My Trip to Verdun-General Petain Face to Face

EDITORIAL, FINANCIAL AND EDITORIAL. FINANCIAL AND AUTOMOBILES. Nm

MRT,u M\ PAO» SUNDAY. APRIL 30, 1916. I'MIT Ml. S1X PAGES. MY TRIP TO VERDUN-GENERAL PETAIN FACE TO FACE

as went the staircase. variaMy decorated w;th a flag Bfltj for the call, li«»eninjr, to an officer explain- could be seen now clearly ar.d now dim'.y. which the Verdun route marches almost chief he quiekly up we must wau. But not for Mcn Who Hold flowers. ing to them what ha« i>eMeuse Thcir Paris, tn thi who died to keep thc ground. ?he life hiood. the trcasure in men I town ha'i. a* u t ot the French liani'.et, and before . The Life Line at Verdun. I *-aw m the Maine Thc Master of the Past and I mon ;- srere hc;ng fed into thia motor thia are itopped and jt. -t Since Petain little a* I have seen terod, now rrowded together where Bf the darknesi came we passed .'... which like basketi on ropea wa- mr out. Souilly many pfotograph* to thc the an.i \\. this of him. hut none in any real Baeai ¦'¦ of the New of fi.-.jirht hand to hand. Pa .1 .-ntered at Ih^' 1ho- it forward end of line wi re at 1 From the Future ing them in upon rying of . pive the true of the defender swifl moMTip aut'i. they Beem to march b) road to Verdun, Ihe ona road that ia thi ringing Lack what remained, oi perhapa a cen- picture -., Verdun. He >aw u< in hi- office. the bar>- France. you: there is ihe illusion of an an lifo4 line of thi- city. Kor t«» understand oming baek empt> g the con War. room. two .. the office of vancing on Ihe hillside, until at la oblern of th. f. more foi n .re Iiiea a:,d more trea *,-,«¦ ii . houaand upstaira ) i| '¦ '. ndi Verdttn the Mayor of Souilly. Think "f the Se reslize thal th< ii lacking to At Bar-le-Dur. ig " a' ar f men icctmen-s ftice in any New Englai d little village*. auch a sd ': September, 1911. mj "-J~>«»-*»''*"* C0PYRIGH1 1916 FRANK H. SIMONDS, ln 'he '. "in. where lage ind the picture will he accurate. A By ix, you come mm >n .. Mihiel snd cu1 tht- ll wh- .. nighi whi great bare room. a desk. one chair. a i HE fRIBUNI \SSN. War." ¦¦ telephone. Author oi "Thc Grcal 1 hundred or two iming north along tho- ftf< ise. down the curved grai' into Bai Duc, ati and ¦ ihe walN hut twe RUpa, one of rnen iia.o been wh« .¦ 0 ..!.:. n the Marne tho haited a( the coi nei, whero Joffre gathcred, 'he ;'one. one of the actual front aii a* '¦ 4hf and Peta in the terribli a 1 military trenche now len elled are bul Prince halted Moi form. d work of traffl. V rible ot French atrugi \ d I confesi . Verdun ran thc aid position. of the Verdun fighting. Hl through icad. resl I Va snd heir csm i v guidni ;hf raravan towsrd the Inflict 1 I. argui that, more than al! 1 ;i» an.l hearol at nd you "Here 179 bleak room. the mo-'i waa to the courtesy harcly heattd by " or acroa - "H< the fronl and of this the French thi road, primitive of atovea. From the smpio win¬ the look IB8." mai mo thal Vo rdun would not ...... dow oni looked down on the chee tunity 1 it herself nol either " France A of Ruin. along which lumbered th" ca'.. Region ¦reary or weaken. 11 ie the pega againat the wai' igh In Paris, where one msy hear .' I aeen thr hung the ii. ,i< ral'a hai ar d coal snything, ,1 line there r P traight the .lothea ,,." *. man who sre those that will tell >ou that irnc battlegroundi itained, faded, to the Vosi r thii ty oi in a'l weathera. Of staff officers. loffre'i work is done and thal Franee ... er these ftelda by offl- .Hi"', he Between the tw sraits for thc man who arill tbs thi4 battle* of uniforma, of color there was iu«t n<->th- compkrte ired in opening H Mar: tliai tho- -.train of the tcrnhle the black d the _-. war there WBB a hint. task; e Hut Verdun was moic ' hardly .1 11 ha< thc who waa X y battk the ruined \- the * -poke thej will certainly eiflflj that .- i erml Staff turned a rJocaf aenae thal the man ha« heen found in cnoaaea. II a region in which the I... I- there waa the sup- hey hope m ta '">' i English. itantly Poets As to ih.' tiutii this I d" tion is abroad. .! -reation of Kitchener, not of Kitchener aa of sll kindnesa of one r>t thr '.