A Journey Through France in War Time Part 10

XI.

APPROACHING THE FRONT

After leaving Dole, the next stop on our itinerary was Besancon, from which we entered the zone of actual hostilities. For us this town was the gateway to "The Front" and therefore a point of more than usual interest. Here we were asked to sign the following paper, which all members of the commission did on October 4th, we having reached the town at midnight on October 2nd.

Besancon, October 4, 1916.

The itinerary arranged for the American Industrial Commission includes several days' sojourn at the "front", which is considered of importance in the prosecution of its investigation, particularly as preliminary to a conference in Paris with the "American Centrale pour la Reprise de l' Activite Industrielle dans Les Regions Envahies."

The danger of such a trip is fully recognized and hereby admitted, and although the extraordinary risk inseparably connected with a trip to Europe at this time has been accepted by us all, yet, in the present case

Each of the undersigned by this means records for himself his voluntary a.s.sumption by him of all responsibility in connection therewith, and furthermore, a.s.serts that neither by coercion, persuasion, nor even by suggestion on the part of the Chairman, or otherwise, has his course been determined.

M. W. W. Nichols, M. J. G. Butler, Jr.

M. A. B. Farquhar, M. G. B. Ford, M. S. F. Hoggson, M. J. F. Le Maistre, M. J. R. Mac Arthur, M. Le Dr. C. O. Mailloux, M. C. G. Pfeiffer, M. J. E. Sague, M. E. A. Warren, M. E. V. Dougla.s.s, M. E. Garden.

We were met by the military automobiles at the station, two soldiers in each auto. I was accosted at the station by a number of wounded English soldiers. It seemed good to hear a little English spoken. One of the soldiers reached out his hand as I pa.s.sed and said, "How are you?" We were domiciled at the Hotel Europe. The windows were barred with iron shutters excluding light and fresh air. Early the following morning we were treated to the sight of more than one thousand German prisoners, just captured and being taken to the camp at Besancon.

This was the birthplace of Victor Hugo, who was born February 26th, 1802. Old Roman ruins were very much in evidence, among them an old Roman citadel and a Roman theatre. By tradition, St. John the Baptist was buried here. We visited the underground water works and the Cathedral of St. Jean and saw in this church many paintings of the Holy Family and other religious representations. There were two immense holes in this cathedral, the result of bombs fired from the German guns in 1914, in the beginning of the war.

[Ill.u.s.tration: German Prisoners Pa.s.sing Through the Village of St.

Etienne.]

I saw here a girl and a dog hitched to the same cart, hauling a load of vegetables; they both seemed contented.

Luncheon was served by the Chamber of Commerce at the Resturant De Besancon. In the evening we were given a banquet at the Besancon Hotel de Ville. Up to this time I had been with the Commission five weeks, but on account of my patriotic utterances in private and my quite apparent sympathy with the French people, was not urged to speak. It had been, however, arranged that I was to talk at Le Creusot, but there was not a representative gathering to talk to there, and this Besancon banquet seemed to be the proper place. After some pressure of other members of the Commission I was requested to speak. This was really the first note of human sympathy sounded. I first spoke in English, which not more than two or three in the audience, outside of the Commissioners, understood, although there were about one hundred present. At the conclusion of my talk it was translated into French by Mr. MacArthur. When he got through I was surrounded by the Frenchmen present and congratulated as well as embraced by practically the entire audience. This address is reproduced by special request of some of the members of the Commission who heard it.

Gentlemen:--

I am afraid my aeroplane French will not be understood by our good friends present. I tried it on a number of our Franco-American orators, and they, with one accord, said it was fine and beautiful, but they could not understand a word I was saying. I will, therefore, ask my fellow-traveler and sympathizer, Mr. MacArthur, to read the brief address I have prepared, apologizing through him for the lamentable fact that I speak English only.

This gives me an opportunity of saying that by special letter of authorization issued by Dr. Ricketts President of the American Inst.i.tute of Mining Engineers, I represent that important organization during our mission in France. The American Inst.i.tute of Mining Engineers is composed of more than six thousand members, all technical, scientific and practical men. The organization has been in existence more than a quarter of a century, and has rendered invaluable service to our mining and manufacturing interests in the United States. This scientific body of men stand ready to render such service to France as France may desire and it is hoped this suggestion may receive serious consideration.

