The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1918-05-16
University Column
GOOD WORD FROM MR.. TAYLOR
Paris, April iS, 1918.

u YOU tOulu SlItltu yOuI lildkl
nation four thousand miles. you
might see this beautiful spring
morning in my office here at the
Paris Headquarters sunshine
streaming in at the windows which
overlook an ancient court yard
surrounded by high wall and filled
with big magnolia and pepper trees
which are full Of birds, whose
names have not as yet learned
They are singing in French as
sweetly and contentedly as tho all
we're peace and quiet, as indeed
the court yard is. but as the old
clock built in stone casing on the
opposite wall measures Off the fly
ing hours. We know that only 7J
miles away. thousands are dying
and many thousands more are be-.
ins hopelessly MANNED, for during
the last several days, we have had
terrific drive.
IL gives me a creepy feeling tn
know that rs miles away is a line.
on the farther side OF which are
five million armed Huns and on this
side a greater number of fresher
and better armed men are just wait
ing for the deadly struggle.
As I write, every little while a
great thud reminds me that the long
range gun is at work on Paris again
and that somewhere near, destruc-
tive shells are falling.
Paris after eight p. is darker
than Depot street Oh rainy night,
and Pruitte NOT there with the bus,
this IS matter of precaution
against air raids which Away take
place at night
Soon as the shades of night. pre-
vail,
The planes take up the wondrous
tale"
The city is well equipped with
"abris." which word really means
cave or cellar. with stairs leading
down where people may slip at time
OF raid and be comparatively safe.
All "abris' are marked with capa-
city. for instance, "Abri, 30 places"
Last night, as I prepared for bath
and bed, a large torpedo dropped
about six blocks away, with a deaf
ening crash; and then the sirens
or shrieking autos traversed the
city, warning everybody of impend-
ing danger: then followed quickly
a terrific barrage from our guns
thousands of them. which guard the
Easten borders of our city-this
kept up for more than an hour.
shooting up into the air, so as to
bring down in the darkness either
the airplane which had dropped the
torpedo, or, perchance, others
which might be trying to fly over
the city. My room is equipped with
iron window shutters, with Sits for
air to pass through. so felt mod
erately safe; but instead of bathing,
i "peeked," then read the twenty
third Psalm, and went TO sleep like
good Presbyterian. You see,
am alive this morning TO write you
this letter, just as | expected to be.
While this tragedy is going on,
the Y.M.CA. is right on "the job"
Nearly two thousand secretaries
here, but as many more needed to
really man the situation properly.
| find gigantic piece of machin-
cry here TO operate, and, as yet,
am mighty careful in turning ION" ,
OF "otf'' the valvesl | thought
Berea College was quite a problem,
with its sixty or more departments
financed, but here, we
have over eight hundred stations !
in the French and American work, {
each of these stations equipped with
secretaries who emphasize the fol- !
lowing items: I
Religious, Educational, Recrea- :
.iOnal, Canteen.
In any great enterprise heads de- 7
,ermine largely the measures Of sue
less here as elsewhere, we get 7
all varieties and types of workers. [
some Of the younger secretaries {
anne through the spirit Of adven-
ure. but as none are accepted now .
u draft age, these Missionaries are "
icing replaced with more mature 4
men. My work is largely TO select h
men for the various places of re- 4
and TO do this proper q
y. | must visit all the fields OF ac- v
ivity in the Republic. sooner orr
alter. My business training inf
Philadelphia and subsequent work /,
II Berea, | find a most valuable "
sset here-but how wish Solomon n
ad been my grandfather
Last week, | visited the work in d
nd around one Of our old chateau ii
tiles. On Sunday evening, was o.
sked 10 play at a mass meeting, "
ddrpsSpd nv Rev EldpidOa of Al