>' io1 4" know. 1 did not tea Thr forty mile two more you see him in flesh. hut in plaotographs, pretend Jodfre, at-ivp time and iut all 'ha* I have read .'f Joffre i, lines, and thia is tl n rt of th.* .he -am.- coldneaa, deciaion, The "mile ".uggest' * rl ike my pilgrimage a succesa I deatli and d' sti uctii .hat the worda- of welcome hat Petain i4- of hia sort, ihe Mime qmet. accompanied man. with a .crtain .'f the nt g. M. Poin. rare. Like 1- the fi .¦ the «a- mo lilenl eoldnesi to-day; thii gravea vaniahed and *he face utterly , the French Vforth, a of nanner tiiat ii lack atr oo.- sn President, till in the making, the region of the tionleaa. ou aaw a ;«¦'. grimnesa ., ¦¦ '. and ii chief, iewed, .1 Mi ise, from Noyon to Verdun. broad-ahouldered man, with every appear- K There wai a Kitchem r l< in iply because eastwa ance of a clear blue eye, gend Europe, Oi this day phyaical strength, 4 »|{ r- snd in a sense thc linai rd 1 .i.e a little through thi 1 in Septembe looking »traigh< forward and beyond. :. lliness, the cour- Iterhaps in comen of England, Thorre wai 1914, iry of ob- The Interview. .. Amcrican will j i lego d oir ;. ma -t' ice and of iron. a that the from the forgetting that followed nd t r in 1 Sl CO. I haol po.ne to M. Le uan who made rictory mH <.)' human main France to 1 My French companion, Roux, Paris. esrs filled with thc oi X;ipi campaign with Petain. He had ome . erial sa a man makea a wall ..f mortar my warningi ten ten days < lourtacon, ipoke JUSl thosc who t.'lol mc that it was har.l to. bl pleodid from Joffre and he told an intereating '..r ind stono'. a man t<> whom his material Sc/.aii'i''. I.a!-"" Champenoise, Vitry- v ¦ ataaericaii in Europe, in Fiar.cc. in thc cumstai ce PtHai iatei '¦.; He iaid now ras only mortar and tone, even though le-Francois, the region where Franchel . -.mc expecting, or sl and then "yes" "i- ..no." Nothing more. were human. This legend has poarished where the ... . d'Espi fought, s fai aa Kitchoti .: .-. that I should ftnd il 0. Watching him arrowly you ww tiiat .'eaeen . that a^l my difficul- cared for France of tl.e uthcr peace days. famous viotoiies with far fewer troops almly anol atteriy, whether it cntaiU.t thr ThIE MAIRIE AT SOUILLY. on '' eath of ene on a thousand mcn, of ten 4" en I had been pcrmittcd Women and children al the plough, old PETAIN AND JOFF RE ON THE STAIRCASE OF than wei" directed from the iclephone ho.uiand men if an'l willed ire to neri benl age still apending h" table rondei neccs.s.iry, haol

. na' H «hould I "kmerics 1 auch atrength as taaka that -. imp --ion of modern war ll happer. road marked a eanvas I cided decided the fate of France, w the I e per- youth t the I- io nch had recon- tranaport, ar.d the aound thii grindin] eternal gray-blue uniforms. iher daah nor tire. nothing of the centtct from St. is never low. f :, diffo rei men of au- ave il il iral that the that on. a* thc. and mai hood "r I- rai highway running tj pe, iUggestion of .'lin; rather there waa changed, Verdun 1 t «hoiu!ol change. too. buried i'i tne g l>izi(!- l.y Bar-le-Duc to it wa- little more than daylighl arhei thority. your guid. pointed iggestion of the commander of a great aT1 Patestrtly . the man who had ' etain ii of the new, n the hut no at ery kilometre. ...li o.f German artillery, To-day sn we took the r...ad anol by motor transport. can* .. tha .' It stii he master of the wi-dom of the tidea an.i M of M ay. .¦ 4 . Ii'' schii tht la \ on Now. t. ¦. wi l thi hills. bad commanded he weather. not the or the Mura*. snd M. Hugu. of th< war of two yeara ag Ihr Motor Syatem flowed without break. Ney, 'he fin il Tranaport .. entered the main tii'' oni road U ,, v came, snd with- lot the Xapoleon of AiTola. Thi impre*- nchman of Vitry-le-Fra road, a Dizier wc en- the that had hen "> he had 1 inwd over hia corn- ion WBfl of a -tronp man whose life was deep |r ¦ion which i- the back th from St. Verdun, road built '4 ... .."4 and the man on enchlike t'slley marehing from easi " v . ,, ... Mile after an at life l,eaten atorma; tiie acain^t BUCh upon by . Hart "!1 ¦ f th.