
derfu! vision meets our eyes-yerdun
standing in the evening mist with the
| towers OF Its cathedral still proudlv
looking at US. The German shells are
now falling on the martyr city. and
the crimson setting sun. behind the
town: seems to cry out that SO much
has been sacrificed there, that natura
is surfeited with the sacrifice.
Yet Verdun stands, every bujldino
struck. all its inmates gone, like The
iously calling out to the foe.
| ON NE PASSE PAS,