South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-19
The Pulse and Temperature
of France
BY Woods HutchesOn, VI. D.

tchcsOn, NJ
flood of a new scientific savagery
and feudalism, and yet her head is
up, her eyes are bright, her fire
undimned and indomitable.
Little Surface Change.
The visitor TO France today. in
stead of being struck by the evil
dences OF change and exhaustion or
decline Of hustle and activity, is sur
prised TO find so little surface change
in her streets, her markets. and her
great centers of traffic. If il were
not for the strong tinge Of horizon
blue in the busy crowds, the pitiful
prevalence Of black in the costumes
OF the women, and the dim lighting
OF the streets at night. one would
have TO shake ones self and recall
the historic facts to realize that you
are really in the country which is
desperately at wer.
Part Of this is due to the heroic
endurance and lofty pride Of the
French nation, particularly of the
women. But part TO certain new and
curious changes in the character of
modern war, which even help TO
compensate somewhat for its abomi-
nations in other respects.
One of these is the strange fixity
or Justification" Of the lighting line
due 10 the trench system of war
fare. so that railroad trains run right
up 10 and into the zone of fire al
most up 10 the third line trench
every few miles, comparatively
speaking. all along the front. This
makes the war" quite accessib BILE
and convenient, so to speak, so that
soldiers from all over the southern
and eastern parts of France can
reach their billets on the front with
in a days ride or even a few hours
from home, and can come back
again on periods of leave or per-
mission every three TO six months.
Can Live in Hope.
This may look like a trivial thing
in itself, but psycholog1cally il helps
greatly 20 reassure and to take off
some OF the worst edge of the dread
and anxiety OF wives and families
Instead of feeling as in former wars
that their sons and husbands are GO
ing away hundreds of miles, almost
under sentence Of death, as il were,
with no certainty even If they escape
the worst OF ever seeing them again
until the war is over or they are sent
back disabled for life, the families
Of the soldiers can at least buoy
themselves up with the hope Of see
ing them back on permission safe
and sound again within three
months.
And as with all the deadiiness
and fierce engines of destruction of
modern war not more than 10 per-
cent or 5 percent Of the com batants
are either killed or wounded or dis
abled by disease within a year. this
hope OF safe return is fulfilled in the
vast majority OF cases a number of
times before they are even sufficient
ly wounded TO be invalided home
This much more frequent opportun-
ity Of visits home from dear ones
in the trenches, while, alas, can do
| little 20 tighten the terrible blow
when il does fall, does much TO re-
l lieve the tension OF agonized dread
and brooding anxiety OF year long or
campaign long periods OF absence in
the much larger number OF in
| stances where no disaster occurs.
Takes OF Tension.
AT all events. IL does visibly and
mercifully take OF some OF the agon-
/ lied tension OF grief and foreboding
dread from the departure OF a troop
/ train. or OF the farewell Of a sol
der 10 his family at the gates OF a
great railway station. He has come
/ back before safe and well why not
again.
Incidentally. also, this cOnsta nj
and comparatively frequent inter
change and communication between
the front and the home town helps