.^ Xi .>'^. v./ '^, "He.^' '^ b_ "> x< ,^" '^ v\^^ '^^ ^^, .xV^' .*^' - ■'t- .V 'f. .V - .g -fi •0- "^, vXV V- V •^ -b o'^ ■^ xOq,, \ ^- ^^' ■% d^ \# \^ ' ' ' l'^ "^ s ' " ' //. (T. V' ^ ./■ .% .^- ' % ^/ ;^ ':.■,.- ^^^ v^' .> Xl > o^ ,0- ,.>^ x° o^ > ^-^■V^l s -^ :, ^'^'^ o \ WORLD \^ AR AT ITS CLIMAX Bei^ig Persofial l}p.pri}!ts of the Great Co)ifliet j cifiJ Close up Glimpse \ J of the World Tragedy PRINTED BY THE ROYCROFTERS E.\ST AURORA N.Y. (.X^PYRIGHT, \9ti BY ROWARO H. OHARA SYRACVSK. X. Y. DEC 30 '22 :C1AG020 4S To GEORGE WILLIAM O'HARA (Ml/ Son J Who voluultviod to follow the Stars and Stripes, porforniiui'- his full part in the hazardous work of a niaehine gun battalion in Flanders fields and Fi'auce, eseaping- unhurt, this narra- tive is dedieated with a heart full of gratitude for his dcliveranee. THE NARRATOR Of this edition World War At Its Climax there are printed Five Hundred Copies for private circulation This book is number Foreword N NARRATING or portraying his un- usual experiences in the thrilling scenes of 1918 which marked a momentous and notable journey by twelve newspaper men under most favorable auspices and the escort of the British Government, the writer does not attempt to dignify his production by calling it a book or himself an author. Nor has he the vanity to predict for it general circulation or currency. Not for one moment does he harbor the thought that untold thousatids avidly await its appearance, antici- pating that it is to contain ivonderful World War secrets or iviil seek to solve the many vexatious problems arising out of that great conflict. On the contrary, it is a tale told by a newspaper publisher whose aim is to collect a few of the outstanding things he saw and ivrote about ichile abroad, and talked of when he returned home. Primarily, kith and kin were first and foremost in his mind, and if the record of his experiences and observatio?is in the terrific, crashing days ichich brought an end to the most cruel and awful war in history, interests or enlightens those for whom its compilation is intended, he will feel himself fully fustifi.ed for time taken in writing his humble effort, " All of ichich he saio and a part of which he was.'' When events herein recorded were occurring Germany was charged with monstrous outrages, until vandalism and brutalities; and Allies and Allied sympathizers sought to wreak vengeance upon her unfortunate head. Time may soften, and history correct, reports made in the heat and bitterness of war at its zenith, ivhen such aspersions were uttered. Three and a half years have elapsed since hostilities ceased, hut solemn fledges made by Americans and the Allies, that never again would they buy anything made in Germany, have been broken, and every country is now seeking eagerly to re-establish former trade relations. In his own way, too, the writer will tell the part, as he observed it, ivhich American boys played in a great world fight under west European skies, where their deeds of heroism were almost as countless as the stars themselves, and where, as one chronicler of that day wrote: " Millions of men have stood immovable or have pushed forward with courage which is greater than that required to face death. Death is merely a part of the hideousness of war — the part which has made a cemetery of each hillside in Eastern France." ^ " The thing is unimaginable — the sights that shock the brain, the scent of poisoywus gases, the thin, .sharp sound of flying fragments of steel, the whistle of shells, increasing rapidly in volume, until with deafening noise there comes the explosion — all tend to tear doum the untl to withstand, and to destroy the ivill to advance." " Under such conditions men do not pause to make small calculations; they act by virtue of that which is either inbred or inherent. Their fears are terrific, and yet they push these aside, trample over them and attain the heights of ideal courage." In all history can be found no other three months so epochal, so fraught with mighty happenings. Never before was it vouchsafed to a little band of civilian observers like ours to be at the very storm center of events in the most crucial period of a war, the greatest of all wars. On our arrival in Liverpool, news came that United States troops had takeii St. Mihiel; French and Americans had attacked in the Argonne; Bulgaria had signed an armistice and surrendered, while soon afterward Kaiser Wilhelm loith- drew from battle fronts, where in desperation he had gone to rally in person his retreating army, and returning to Berlin, " sulked in his tent." There were rumors that he refused to leave Berlin and that death to him was preferable to surrender. Also, there were hints at suicide. In the interim of our arrival in Liverpool and return to London on the night of November 10, fighting hadheen the most terrific, the most awful in the history of a world which had stood aghast. But the