- froi a of all the French army j.i.-t w t -!'.:¦. *r for .. sr, up the to th.* ridicu- si i-Verdun-If. inile th.' ..... rniloii tack a- araa now in The given glory he bridge, keep to rather for miles through from Rheima to the M< u ftfty progreaa. .<. erintendei but not -n: ¦.- for trahV. road with hardly a break of a hundred feo-t he aaa a> wide a- Fifth Avenue, ;> i| oualy inadequate tipure, bj ng in roartial suddenly aloi g the appeai ...'i ! down the hill we heard of thc fine loyalty " the man ni horseback. r.i ..... turned into ., .. a when nd the Hai whid phall mad that. pefl st lasl but on!v guidepoats ... new motor thi ion un. oi eai. sdmira- My talk. our talk with Petail wa*- the liljr, " ::: ¦¦ vehicle; beai fresh meat; i'' it ever will the p thal . slmosl Verdun." Vou pi doea, delighl *¦ om tin e to I s distant a fain' ' iion. :' tive minutea. The time boons, r "; lnP any t'nitty-tivc men and the trafftc it had to bajar, it wai perhapa a brief moment, cient Deapite the of M. ,; Bo th- . one thal ia regiraents, bri- n feet ar.d BOldiera in uniform I Bunau-Varilla. rai conaumed by word Le .a. d killinc of o1 to thi mpani. 'epair, "r Bran 'li.- houol of which -tone .oux, who very tha . and from -al ny the aide and rr spoke earneatly urging far I'. Eastern Frai f |ai rhe killing the wounding breaking And th. ri out of the rei I the wn hilli that bound ti. the killed and to BO. hat more American correapondontfl be tho I where thi replace parinj* nieta! keep il th. .¦ familisr to an and along .' Souilly viait and Petain ^mked 1 ai i."' yesterday, loK>k»-oI down up«>n The eharaeter of the countty ha lermitted to Verdun, =in>? then- begin to appi \ thi man of hut. said noth- Al tho- bottom of the are turiM I .¦ From St. We were the r.*u'- eard him patier.tiy. just s B tish al ai d ngn bi d aml :¦ imilingly. changfld. enterinf* of a corn- Verdun thc wa-^ of rig. Once he had fl*reeted ua hia face iat, m. ind -t.)pp4d the latest hai impression the hilla, hetw.-en the Aisne aml the Meu ., .... hcarinc t and th. Guern led into that prim that r,- sre n more hii om v by which logs are i r*eminiacenl of New expre-sion ling had ed out throusrh eountry be tow. ei .. ¦. ps a Ggrri.on. a un- ring hansred until he smiled hi- word of vr there was a nat not Eeih Villaga carried to tln- ^w in mill. Vou felt Thoafl hilla are the harrier which !¦ a--k for schievement, itepped forwsrd to a.-> we I army. dn OM .-.d i i- ahly. that you name- of the , > nahtta left. V.-t have lince found .' for . -.v evi the Meuae, under the l ''¦ i old MSun nol hia fi iendi hat from one ciroumataiwe which of the ming toward .I upon sutomobiles, .-. ha\e heen the scenc f apart ayfl that then have Mi I ha.l aeen him laat in "The i". ! ,* some '-a rl shall mention in a moment I have ui s rere ieaviag that .1 men, bul .,[.,., upon The roada tha*. aidlod the war had aml benchea ieaperate fighting. the days when ememh.-red thOM mil itCfl most elvarly of trenche i for th- ; item of belta ea.-t <, ' of s th. ie are 01 :'" .tT to the l^re battle and ho- was SDOUt to -ail now carry- just II of n.y Verdun experience. Juat a* tl ent daj first line. foTea- a erowd the ":' ,1" I rwiftly, surely Mihiel, Troyoa, and the mad that w< ! for in tht- when tne Msrne wai ing they isl material. larrymg mcn home; dayi hotopraph doea not reveal the face of the ril ed hy; the mud rhe fields 1 krwed was still marked at every tui still sthed hope ,i rr snd unfouj lan, the word doea not de-crme tl. the treno hv r tunici; ho- ;i all tbe Bi supplies, everything the mapic word ".Verdun." Our immediate then wilow. humai imate, tf. that va-t irrind- f strenpth. of reepouaibility, *ha* he piv-¦-. Bl id there a man I teel hclmet .. wa- hill t, ai bjective SouiUy.theobacure Pn I the two oftcers sl out hu hcaol. ing mill which was beyond thc bills, thc miles. south of rhe The New Soldier. nf arm Every twenty perhaps. ",.¦ tO V.