Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-10-17

eu 70 .ne arch across the stre&f few feet away,
,irouen winch they would soon pass, with the
american and French flags intertwined and the
otto IN Dig scrawly letters. "Soyes Bienvenus.
She explained that 1 was an American They
seemed TO understand, and their faces lighted up,
ior THIS was In early June and these pitiful
Ones VINO had been where little news had reached
them for nearly four years, knew that the Ameri-
cans were In France in good numbers now and
were their allies
So the group ceased to shrink from my camera.
A woman even thrust her child forward and
smoothed it's hair that it would look well in the
picture But, just as 1 about to snap the
shutter, another woman in the group, standing a
little back, looked at me with an expression that
was full of condemnation, full of appeal as she
said: Eyes, my friends let stand up straight,
so that he can get good photograph of misery ~
Then she laughed bitterly, and well, did not
take the picture.
At this moment the rest of the convoy began to
come 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
walk into the waiting camions and ambuances.
1 put up my camera and hurried ahead to reach
the casino, whittier the procession bound, be-
fore their arrival there Someone struck up LA
MarseillaiSe,' some woman with high, shrill
voice AS climbed upon the front seat Of an
ambulance and we started to pass the crowd 1
thought for moment that 1 going to
see, going to hear, what had come up from Paris
for-the glad burst of enthusiasm, of happiness
from these people that they fully realized
that they were in France, among their own, free
from the German yoke, which had lain on their
neckS since 1914 But as our ambulance by
the procession there were other voices raised
to Join that of the singing woman and after a few
bars she, too. stopped singing and the procession
went on, silent, shuffiinA except for some small
boys. town boys. who trudged ahead of the Chas-
seurs, still playing their tune drum and buefe
reached the casino ahead of the procession
and waited at the door for them to come down the
Rue du Casino. The narrow, steep street was
crowded along its sidewalks with townspeople
and from windows flung the trfcolor while the
American flag waved here and there too. AS the
people ahafled 1T with cheers and the waving of
flags. The Chasseurs played more loudly-now
il was "vive rArmee' they footing few
of the children raised their heads looked with
glad eyes on the enthusiastic natives who were
trying hard to cheer them home. An old man
in the procession Strengthened up and shouted
"Vive lie General Joffre." But otherwise there
were cheers. thrills of happiness, nor any
thing but just that down-bent attitude that shut
sion. 1t was, as the woman at the station had
said, misery For Evian Is the clearing house of
misery these days.
1t was not at first. the American Red Cross
doctor told me, and the subprefect of the de
partment of the Haute-Savoie also assured me-
(which is why make such a great effort to
cheer them as they come In nowadays" he said.
'They are crushed, these people; they are like
dead men and women. and the children even the
Free from Germany once more? They cannot be-
neve ft-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
girl of eighteen nineteen who passed: s1cpx
at the expression en- the face OF that girl" /
Looked. caught here eye as she turned In my a.