Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1918-07-25
MISS PECK TELLS
OF EXPERIENCE
IN FRANCE
Now With Red Cross, and
Under Fire, She Writes
Family

Bogalusa citizens will be interested
in the following letter from Miss
Jesse Peck, daughter of F. L. Peck,
who is a frequent visitor to Boga-
lusa. Miss Peeck's description of how
the war has affected Paris and France
is very interesting.
Paris, June 1st, 1918.
Dearest Family:
Here / have been in France week
today and hardly know where to
begin to tell you all about it, for
have a myriad of impressions in my
brain.
The day of our landing we sailed
up a river for some fifty miles or
more. On every side were American
soldiers, sailors and ships-it was so
interesting l should like to tell you
all about, but it can't be done just
now. We at home little know how
much is being done over here.
We locked late~in the day after
a strenuous day of going through
regulations, as they came aboard
from pilot boat early in the morn
ing, all baggage examined again
and questions galore to be answered.
am sure you could not move five
feet in France without accounting
for yourself; it is somewhat siren
uous; was about dead by the time
we landed; then an all nights ride
to Paris-no sleeping coaches, with
four French people, an old man and
his wife, and an old French Colonel
and young officer. The old French
Colonel tried to do everything for
our comfort, but noticed he wound
his head up in scarf and put on
his overcoat, for you know they are
more afraid of night than poison.
LII was sorae night believe me--nly
first real war experience. Consider-
ing all things were comfortable, for
the train was packed, most compart-
ments holding six persons ordinarily
had eight or more people in them.
There were, soldiers who sat all night
on their baggage in the corridors.
and with all the discomforts you
seemed to hear no complaints except
from green Americans like our
selves.
About nine in the morning we ar
rived in Paris. There we were met
iby a Red Cross official and packed
into army transport motors. l had
seat by the driver, it was most
amusing AS we crossed the Pont
Royal and Palace de La Concorde,
how little had ever thought to make
my entry so into Paris. Everything
lseemed much. the same on the surface
except for sand bags piled about
statues and monuments; it was a
wonderful day, the sun shining its
brightest and the trees and the flow
ers in the Tuilieries Gardens looking
their best. You have only to be
here a very short time to see how
very changed Paris is. In a great
measure the gaiety of its street life
has disappeared; if it were not for
the numerous soldiers of the allied
soldiers on leave, and the Americans,
it would not seem Paris at all, and
such variety of uniforms as you
do see. It gives a bit of color to
things, as all the smartly dressed of
the old days have disappeared; in
fact, / think everyone is wearing his
or her old clothes. They tell me that
more than a million people have left
Paris since the bombardment began.
as for the bombardment, we have
it every day; the Huns take pleasure
in awakening US every morning
tsometine between six and seven and
continue for some hours; :, they usual
ly rest in the middle of the day, then
late in the day again, good morn
ing and a good night affair. The
report comes every fifteen minutes
Tonight they are banging away quite
persistently as / write-just like q
Fourth Of July celebration
j The other day I was only a bloch
or 50 away from where one struck
saw the dust and smoke-it looked
little more ike business then. M
one rays much attention, everyon'
goes about their affairs as usual
no reports are made IN the dali,
papers of the damage done, and.
should Judge from rumors that sur
prisingly little is done. Besides this
every few nights there is an air raid
there have been two since / arrived
II slept through the first one mucl