mighty hordes of Germany, with the vaunted, impenetrable Hindenburg line, began to yield, the shell of Central Europe tottered and crumbled, and on November 9 the Kaiser abdicated and the day following fled to Hol- land. Next day the Armistice was signed. So the newspaper group had seen the battle fronts from Belgium down through Eastern France, a long, black strip of ruin from one to forty miles wide, had seen war in its fiercest activities and in its cataclysmic finish. When in New York in late November, their mission ful- filled, the little band of Editorial pilgrims bade each other a fond adieu, with a God-be-with-you-till-we-meet- again, it ended THE GREAT ADVENTURE— which, in the writer's life, remains the supreme event or experience whose friendships and glories are destined to enrich, brighten and gladden his memory down to the day when the summons shall come for him to pass on. Edward H. O ' Hara PART 1 How IT Began By Whom and Why a Momentous Mission was Conceived Convoy Crossed the Atlantic IN Worst Tempest During World War W^reck of the Otranto Only Ship Lost in War Because OF Storm CHAPTER I Birth of a Big Idea Broad Visioned Beaverbrook Devised a way to Nullify the Effect of German Propaganda and England Created a Ministry of Infor- mation with Lord Beaverbrook at its Head — Leading American Newspaper and Magazine Editors or Publishers, asked by English Ministry to Cross Seas and See with Their Own Eyes what World War was Like and What Great Britain's Part in It Had Been. |N reciting such a journey as is herein described naturally the first question asked is, " What was its inception? " 11 In the winter of 1917-1918, J:ngland was thrown into a fervid frenzy at re- ports that (jerniany had assiduously and insidiously circulated malevolent Anti-Hritish projoaganda throughout America. So general were these broadcasted, and so accredited, that Parlia- ment arose to the necessity of a searching investigation of the entire question with a view of offsetting, if not entirely undoing, the evil effects of this sinister propa- ganda. Any inquiry, it was agreed, should be thorough, exhaustive, intelligent and efficient, if a helpful solution of the perplexing problem was to spring from it. That false and damaging reports were being disseminat- ed through the medium of American newspapers and magazines was firmly fixed in the minds of English War and legislative leaders, who apparently believed that if important American newspapers were not World War actually owned by Germany, many of them were sub- Ax Its sidized by junkerdom. Heated discussions followed in Climax *^^ House of Lords. Lord Beaverbrook, himself owner of g a great London newspaper, The Express, eloquently ^' combatted the assumption that American newspaper men were corrupt or venal or Prussianized. Originally a lawyer by profession, then a banker, and a keen and able observer of social life and public affairs in America, while living in his earlier days in Canada, which he quit for the land of his adoption eight years before, it was not egotism for him, he believed, to say he was fully qualified to judge of the tendencies, aspirations and aims of American newspaper publishers. Reports of a Prussianized x'Vmerican press were not only maliciously untrue, but manifestly absurd. America had between 8,000 and 10,000 daily newspapers, to say nothing of vastly outnumbering weeklies and monthlies. To acquire these would mean billions of dollars. Side by side with allied troops, American boys were fighting, and it would have been unthinkable treason for American newspapers even to give an appearance of deserting their government at such a crisis. Nor would a public so outraged stand for such newspaper conduct. Unmistakably demands in such conditions would be made for government confiscation or suppression. As shedding light upon England's concern over what she believed were Germany's activities and attitude in America it is necessary to call attention to what was then going on in Mexico and between Mexico and Ger- many, for England, innocently, no doubt, had con- founded the United States with Mexico. For more than three years Mexico had been in constant revolutionary turmoil. In every way our neighboring republic had sought to draw us into the vortex of the — 2 — maelstrom which her intrigues, bandit uprisings and World War imbroghos had made. Germany was broadcasting deadly At Its propaganda in Mexico and seeking to incite Mexican (^Ljjyj^x hatred of us because we had aligned ourselves on the ^ side of the Allies. Before the war, both Germany and ' England had enjoyed far better trade relations with Mexico than had the United States. Her dream of world conquest once realized, Germany aspired to command Mexican resources and trade. From the lips of an eminent American physician who served our government in Mexico in a secret capacity for more than three years during and immediately fol- lowing