The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1918-02-08
Under The CamOuf1age
INTIMATE WAR EXPERIENCES AND
OBSERVATIONS OF
LOWELL MELLET
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
~ --- TNI|--- I
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent

PARIS, Nov. 29.-Wer. I've lust
about seen them all. They we're there
this morning, and if | didn't see all
OIL them 1t was because they came so
fast one pair of eyes couldn't take
them in. Or because occasionally one
particular face-like Cadorna's. for in.
stance-was bound to snag ones atten
ton to the exclusion of the others.
with little imagination it is pos
sible to see in Cadorna's face the
whole story of the war Rugged and
gnarled in outline and scanned with
the lines made by trouble-troubIe-
Notwithstanding and unescapa-
bic responsibility, it is yet cool and
confident countenance. His eyes, seen
in the shadow of his caps visor. are
clear and sure. And there is no sag
in his chunky shoulders.
He was the center of one group of
Italians that stood for a moment in
the ante-room off the room of the min
istere de Affaires strangers before
passing into the Inter-allies conference
room. The new premier, Orlando, and
Baron Somino led another group
through the group of quiet, we'll
dressed spectators into the building
The ante-room filled up rapidly and
soon was oIrnoo+ c-oudoJ T. 49, =.
colorful scene, the brilliant uniforms
of the generals-few less than GER
erals were present-being set against
occasional backgrounds of black and
white, such as DR.. Alonzo Taylor, Balm
bridge Colby, Mr.. Balfour and Lord
BERTHE, for example. The japanese,
Colonel Tavaka and others, furnished
the needed restful green, their khaki
having something of green in it,
enough, in fact, to lend that color to
their sallow brown faces.
Saw them all--General Chang-Tsa:-
Ii of China, and Popoyich of Monte
negro, Generals Petain and Foch oil
France, Lord Miner, General Sir
Henry Wilson and the rest from Eng
land, Prince Charoon of Siam, Premier
Venizelos of Greece and Sevastopoulo
from Russia. In all there were close
to a hundred
Didn't see Clemenceau, he appar.
emily entering the chamber directly
froA his private office Was sorry;
wanted to see the ally who sets his
face against a league of nations.
The conferees stood about the big
| room in separate groups. Occasion
ally the eyes of one group strayed
toward another, but the amalgum had
not begun to work.
Came then Colonel House of Austin
Texas, U. s. A Almost instantly all
was changed.
Lord Northcliffe saw him first, but
the crowd closed about rapidly to fol
low Northcliffe's handshaking example
! Soon nothing but the shining upper
curve of the colonels unthatched head
could be seen.
One consequence of this concentra
ton on the colonel was that Lloyd
George and Earl Reading, entering {
moment later, were almost unnoticed
all backs being turned toward the
door.
The conferees moved into the coun
Gil chamber, and the doors closed, with
me on the outside.
Every now and then a reporter Is
terribly tempted. This was one Of
| those times. l could have walked ir
and participated silently in that epoch
making conference. l was sure of il
and one of the American members con
frmed the opinion later. But l didn'
go In. Aside from the ethics of the
thing, there was always the possibility
of being kicked clear from the banks
of the Seine to the far-away banks of
the Wabash.
The session lasted an hour, barely
time to telephone the office and pay a
flying visit to the tomb of Napoleon
in des Invalides across the way. 1t
being one of the three days in the
week when visitors are admitted, there
was an immense throng, dividing their
homage between the plain casket of
the emperor and the fower-bedecked
airplane of Guynemor, on exhibition
in the courtyard. About half of the
visitors were French soldiers and their
families. Ten per cent were Ameri-
cans.