Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-11-17

Prediction of new world war with
Germany again as the aggressor when
the present boys of that nation shall have
become men is made by Mr.. and Mrs.
John G. Lalor, who arrived in Great
Falls Sunday night. They returned to
America from France in August, after
having passed three years there doing
war work
Their activities for the relief of the
stricken population of several French
villages were conducted under the name
of the .Lalor committee" which has two
themselves Working in this
manner they We're able to get quicker
action than any similar organization over
there, and thus were able to- handle
emergency cases which the routine of
the larger organizations might have de-
layed.
Next War In Air.
"The next war will see terrible de-
velopments of air fighting" Mr.. Lalor
said. I'VE went through the great air
raids of Paris and We know something
of the awful destruction worked even
when bombing from the clouds was an
experiment: AS the war went on and the
flying machines were more highly de-
veloped the bombs became more destruc-
tive. At the close of the war they were
dropping bombs weighing more than
LOO pounds on Paris"
Mrs. Lalor told number of amusing
occurrences Of the air raids. When the
siren Of the fire department would
sound the alarm, every one would rush
to the cellars. Later it became more
dangerous to be in the cellars than else
bombs would demolish the houses until
they filled the cellars Then people
simply remained where they happened
to be.
Air Raid Dresses Made.
eve often played cribbage during the
raids" she said, especially if the hour
should happen to be at night. Every
body got up and dressed and it was not
long before the French dressmakers be
gan to make 'airpane raid dresses for
the women. The advantage of them was
that they could be easily slipped on. In
our hotel we were moved from the fifth
floor to the third floor and the window
Of our new quarters happened to be
directly over where the ash cans were
placed. The person who handled these
cans early in the morning had way Of
throwing them around, so that they.
sounded exactly like the explosion of
one of the bombs. He got us up and
dressed more times than | care to re-
member.
Coal Shortage There. Too.
ash cans. There was so little fuel in
Paris that we often spent whole days sit
ting around bundled up in our furs and
coats. Fire places We're provided in the
rooms, but even though | often paid
three dollars for seven sticks of wood
was not always able TO get the wood
even at that price
1t was after severe air raid that Mr.
and Mrs. Laior met r. X. West Of Great
Falls in Paris. He had narrowly es-
capped two big bombs. They met two
other Great Falls boys in Paris. Leon
Singer and Ira kaufman. who had vol
unteered to 60 to France as ambulance
drivers before America entered the war
One of the most unusual experiences
they encountered was in Rheims. They
had succeeded in getting past many SEN
tries and guards, although their permits
did not allow them to go so far. But
Mrs Ialor, who is camera fan, wanted
some original pictures of the great cathe-
dral and other notable points, and their
persistence and their American national
ity helped them and they finally entered
the town.
1t was the thirteenth of June, 1917
when one could expect bad luck if ever.
But nothing happened TO them. AS they
stood near the cathedral an old woman
crawled out from her cellar and ap-
preached them You have brought us
luck" she said This is the first day
in months this place has not been bonn
barded." The following day the Ger
mans resumed shelling the town
Adopt Two Villages.
Mr.. and Mrs Lalor adopted two
French villages for their very own
They met the needs of the population
and established many warm friendships,
memories of which, they say, they will
always cherish. In this work they were
brought often into contact with the
French official who governed 20 vii
lages He was strict disciplinarian,
but withal a very human man. He for
babe them to give chocolates and cigar
cts to French soldiers while in his pres
ence, but if it was done while he wasn't
looking" he did not care.
They expressed a desire for some
French shells as souvenirs. 1t was