The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-15
THRONG AT STATUE
DESPITE WEATHER
Speakers and Audience Cele-
brate Bastile Day Near Joan
of Arc Monument.
J.K. BANGS TELLS OF TRIP
French Morale Stronger Than
Ever-Pays Tribute to
Courage of People.

Courage Of People.
I. -
Joan Of Arc statue at Riverside Drive
and Ninety-third street yesterday after
noon and spread out over the roadway
and on the lawns. In that nelshborhood
celebrated Bastile day despite the
weather. First It was insufrerably hot
and then a gale blew across the Hudson
from the Jersey shore. bringing heavy
shower, but the programme was carried
through.
II was arranged by the Committee OF
Allied Tribute to France and the Joan
Of Arc statue committee, and when the
downpour threatened to drown out the
celebration an adjournment was taken to
the big main hall OF a nearby apart
ment house, where the speeches were
cheered and the ''Marseillaise' was sung.
George Frederick Hunts, Chevalier Of
the Legion Of Honor. was chairman OF
the committee and he opened the exer-
ctses by asking Father A. Archibald OF
the Church OF Notre Dame to pronounce
the invocation in French. Miss Ursula
Meilish sang THE Star Spangled Ban
ner," the big crowd joining in. and the
Rev. Canon GILES b. Cabanel. chaplain
chief OF the famous French Blue Devils,
made a short address.
DR.. Downer stirs Audience.
DR.. Charles A. Downer. president OF
the French Alliance, brought burst OF
ba
the aims and purposes Of France and
America are to win the war and tell the
Germans what the peace terms are to
be. He said in part:
The citizens of America are to-day
moved by the noblest sentiments that
can stir the hearts Of men-patriotism,
loyalty. admiration, affection and graft
tude. The day we celebrate marks the
foundation of the democracy OF France
and symbolixes the common ideal Of the
two sister republics.
The two nations are one In purpose
and this purpose Is the grim. unshaka-
BILE purpose to fight on until the war is
won in the full sense Of the word until
their victorious arms shall enable them
to tell the Germans what the peace
terms are to be-"
stirred the crowd to repeated applause
with a vivid description Of his unsuc-
cessful quest for some evidence Of the
reported lack Of French morale, in the
course Of which no found nation daunt-
less in the face Of cruel suffering, a ma
tion whose children even joked at the
atrocities Of the Hun.
Describing a number OF incidents he
witnessed In Paris Mr.. Bangs was ap-
plauded again and again. He recalled
one case Of a six or seven year old boy
tvv,0 ALI nj In t. 81
street when one of the German long
range shells fell scarcely 400 yards
away and exploded with q deafening de-
tonation, and played dead for two or
three seconds and then sat up and an
nounced to the world In a matter Of
fact way: The Goth is amusing him
self this morning" Continuing. the
speaker said:
80 much for the inroads of Busy
Bertha upon the morale Of tho civilian
population Of Paris The spirit under
the hail of the air raids is no different.
The siren sounds it's raucous warning
notifying the city Of the approach Of
the celestial Boche.
Hearing 1t the American Immediately
rushes forth into the open. hoping per-
haps to catch a falling bomb as a
souvenir, and is much disappointed when
ne doesn't get 1t. But the French are
thing for nearly four years, and they
realize that life has unusual value at
this crisis in the worlds history. The
are willing to sacrifice 1t IL need be in
action at the front where the sacrifice
will mean something, but they do not
intend to lose 1t uselessly at the rear
in a mere accident which care can make
avoidable.
How They Meet the Air Raids.
AT the call. then, the French seek
shelter in cellars largely, but often In
the lower levels Of the subways of Paris.
Hither in search of French lack of NOR
ale we follow and we find $50 people
down in the catacombs OF transit. most
ly civilians but among them some forty
or fifty young polus home for a brief
respite from the trials Of war.
"On the concrete steps leading down
to this level sits a young French musi-
clan, a violinist, returning from a con-
cert in which he has taken part. He
sees no reason why a moment that can
be devoted to beauty should be diverted
10 anxiety. So he opens his case, takes
out his violin and begins to play. He
plays Grieg. He plays Saint-Saens. He
plays Chopin, and then. glancing up from
MS instrument. he perceives the young
poilus and their sweethearts and he
strikes up the latest popular dance.
I'm moment that platform Is a scene
of revelry by night Good clean, whole
some revelry. Every man, woman and
child who can dance does dance, and
all the while Herr Bosch Is upstairs.
raining down bombs upon the city and
fiattering himself that he is destroying
civilian morale and forcing a dishonora-
BILE peace upon q war worn and war
weary people.
'F1attering himself, I say? For at
this very moment the French morale Is
30 strong, so steel fibred, SO everlast-
angly rooted in the conviction of right
eousness that there IL no power on Gods
earth this side of complete humiliation
OF the living that can break It,"
- Others who spoke beneath the Joan OF
Arc statue or in the big apartment,
house hall were ]. Sanford Saltus Miss
Jane Manner, Paul Bartlett and Robert
Underwood johnson. Mr.. johnson re-
cited a poem he has written and dedi-
Gated to President Poincare OF France
entitled 1.-THE Sword OF Lafayette"
The poem follows:
II was the time OF our despair
When lion hearted Washington
That man OF patience and Of prayer
Looked sadly at each rising sun.
In all the freedom breeding air.
OF hope and rescue there none.
When 10 l-as down from heaven let,
There came the sword Of Lafayette
Our harbors-how they danced with light
Our tireless bells-how they did ring!
Again we Kirded up to fight