Gentlemen: When our good ship, the Lafayette, pa.s.sed through the river entering the port of Bordeaux, we beheld a most beautiful sunset, such as Cazin would have painted. As we beheld this glorious vision, it flashed through my mind that France is fighting for its existence among nations, and my heart went out to all France in loving sympathy. As we landed and progressed on our journey, this feeling of reverence and affection for the French people became intensified. The French spirit insures victory--a victory which, when gained, will be substantial and enduring, worthy of the great people who are pouring out their life blood and treasure to attain this end.

Everywhere we have been impressed with the earnestness of the women in France. All the thousands we have seen at their employment impressed me with their desire to help save the country. In a word, as I looked upon their faces, all seemed to express the thought, "We are working for France". This slogan goes all over your fair land and is a mighty factor in the progress of the conflict. Signs of loss were everywhere from Bordeaux to Paris, and in our wanderings since, but not a word of complaint have we heard.

Our visit to the birthplace of your countryman, Lafayette, was looked forward to with intense interest, and the visit was a keen realization of the expectation. As our worthy President, Mr.

Nichols, raised his gla.s.s and asked that we pause for a moment in silence and think of the great man who was the companion and aide of Washington, "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen," there was not a dry eye in the room. All present realized the close relationship between France and the United States--cemented and welded for all time to come by the early sympathy of France for our struggling colonies, and the great a.s.sistance rendered by Lafayette to Washington in our time of need, and which resulted in our independence.

In the present struggle of France, we owe it to the French people to aid in all possible ways. I believe that a great majority of the citizens of the United States are in sympathy with France and their prayers are for your success and freedom.

It may not be out of place in this connection to mention, although somewhat personal, that when Lafayette, visited the United States in 1824, my grandfather, whose name I bear, attended a reception given the great Frenchman in Philadelphia, and has often told me about it, dwelling upon the enthusiasm with which Lafayette was everywhere greeted during his triumphant tour through the country.

I have also in my autograph collection a three page patriotic letter written by Lafayette in 1824 during his visit. I prize this letter most highly.

Another fact I may mention, and it gives me profound pleasure to do so. France, in spite of her troubles, carried out her compact, and sent to the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, a magnificent collection of paintings and sculpture. Many examples of both were loaned from the Luxembourgh, and there were a number of pieces of priceless sculpture by Rodin, your great sculptor, whose work is famous the world over. The exhibit also contained many notable examples of work by other French and Belgian artists. After the exhibition closed we were fortunate enough to have the collection exhibited at my home, Youngstown, Ohio, for a period of thirty days, under the auspices of The Mahoning Inst.i.tute of Art.

We were told that some of the examples were for sale, and if sold, the proceeds would help the artists, and a.s.sist in the great work being carried on to aid the hospitals of France. We, therefore, made a common cause, buying a number of paintings and one piece of sculpture, thus doing our bit to help the good work along, besides securing for our country some splendid examples of the art of France. The exhibit was obtained through the courtesy of Monsieur Jean Guiffrey, Minister of Fine Arts in France, and to whom we are profoundly grateful. In this connection I may add that the United States is largely indebted to France for influence upon American art. Nearly all of our great painters and sculptors received their initial education in France and the influence upon American art and artists by French masters is incalculable. This is one of the debts of the United States to France which can never be fully repaid.

The commission is in France, first, bearing America's good will, and second, to investigate and render such substantial aid to France as may be in our power, having in mind always the great friendship existing between the two republics, and which we hope our mission will strengthen. We venture to hope that our journey through France in war time will also result in the increased exchange of commodities between the two countries, a consummation devoutly to be wished.

I thank you, gentlemen, from the bottom of my heart and bid you G.o.d speed in the great work of saving France.

At this noted banquet there were several generals present, some of whom had been in the service but a short time previous, and one of them famous the world over. We were not permitted to mention the names of any of the generals we met while in the war zone.

XII.

WITHIN SOUND OF THE GUNS

On Wednesday, October 4th, we left for the front in military automobiles. We pa.s.sed through a farming district and through several small villages. Nearly all who were at work in the fields were women. It all seemed quite peaceful, considering that the battle fields were so near. We stopped at Monte Billiard, in the Champagne district, where we were addressed by the mayor and a response was made by Mr. Pfeiffer.

