The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-29
pea Of HEROIC
FRENCH WOMEN


that the revelations of The Bolo- NAL
w -uumbcrt- Caillaux scandals are no
a all indicative of the sentiment %h(
spirit OF France have had their con
victions confirmed by the action o
the eighty women OF Oberville-cn
Caux, The same cry that has corn.
from this obscure little Norman VII
LACE would rise to the lips of all tn,
wives. mothets and sisters of the sol
der heroes were they put to the tes
Ct declaring their desire for peace OF
fG1 war. Recently the following let
ter was received from M Clemenceau
who was so impressed by 1t that h,
had II printed In the Journal Oficia
together with his reply thereto;
TO the President of the Council,
Minister OF War, Paris:
We, women of France. mothers.
wives. sisters of the brave soldiers
of Normandy, profoundly indig-
nant at the reasonable scandals,
the horror OF which has penetrated
into the depths OF our country
towns, rise to cry for vengeance
against the traitors who shot in the
back our dear heroes while they
bravely offered their blood for our
beloved country.
Demand punishment of Guilty.
To you, the president OF the coun-
Gil, minister OF war, to you, the In
defatigable fighter. champion of
right and Justice: to you, great
Frenchman, great patriot, we send
the honor and homage of our adj
miration.
We rally about your standard,
emblem of energy.
n5mk.
of the guilty ones, the fight toward
the end toward complete victory.
the ransom of spilled blood and OF
all our sacrifices. Until the end we
shall know how to immediate our
selves to aNenge our dead, to finish
the work begun by them to make
e. greater, more prosperous, more
glorious France, and to spare our
little ones the recurrence OF so
many horrors.
We have faith I'm your standard
We will follow.
There follow eighty signatures
headed by that of Mile. Jeanne Vim
cent Leroy. sister In law OF the mayor
of Oberville, Others are Nine. Tuil
Her, mother of four sons. two of whom
sre war prisoners: MINIS. Henard
farmers wife, one tson dead fol-
France, one at the front: Eugene Ne
ven, peasant, one son killed, one mu
tilated; Nine. Lebrun. baker, two son,
killed. one at the front; Blanche Ma.
front; the widow Douvilie. seamstresS
one son killed, one mutiiated tbott
legs amputated), two others at the
front And these eighty women havt
all suffered and lost their beloved
ones, and all are of one mind--nt
peace without victory.
Premier Clemencean's reply.
TO this letter NJ. Clemenceau an,
gWered as follows
MAIDEN oiselle--I know not how
TO express the emotion | felt on re-
ceiving from your little village of
Obervills- en -CauX the touching ap-
peal OF the purest French sentiment
to tho man who today finds him
self the burden bearer OF the weight
OF the tragic days in the passing
trials of our immortal country.
Receive my thanks, MademoiselIe,
for having addressed to me mes
sage which honors rue too much.
but which remains the highest en-
couragement of duty toward
France.
The words Of your noble COM
ranions leave me only the answer
of deeds. how low before the
pride OF wounds carried like blood
stained banner on the battlefield.
i place myself al your side.
A few weeks ago, IN a canton
msnt on the front, q general. be-
fore his troops, called the roll of
his brothers in aims who had fall
len by the enemy A vibrant voice
uttered this proud answer: Fallen
on the field OF honorr The flag
was dipped, all hearts beat faster
and trembling hands touched their
caps in military salue.
Recalls joan of Arc.
Now the mothers. tho daughters,
the wives. the sisters OF those glo-
rious dead come forward to pass In
review the poignant sorrows which
nave but drawn from their souls
ons expression OF hope, one cry of
determination. Glory be 10 you,
women OF France. sisters OF the
great Lorraine peasant girl. who
with simple heart impulse gave
TO us one OF the most beautiful cpl
sodes of history
So that all France may hear the
sound OF the voices Of those who
arise in their anguish 10 attest that
the znore cruel the sacrifice the
more vigorous Is the will never TO
finch, the appeal OF the women or
ObervIlie, followed by the sigma
lures with their heroic records. will
be published In the Journal Oficiei
or the French republic.
Thus those who among us have
not the honor OF being at the front
will know that they who will can
figure there. since everywhere. al
ways. each of US can accomplish in
thousand ways the great duty that
the women OF Oberville have found
the way TO achieve.
Pray. Mademoiselle, offer to them
the homage of my fraternal admit
ration and believe in my sentiments
of respectful gratitude.
CLEMENCEAU.
Oberviile IL a village of 500 inhaht-
ANTS and lies in the fertile valley of
~aux, watered by the tranquil Dur
leant river. Mile. Jeanne Vincent re-
roy knew nothing of the honor ac-
corded her letter until a newspaper
A.Iy