the World War, I learned that in Mexican oil fields German agents were extremely active. Posters calling upon Mexicans to burn American wells were posted throughout the oil regions, but promptly pulled down by Americans. In some instances the torch was actually applied with disastrous results. This was but one of the many forms of pernicious activity by Ger- mans or German sympathizers. American citizens in Mexico besought President Wilson to intervene. The President's reply was that he was pursuing a policy of " watcMul waiting." Former President Roosevelt, with all the vigor and vehemence of his aggressive nature, denounced his suc- cessor as " too proud to fight," declaring that were he in Presidential office he would follow Villa and his bloody bandits to their mountain fastnesses, capture them and settle details afterwards as to the right thing to do. ^ Notwithstanding Colonel Roosevelt's hostile attitude, he seemed personally more popular with the masses in Mexico than President Wilson. Then, as always, bull fighting was the national sport in Mexico. At such events, as well as in theaters and wherever else the public congregated, the name of Wilson was coldly — 3 — World War received, while that of Roosevelt evoked huzzas loud At Its *^nd long. Climax This seeming digression is made to explain how Great Britain had mixed ^Mexico up with the United States in taking for granted that Germany was making friends with American newspapers and American people. So convincing were arguments of Lord Beaverbrook a committee appointed to find an escape from the dilem- ma was told l)y him that the only way was to create a bureau or ministry of information which would send a commission to America to select a delegation of puK-: lishers or editors of leading magazines and newspapers who, as guests of the British Government, would cross the ocean and see for themselves what Great Britain had done and was doing, what her part in the World War was, had been, and nuist be. Because of his Canadian antecedents, Lord Beaver- brook had been appointed by the British government historian of Canada's part in the World War and official photographer at battle fronts for Great Britain. For more than three years in this dual capacity he had shared, with the infantry, the perils and hardships of war, and so vigorously and zealously had he prosecuted this work that his health broke under its privations and hardships &^ s^^ In accordance with Lord Beaverbrook's recommenda- tion a ]Ministry of Information was promptly created. This ministry was somewhat similar to certain divisions of our Department of the Interior. Beaverbrook was chosen as its head. Because ill health would not permit him to continue such extraordinary efi'orts as he had put forth at the front. Lord Beaverbrook decided to accept the great honor and to choose as an assistant an able and energetic young man upon whose shoulders should fall the bur- — 4 — dens of office. Looming large in the public eye at the World War time, on account of his civic activities in London, was At Its Major Evelyn Wrench, having just organized the popu- Climax lar English -Speaking Union and placed Mr Arthur J- ^ Balfour at its head. Also his record for valor and achieve- ' ment at the fighting front was widely known and uni- versally commended. Lord Beaverbrook accordingly drafted Major Wrench, promptly placed him in full charge of the Ministry of Information, himself remain- ing in the background wholly in an advisory capacity. At once the task of organization was energetically begun. Early in 1918 a commission of five members was sent to New York city to open offices, where a large force of secretaries and clerks worked diligently for six or eight months. Sir Geoffrey Butler, brother of the former Governor- General of India, headed the commission; Louis Tracy, novelist, who had recently' put out his thrilling novel, " On the Wings of the Morning, " was a second member; a distinguished officer. Commander Belt, who had been wounded while with General Allenby in Asia Minor and awaited a return to health, was a third; Major Lancaster, member of The London Times organization and Vis- count Northcliffe's legal adviser, who, in that office served all of the Viscount's vast newspaper interests, was fourth, and Henry Goode of New York city, an x\merican, was the fifth. After three months of careful and scrutinizing investi- gation, the following party was chosen by the Com- mission: Edward W. Bok of the Ladies' Home Journal; Duncan Clark, Chicago Evening Post; Alfred Holman, San Francisco Argonaut; Dr. Charles R. L. VanHise, President of the Wisconsin University; F. W. Kellogg, San Francisco, Cal.; L. W. Nieman, Milwaukee Jour- nal; R. T. Oulihan, New York Times; Ellery Sedgwick, World War Atlantic Monthly; Dr. Albert Shaw, Review of Re- x\t Its views; James N. Thompson, New Orleans Item; C. H. Climax Towne, INIcClure's