Cuvier, the great French scientist, was born here in the year 1769, and died in 1832. We were now, as I should have mentioned before, in that part of Alsace-Lorraine again in possession of the French. We visited at Monte Billiard, a Fifteenth century castle and a new hospital. Red Cross girls were very much in evidence, a number of them American and English.

We were quartered at the Hotel de la Balanie, built in 1790. We visited the factory of j.a.py Freres. This concern makes a specialty of steel helmets, canteens and porcelain ware for the use of the army.

We arrived at Beaucort at midnight, and after settling down to rest, were awakened by the booming of cannon, which was continuous during the night. We were aroused the following morning by the town crier, pa.s.sing along the street, wearing a peculiar uniform, beating a drum and calling out the news.

At Beaucort we were shown through a castle now occupied as a hospital.

It was originally a chateau, and at that time a citadel with moat and draw-bridge.

In company with Mr. Warren, I visited the village blacksmith, being reminded of my boyhood days. He had old-fashioned bellows and, with an a.s.sistant, was in a small way finishing up some work for the army.

We arrived at Belfort at about noon, and first saw the "Belfort Lion" by Bartholdi, the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. It is seventy-three feet long, forty-three feet high and is carved in a cliff below the citadel. This statue celebrates the stubborn resistance of the town of Belfort, which has never surrendered, although besieged on numerous occasions. Belfort has been exposed to German guns, less than ten miles away, for two years, and it is much shattered from bombardments. Many of the citizens are still engaged in their ordinary pursuits, but live in the cellars of their domiciles.

We were quartered at the Le Grande Hotel, and could hear the cannons roaring as we sat at luncheon. We were warned not to go out of the hotel without a companion. There was a cave underneath with both an inside and an outside entrance and we were told that in case the sh.e.l.ling was resumed we should get into this cave. There had been, however, no sh.e.l.ling for eight days. The town was sh.e.l.led immediately after the departure of the Canadian Industrial Commission, which had recently visited Belfort.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Lion of Belfort.]

The shutters of the hotel were closed at six P. M. I was taken to my room by the chambermaid and handed a candle and a box of matches. With all the lights of the hotel out, the cannon could be heard booming during the entire night. Belfort is under martial law, or, as it is called in France, military control. Just before retiring for the night we were reminded that the city was frequently sh.e.l.led and that nearly all the inhabitants slept in the caves, a pleasant thought to go to bed with. However, strange to say, I had a most excellent night's rest.

No one was permitted outside the hotel unless he had with him a card to show the police of the town.

Belfort contains numerous monuments. One series of statues is of three generals who defended Belfort during the three sieges successfully resisted. Two of these sieges occurred during the time of Napoleon and one during the Franco-Prussian war, 1870-1871. We walked about in a body, escorted by a military officer and a number of soldiers. We visited a large part of the city and at nearly every corner there were signs showing the entrances to caves and stating the number of persons each cave would hold--all the way from twenty to seventy. Evidence was all around of bombs dropped from aeroplanes by the Germans and sh.e.l.ls fired by them from many miles away, there being hundreds of shattered windows and holes in the sidewalks.

We remained in Belfort two nights. The morning after our departure the city was bombarded and some fifteen or twenty people killed.

On Friday, October 6th, we left Belfort in the military autos, under sealed orders, and knew not where we were going. We pa.s.sed several squads of German prisoners, among them one very large company. We were frequently challenged by sentinels in pa.s.sing, for miles, along the front of Alsace-Lorraine.

Alsace-Lorraine has had forty-five years of German rule. The elder people are not Germanized, and it is quite evident that France will not be satisfied until the whole province has been restored.

We stopped for luncheon at Remiremont, in the Vosges mountains, and while here visited an old church dating back to the Eleventh century.

This church contained, among other things, a statue of the Virgin Mary carved in cedar, the gift to the church of Charlemagne. There is also at this place a Thirteenth century arcade, through which we pa.s.sed. We bought a few relics and then left Remiremont at 4:30 P. M. for a dash into Alsace and close up to the battle-front.

We arrived at Bussane at 5 P. M., after being held up several times. We next reached Thann, a village once in German hands and two miles from the German lines. This town had been bombarded by the Germans early in the war. The destruction was fearful to look at; buildings were damaged beyond repair, and one church nearly ruined. As we pa.s.sed along in a dense fog, one of the guides ran past each machine saving; "Shentlemen, this is a beautiful sight, but you can't see it."