The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-07-28

A0V VIVA VSA0 AV4A8 ~ va AO0 OVW0IQ
their well defined points Of assembly
the crowds moved-the Royalists, the
Veterans, the men Of the Croix de
duerre. the Taxpayers, the Students
tho Young Patriots, the aolidarite
FrancaiSe. And, on tho other hand
tho Communists and Socialist organ
izations likewise fell into small groups
constantly growing.
To reach the Chamber from the
Right Bank 1t i almost essential t.
pass over the Concorde Bridge, the
Place de Il Concorde offered such .
broad field Of combat-if combat there
must be-that each organization chose
It . . preliminary destination, for
1t would be difficult to guard on &C
count Of its shape and size.
At seven-thirty crossed the Car.
rousel Bridge In . taxi.
It had taken mo no less than a
minutes to get through that crowd at
the Opera, although I had witnessed
nc actual rioting. As we approached
the bridges threshold could see one
Of the grimmest sights I have ever
witnessed coming down the Quai du
Louvre. It was solid mass OF men,
reaching nearly . kilometre, Is far
g the Chatelet. Solid: they may have
numbered thirty or fifty in Z solid
marching front. line after line, total
ling Thousands. They were marching
slowly. They were carrying the tri-
color OF France. They were not ex-
cited: determined rathci. They were
very quiet and in good order.
Then. far back, 30 far away thar
only the echo-like sound came to my
ears, there arose the Marseillaisel
"Allons, enfants de II Patrie :"
forward. children Of the father
land.
And that mass Of men. all well
dressed, ell decent, law-abidins citi-
zens. would reach the Concorde With
10 five minutes. I wondered what
would happen there.
My cab crossed the bridge. turned
up the rue des Saint peres. down the
Boulevard Saint German. As we
put into the Boulevard my driver
stopped.
you better get out here. Sir" he
said.
Sees wild Melee In Progress
] could see he was afraid. There
were several thousand men In 1 Wild
mckee along the Boulevard and into
the Carrefour. It was like q tossing
sea. Wave after wave Of bluecoats
ran on the double-quick toward the
square In front Of the Abbey. Wave
after wave Of fighting. Silent young
men met them and broke them up.
The street was strewn with writhine
bodies, fighting with fists and clubs.
Some were alone and quiet.
I got out and paid my driver who
darted quickly up I side street and
vanished.
I knew the real drama was being
or would Be enacted, not here ct the
old Abbey. but In the place de Il Con-
corde. I decided to return. I wish
I had gone to bed right then instead,
for what I saw win be . nightmare
all my Life.
For four or five blocks could ret
no taxicab. Finally, on the rue de
verneuil ! caught one and we set off
In . round-about.way to get q near
the Place as possible. could hear the
noise Of the crowd. like = faraway
assemblage Of lions. I was forced to
get out ct Carrousel. and walk up to
the Concorde. The huge column had
seen before was still passing, stu
singing, still marching grimly and In.
evitably toward their destination.
Then Z bright flare burst out
ahead Of U In the Concorde, lighting
the whole sky. It was, discovered
later. = city bus overturned and set
afire. The marching column. moved
faster. The singing stopped. I mo-
ticed they carried sticks and canes.
most Of them. They also carried the
banners Of their organisation, the
War Veterans and the tattered
flags Of their old regiments, torn By
German shrapnel or machine gun
bullets. Faster and faster. Up ahead
they were running. Faster and faster.
They were III running. L was .
charge.
And that huge column, that human
battering ram which could have
pushed over the stone wall Of the
Louvre itself, hurled it, mass into the
Place = II Concorde, tearing through
the puny rosistance Of the police and
mobile guards like paper, overwhelm.
Ing horses, men, trucks and barri-
cadeS. Then they were Lost In the
huDe arena Of the Place, lost with
Thousands more who had poured IN