Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1919-02-07
LILLE KISSING ORGY
PICTURED BY YANK


sions at six O'Clock that morning when
the bridges We're blown mp. Many sol
diers had been moved from their bill
lets In Lille homes. However, 1T had
been the experience of four years to
have the city alternately filled with
Germans then suddenly empted.
When the explosions had brought the
people into the streets they were i'm
pressed by the complete disappear
ance of the enemy. About nine o'clock
brave soul went into the headquar-
tiers Of the hommandantur in the large
building of the prefecture OF police
and found it vacated
British Flyers Over City.
British alrplanes began to fly low
over the city, but not a British Tom
my was In sight
After tense minutes of anxious wait
ing three things happened. Charles
Delasolle, Jr.. French aviator and
son of the mayor of Lille, flew over
from Dunkirk and lighted on the
Champs de Mars. Two correspondents
Of the Petit Parisien and lie Matin of
Paris trudged, after long walk,
through the Armentieres gate into
Lille. Mellett and / entered the Port
de Postes. Who was first probably
will never be settled, nor is it at all
important that it should be settled, ex-
cept to the entrants.
If we were beaten by few minutes,
which we dispute, we know we had
the only parade. procession that
went through the heart of the city,
covered mile, lasted an hour and in
Guided many thousands of dancing and
singing celebrants. If we had not
been rescued in the Place de la Re
pubique and hurried inside the gates
have ended only when Mellett and I
had reached the swooning point.
! Hundreds Encircle Car.
When we reached the Port deS
Postes, with its several traffic aisles,
hundreds of people came running out
of the gate, never-ending stream
that tightly encircled our car.
LES Anglaises sont lei Vive les
Anglaise." was what they shouted as
they tumbled toward us, and we even
heard it being taken up in alarming
crescendo on the other side of the city
wall.
AS soon as the kissing started Mel
lett surrendered his face and hands,
but, with his mind still on business,
managed to slide out of the car un-
wisely established precedent for
lifting up babies, kissing them In the
French fashion on either cheek, giving
them a little spank and tossing them
back to the first woman in sight This
was unwise in way because 1t at
tracted hundreds of mothers who
wanted their offspring kissed and
spanked by the bogus great English
man, and undoubtedly resulted in
many dellrous mothers extricating
themselves from the mob only to find
themselves In possession of a strange
infant for in the excitement of the
moment l could take no responsibility
for making correct returns.
Kissed by Swarm Of Maids.
Yet it showed that l had a famll,
heart, and, while | was paralyzed b,
the sea of babies surging up to me-
many of them back for second 60
no doubt-still there was the satisfac
tlon of seeing that among the babe
} were the flowers of Lille. the pretties
mademoiselles. Mellett, in the mean
time. was struggling with swarm o
buXom housemaids, who We're bussin
, him four and five at time. In fac
he had all the La Bassee mud kisse,
off one ear.
l remember his tussles with the stou
girls quite distinctly, and the recolleo
} ton always flashes upon me when h
l happens to mention my graclousness t
the bearded gentlemen.
5 For Gods sake, climb out, or W
are lost :" shouted Mellett, so l PEI
{. mitted several of my llssome beautie
/ to assist me dismount, collected fe,
| warm oscillations. and, with three c
: the loveliest on either arm, surge
forward.
/ The crowd gave way with shou