The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-03-01
What Does One Do When Zeps
Raid City? Chesters Are Puzzled

- - - - - ~
Of the lighted circles: gaunt. dim
cabs. with their drivers Hwathcd into
ahapeleSs Jumps, formless. pIodding
carts and wagons. silent and motion
lees -Bobblcs." huddied early risers
shufflinK almos, invisibiy to and fro
on a thousand missions OF their own
and now. silent little groups here
and there. faces upturnod.
Nothing 20 see.
BIg Zcps Were spccks
The uirships were 30 high up MS
10 be invisible. they were no, even
too, the booming Of the big guns
became more intermittent. and final.
~ ceased. Tn. air raid waa over
over. and no treat damage done'
Tho siren sounded again in the
streets OF Paris. only a few seconds
after that first warning. and the
curtain aid slowly down on our Lon
don memory. as the lights were dim.
med in our dccoroua French restau-
rant
door. smiling and struggling their
shoulders and tho head waiter lower.
ed his hand.
lie considered 4, his duty 20 laugh
ertravaEantly for the rraasurance
Of his guests. agd did 10. tho II was
entirely unnecessary.
French Take II Easy
Tho French officer who was ~nt-r~
tanning his family unchanged a smile
with them. and resumed pouring tho
wine
The young English officer M
fresh match. and tho pretty riri took
up her siivcry laugh where shc had
lef, IL off. with curious effect Of
beginning again with the lnaudIhle
echo.
The American contractor observed.
Probably n false alarm and set
down his river and put n bridge
across g.
The French banker. his eye twink.
ling with amusement at the excessive
hilarity Of the head waiter. tasted his
dessert and found II good. and we put
i~-pon on our fat. round oyatcrA
There seemed nothing else In par
,icuiar 10 do.
Nowhere In particular to 20. for
one place IL an safe as another: and
II anything were 10 happen II
would. and II not not
No single diner left until he had
finished. no one went 20 a window
or door.
False Alarm
or course IL had been false
alarm.
ono Of tho alert French gen.
darrnes Of tho air, far towards the
border. had heard strange engine
way overhead. and too far inside the
limo. so he gave the alarm for the
chase. and mistake In signals had
treated the city 20 long obsolete
thrill. In spite Of the fact that tho
raiders are scarcely likely ever
again 10 reach Paris
The bugle sounded "all clear in n
short time after the warning. and
the vigilant airmen, who never cease
TO circle above their precious Paris.
flashed their comforting lights a.
they whirrcd and dipped and tobog.
gained In the limpid moonllt air.
BUT THE THRILL HAD NO
DEPTH.
Tho world. with such tremendous
things at stake. has long since ceas.
cd TO care about such trifles.
The incident only served to bring
up the everlasting puzzle OF: Why
docs the bochc do it?
Costs Hun Money
His tremendously expensive raids
have no military or strategic value.
and Il can only be that his clumsy
mind conccivcs the absurd theory
that such people IA the British and
tho French. who have proved their
staunchncss by n horoisn which
will be epic in future history. could
be frightened by goblin-a scare
crow In n field
We have not been among the Brit
ism 80 much. but we were with them
in the one visitation. and know that
there is nothing but bravery in
them: and as for the French. whom
we know much better. ut is to
laugh"
Fear. rs n basis Of action. seems TO
have gone out of the universe.
At least II is not to be found in
France. for fear is individual, and
the Frenchman dear az life. may be
10 him, no longer lives for himself
lilo IL but a part OF a great. daunt-
less nation which is proceeding
stcrnly toward tho accomplishment
OF one clear and fixed idea: for that
idea. France IL willing TO endure
| amin all the doprivation and the ag.
ony which he has endured I'm tho
past. TO fight bravely and TO bravely
suffer, to pour out her treasure and
her blood I'm an unending stream.
without complaint and without ono
I faltering I'm her sublime courage,
UNTIL THE FOUL AND HIDE
GUS MONSTER OF PRUSSIAN
| MILITARISM SHALL HAVE
BEEN DRIVEN FOREVER FROM
THE WORLDl
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