Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-11

operated only at night There are be-
| lieyed 10 have been seven OF these guns,
| three OF them getting into action singly
at different periods. with four others
| completed or nearing completion at the
| famous krupp works at Essen.
| The writer was among those present
| that historic morning when Big
+, Bertha" sent her first visiting card into
the capital OF France Blue skies and
sunshine almost made one forget the
frightfulness OF war. for the serenity OF
1.-The Battle OF Paris had been disturbed
| only by night air raids and ofiic!ous
military police.
Paris. that morning. aWoke as II had
awakened on countless other mornings
since the beginning Of the war-a bit
groggy from loss OF sleep. due TO an
alarm Of a coming air raid which failed
TO materialize the enemy raiders hav-
Ing been turned back.
Cafe all lalt" and bread were Just
beginning TO appear In countless Pa
risian homea~-that Is. coffee with milk.
II you happened 10 be an American or
had a friend who could procure you
conmissary: otherwise 1t was Just plain
cafe noir." The Metropolitan and
Nord-Sud were disgorging thin streams
OF early workers and ambitious shop
keepers were rolling up the heavy metal
shades which nightly changed down be-
Tore plate glass windows serving as a
double protection against burglars and
flying bits OF shrapnel or eciat from
German air bombs. II looked like just
another wartime day In the life OF
Paris.
At 7:l5 It happened. From over on
the Quai de Seine came the roar Of a
terrific explosion which was heard al
most over Paris The city, It's nerves
unstrung by the almost nightly air
raids and the knowledge that the Ger
man army had crumpled up the Filth
British Army and broken through for a
considerable gain. put down It's coffee
cup, or tumbled out OF bed, wildly
scrambling for Its clothes Fifteen min
utes later. another shell and another
explosion this time In the Rue Charles
v ana closer to the Seine. Another
l5-minute period and then q shell ex-
ploded with roar. this time In the
boulevard de Strasbourg. near the Care
de FEST.
While all this was going on, the
authorities believing II 10 be the. as
yet, unheard-of thing-~a daylight air
raid~~ordered the 'Aierte" s0unded.
Soon drummers and buglers were pa
rading the streets giving the alarm.
FIRE engines, their sirens going, dashed
! through the city. the uncarthly chorus
being added 10 by tho ahrill signals
mounted on the tops NJ public build
inss. the whole punctlatsd each 10
minutes by the roar OF an explosion
hs another shell reached the city.
Then the living picture Of Parts eGing
10 work reversed itself. Men and Wom~
en- who but u few minutes before had
emerged from the underground sta
lions hahtily returned 10 them. aeekin
safety IN their depths Monsieur and
madam and madrinoisela and the chill
dfen sought safety In their cellars.
Shutters which short time before
had been changing upward went into
reverse, CAFE pattana seeking coffee or
an early win blanc" left filled or partly
nlied cups and gasses for the safety OF
The nearest "abri" or shelter. paris
had decided that Il was going to be-
late for work that morning; In fact.
waa doubtful II II was going IA work
al all,
The aerial defenses Of the eapital
went into action baIraae from French
antl-aircraft guns and French pianes
hteh Ia The air each hoping 10 md 4
target In the daring German airmen
who had had the tnmefity To attempt
thiA daytime raid HIGH New the
planes, searching for the invisible
s4ae1nx but a0amAd neYAg tu md HIM