-rdun. I"- ¦ol a slight WOUnd that schine which worked with cqual from which Sarraii had defcnd.d Verdun si d that about you Tui Bourdeaux, a man of let- Ii. a hildiah aort of way. exa "ne -.,.,it for '; a bappineaa upon men anol upon from which tlyai ed him, **i' / ;, of ruins, n and the in the Marne days and Petain unks of war as a matter of and heap hmen; (aptam daeh ' wo .. Tho milinga theymarehad; ¦. or la rai now defending Verdun against n doeun -.lor and motion. one thinks of the French day \(1... too, o. er thc hilli came sdy cy sn ied ". < ¦¦ lipi Bt and ll par- il,,. rv wl .',r>(. will rei more terrihle attaek. the n nt makinc n tnera! a-, the leader of a Red < ro ambulances; they passed cavalry Charge .,...>. carried their jr.. the "' i.n. ... these gentlemcn and r of a forlorn of BI Ar.d the peii from the front and bring- Verdun and Petain. hope ali a; gi. their ur.iforms in ? hcir who thii task 'rench aoldier of thia war has not beei '. i'r,,rthat thia thin then- carefully ciosed walls the colleaguei perform t itrangesl rs; Um al« m i ¦¦ - a a in a fa And Fran**** today one ipeaki that can sgreeal e, wh.. nsk 1C man of charpe or of <:a-h not that he Cronei ».n Ertry Sid». of war; 70U ., the fruits of the day'i hardly f from the dcp'.'i-; f Verdun and Petain. Soldiera have their '.. Sl their time with as not as well as ever m his thcir - f ... And giv< charped thereof. aboul Joffre, aii the carth ratho-r than ddien nturning sppeai ne ia that Souilly I reakfasl ts that talli 1 the spot. aj,, i road t-.a' ho ld the i Here were the . othiBg. bright guided, moved, propalM ft. f< vh".e fama had filled the world m *he of thc of the war owas And Petain in .-ome curioua way ha* .- wmething .,., ~ rnen, b il snd ever toward the progresi mmjm thal , toward the f.r<\ | Go ipward -of¦ir. wc knives or graat and ternble I'pwaid .--..m*- ofl ! xed In my mind the inipression of the t0,.vard thc tha' were is a men of thirty a ioui front tha trenchots, marehing I ,.i.<|, thero- ind downward over th- hill>. throuph more lee '.'" This arai cw Frenchman. if there be a new one. or ii \anct. pati nt .. '-ut the stonas did thcir work. "Were ere to Verdui , thc apuad of the guns, anol as one .aw .... 1 n-t.'h grinding more more better of the Boldier of t-o-'. t., the ruin and ti,. came .!<.wn upoti us along the .uined \nl!a(*e«. ho.pita! the flrsl prol'lcm. I had !. I t\o.o r'rhaps Ft*ench fin the rumble t.xik on a new .. s ham- wnMbow ralatad Nighi artillery amps, our march took us until after a before that th.- bombardment was iv, whether he wear the >tar- of the ,. ,', aroand than road a'd brought a t.ew imprctosion. Mi'.e >',ay< itinctn. irnad by earefn hour we came to n. ral na- that cneral or undecorated "horii.on" hlue of wh< 1 a ¦¦ grava m mik OVtr the hi 11k anol 'round thc ihort Soui'.ly. gl raging nd that il quite possible | Involuntarily I searehed the faces if 1, and m rougbno . ot the of Verdun. if But the | ie Poilu. The look that I saw hil "><.-. .1 in tho- smods, raadquartara Army .'.¦i b* unsafs to g further. .>e men M They wotp har 1- ¦, ling sppsaring reap they told of nan "f the for th ie emotioi'.le-. look- passed. >M" the diatant summitsofthe bills, Petain, the eantn world iring; Verdun was tran- l calm. ateady, utterly tcn feet fro.m me. PlatOOB after " pla- ¦*' .'' . m atrly. "" .- r. forward. I oaw where .. Ii ".n tha' nonient. "And I'.ta One COUM no.t yet p itraight eviTj v.1 ,,,,.,.. ill .Mi ahowing a lighl waggad quil. .n|.any afte^ compai y, whole regi- bj |-ew towns ha\e doOfl lau to I 8 1 the front ai id Bt the baclt of the front. ari foi Bt th twen. ..ii th.- hoi izon, thi-- huge aravan p mi ¦nts in o olumn o.4" fours. And sccing th.- bank hat t'>r me an in tho' and -raatneaa than It boaal a -iittI" Evei e tnere was s ^tirrmg 1 emhodied emlunnp impn ' nonth srd, while villagcs Souilly. ..ught an instant ihoel: they ill inehe* m tlu mid ¦i.] ^'o no ral aid I i on of the r-pirit and the of the ,i. the hillside campfires tla^hcot up and tratt 'hree deep clay isluting, poifl*. .ho- rench of thi ateal and moat ter- ,- ii'in..- 'h.- of the aoldier! if th< a ..iriir'e ttrtei thr caughl a glimpse of .-ommand. in loldiei 0 ..nila.ietl nn |>a(e ?.) V Ttll '.,.',;,,, ,.:... :."¦ Dgurei apriBg