Evening star., 1918-05-28


him. He is paid only 700 francs a
year by his poverty-stricken parish
toner's, and since the Americans came
in the price of eggs has risen to 8
francs a dozen. He stopped his pain
full figuring little while ago and
the mess cook put the eternal ques-
ton:
"Quelle nouvelles, mooseerT
So the priest told him the days
news in good French, but after the
telling was ended we heard the mess
cook make the usual reply:
"Pah comprong, mooseer."
No News From Battle.
They all know how to ask for news
in French. but few have progressed
to the point Of understanding the
news when it is told to them: This
newslessness has become q chronic
of the greatest battle in the worlds
history. A short distance away is
the great road along which camions
rumble all day long on their way to
the front, and down which they
pound empty, except that now and
then they carry regiment OF tired
soldiers back for a rest. Usually they
are asleep.>their heads pillowed on
their arms, or nodding painfully as
their owners squat on the floors OF
the trucks, hung about by the infin-
ity of canteens and musettes and
blankets. and other contraptions the
French soldiers carry
Sometimes they have been shaken
awake by the rough roads. and their
" as they are whirled by. Always
they are incredibly dusty and muddy
and rusty and bearded. Yet one
knows that in another day they will
be as incredibly smart: No soldier
can be more wholly sloppy in ap-
soldier be more trim and alert than
he. if he has but a little chance.
These are all young and strong men.
Evidently France is far from the ex-
hausted condition pessimists have told
of, in spite of her immense suffering.
Our men stand at the road edge
and watch them go by. mutely won
dering what is going on 'over there,
and what these men have gone
through. It seems incredible that the
should be so wholly ignorant Of its
fortunes. There Is no civilian COM
munication between this village and
the advanced area. The only news
paper taken in the tiny town Is the
priests religious daily. which sub
sideration Of theological questions to
discuss the progress of the war. The
Y. NJ. C. A. has fallen down. Usually
the "Y. NJ" attends to bringing in the
English dailies from Paris. but trans
portation is too difficult here. So We
have no news.
Rumors at the Front. i
Rumor takes the places that news
! should fill. Last night we were quite
excited by the story that the French
had cut of $4,000 Germans and made
| them prisoners. Then it became 5000
prisoners. Then an authoritative but
uninformed person announced that a
German division had been captured,
and when came back to the fire.
| shuddering after a plunge into the
moist chill OF Flanders air. that one
! division had become twenty divisions.
| Austria had capitulated. The Rus
| The American Army in France had
! increased several millions over night.
and Ireland had rallied to the Brit
| ish flag.
That was a field night for rumor
and every one talked happily, al
| though it is likely that not a single
| one believed a word of the tales he
heard and repeated. This morning the
stories had died natural death. They
had not been contradicted, nor had
| they been affirmed. They had simply
ceased to interest The lieutenant col
onel. humorously announced that the
Germans had made q drive and were
now within eight miles of us and still
coming. Every one pricked up his
ears, but no one really stopped to
think whether the yarn was false or
true. We have become deadened to
events. We wonder how it is possible
that a world should continue to buy
newspapers when it is obviously so
easy to get along without them.
One of these days We shall have
newspapers again. and every one will
read them, but for the moment the
little and not the big things of life
hold our childlike intelligences. l: is
OF far more Importance to US that We
will start for the battle at 10 o'clock
o'clock in the morning. than that We
are actually to start for the fight. No
one seems to think Of what may hap
pen in the fight. The mdn who are to
do the fighting do not speak OF 1t.
They seem not to think of it even.
The qualities OF non-commissioned Of
hcers ana failings Of the mess cook and
and the Flanders weather furnish our
conversational table.
Listen to high life in Ell Paso." said
Lyman In the front room. Lesson
hour has evidently ended. Through
the open door l can hear the little ar
tilleryman read the story of one days
doings in Ell Paso, which includes a
covery and new raid across the bor-
der by that forgotten freebooter.
Pancho Villa, and fashionable we'd
ding. Every one talks OF these little
things Of yesterday.
The windows have begun to rattle
under the heavy beating Of the guns.