The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-01-01

contrast between the Iari, ] visited
~ 1910 and the Pafl, OF today
When the ,icgc ui \cfdun va, al
IL, height there seemed 10 be no pro,
rcrt ui our entering the war but dur
iug the three month spent 90 the
French capital ! encountered nothing
bat the hugh hearted tranquility and
serenity ui county Injured TO war
anl calmly awaiting dr,rlupm 'ul,
Ouavouall. when I asked ii there
was any real possibility oi Neriuu
falling. the answer would be "lt IS
possible
But even then there was a firm faith
IN the eventual victory OF civilization
over slavery
! am told this wa, the attitude
during the last dreadful period Of the
German offensive when there were
r.shly arr raid, and ,i,Ilau0u, from
'lhg Bertha
knew when ! arrived December H.
that | wa, too late for the wild rc
J.lClug following the arml,tlcc, bu, !
did expect 10 iud another order oi
tranquility not the lofty ,creuiiy OF
tempered people with much set 10 en-
dure. bu, happy and possibly radiant
temper that would create as mcmura-
hic an atmosphere as that 90 lylb
They Are Dissatisfied.
With the solid exception OF the
twcn,yl"ur hours immediately alter
President Wilson, arrival, ! have
found the French people restless, dis
satisfied. anxious. The AR ut wind
ing Lbcm,cIyc, up and pushing them
scke' along "a, noticeable m the
thrungs on the stree, and 10 the great
shops even 10 the day and night be
lore Christmas.
] he shops were blazing with elrc
tr'ri,y. both within and without, IN the
fashion oi our own Broadway. The
people we're buying and promenadng.
but their faces were grim or sullcn.
Nowhere DID see the JOY Of the llgh,
irrespon,lbilty OF the season.
IL Is true that very many women
were in black. that mo- one thought iur
the living without sad, bitter memo
fics OF the dead. and there j., probably
not a household IN France without a
gap at the table
Robbed OF Revenge.
But. although one can almost see
the legion, Of dead pressing eagerly
among these black rhroug, that must
carry their burdens for So many years,
their sorrow JOS no means IS the ,c-
oct oi their deep discomfort, par,ic-
ulIrly among the women hc men
who have spent four long years At
tie front, and even ihs hdsr ma who
have worked for France lar behind
the lines. are more philosophical But
the women bitterly resent the armlS-
itrr
Our impression in America was that,
gwen another month. the Germans
would have been forced 10 surrender
uncoud,,onally. Here, they tell me
th3t ten or. at most, fifteen days would !
have seen a complete and ignom.nUus
defeat upon which The French had set
their hearts. An armisticc seems 10 !
them a contemplate compromise.
The Germans have saved their i'm
menSe army intact, the hated land
which has spawned the vllest race ot
modern times inviolate, and the pcO-
pie, far from admitting themselves !
conquered, are daily giving proof that
there is only one kind OF a German
at which the Scapcg1at kaiser was the |
figure head
On the day of mobilization in Au-,
gust l9li, the men OF France went to |
war saying: 1T IS for our children |
We fight now that there shall be no |
more war for 4 century,
The women said: Go aud conquer |
the Germans once for all. We must |
suffer that our children Shall be
happy"
Huns Still Boastiul.
But today there is no such auwr-
sncc. The surrender OF the fleet |
means little Tor the Germans were |
too cowardly to use it, The fact rc-
mains that Germany IS ,ull mighty |
boaStiul, venomous, and planning Tor |
tho next war. Her morale was low |
when She feared invasion and a real
victory by the allies, but i, went mp
with a bound when she found that her
preciou, hide was safe, and she has
been plotting day and night ever since |
II there should be another, ten or |
even twenty years hence then all this /
terrible sacrifice and suffering viii |
have been in vain. The millions orum |
bling under the >orl ot France viii |
have given their all ior little more |
than the temporary safety Of Paris,
Only the greatest wisdom and har' |
mony 0l the peace congress can avert |
thi, haunting tragedy and when one |
consider, ,ha, the tate oi the world |
viii be IN the hands Of a few fallible |
men all ui whom have made mistake, !
one cease, TO marvel that the French !
women, who have so braycly struggled |
with the bitterness oi death these past |
four years, in the hope OF Ultimate rec
ompcnSc, should be too full OF resent |
ment and anxiety, too d'gus,cd TO re
jolcc with a whole heart over an
armNt,cc that leaves the enemy Grip |
pied bu, slapping himself on the back |
Victory So Near
Ten days more and there would |
have been a victory that would have |
crushed Germany to the earth, |
avenged every wrong, and insured ex-
ternal peace for France Tor a century
a, least. Is il to be wondered at that
they resent the armiStice1
II will he remembers that the wom-
en- OF the lower classes OF France were
far more vicious and ieatsome than