Magazine, Dr. E. J. Wheeler, Everybody's. &•» Rt. Hon. Lord Bearerbrook — 6 — CHAPTER II Newspaper Men Take Up the Torch Thrown Down by Magazine Brethren Go Over to End War and Finish the Job Their Predecessors Were Impotent to Do — Refused to Go if Bound by Any Understanding Except an Open Mind Which Should Tell of Things as They Saw Them — England Said She Would Lay Her Cards Upon the Table Face Up. AGAZINE MEN, constituting group one, who had gone over in late June, having failed by early September to end war, twelve news})aper publishers were drafted as group number two. Insofar as most of us were concerned it was a hurried and an unexpected S. O. S. In the writer's case his mind was made up only forty hours prior to the time of sailing. It was too late to go to Washington for passports, but Secretary of State Lans- ing generously stepped into the breach and designated a fedei'al officer in New York City who pi'ovided the necessary credentials. The ever present difficulty then was that America and the Allies had commandeered the whole Atlantic ocean and held that no one had the right to cross it unless to fight. War, or service therefor, were the only grounds upon which passports were issued &^ 5o» Few in our party had the faintest conception of what was expected of them until they arrived at New York. — 7 — World War Unquestionably the most impelling reason for accepting At Its invitations was that many had sons in action overseas Cli]m\x ^^^ were ready and willing to make any sacrifice for an § opportunity to meet them. • It should be emphasized in connection with choosings for this most important mission that no one was named for his beauty or his brains. Few, perhaps, would have been able to qualify upon those grounds. England went about the task in her usual cold, calculating, business way. Each newspaper was employing as war corres- pondents a staff of able commenters and illustrious reporters capable of wielding more forceful, trenchant or facile pens than any one of our party. England's wish was rather to reach the man in control of newspaper policies and destinies, and Viscount Northcliffe and Lord Beaverbrook, wise in their business of newspaper- making, told the powers that be that that man was the publisher s^ s^ Twenty-thousand four-hundred and thirty-one news- papers are printed in the United States with an aggre- gate circulation of fifteen and a half billion copies a year. From out this vast number Twelve Newspapers icere chosen — one from every seventeen hundred and sixty newspapers — which tells the story of the high compliment conferred by Great Britain in selecting our Editorial party and stresses her belief that she had selected newspapers of the greatest influence and pres- tige in their respective localities. It will be seen on a close study of the map of the United States that in the selection made every division of the country was repre- sented — the Pacific Coast, the Rocky Mountain Region, the Middle West, the South and the Middle East and the East. In the choice of newspapers high honor and esteem was intended, the men selected as representatives being World War merely coincidental. At Its At Sherry's famous restaurant, whither we were directed Climax to go by England's Ministry Commission, we found in ^ waiting a dinner at which Sir Geoffrey Butler was toast- master. Without entering into details, Sir Geoffrey said his government wished us to cross the ocean and see for ourselves, first hand, what was happening over there and how much of a part Great Britain was taking in it all. One of our members opened the discussion by saymg apologetically that there were many things in our school books which obviously perverted history and was unfair and derogatory to England and he contended that all such false and damaging teachings should be expurgated from text books. The member from Oregon, Mr. Piper, was next speaker. So great a period had elapsed since his school days, he declared he could not recall just what our text books did contain. Wliatever their content, he was decidedly and unequivocally opposed to delving into such subjects or sitting in judgment upon them. Traveling farthest of anyone to be present, he asserted that if a revision of American text books or commitment to any course of conduct was the purpose of the trip, he must respect- fully decline to go. He would prefer to take the first train back home. After others had spoken like sentiments, Sir Geoffrey Butler, for the Commissioners, said he was greatly pleased with the frankness of the newspaper men. England would be deeply grateful if the publishers became her guests and would lay all her cards on the table face up, exacting no promises whatsoever. He told the publishers they would be free to return home and say whatever they pleased, if only they consented — 9 — World War to make the trip. While over there letters or messages At Its must pass through censor's hands, all such documents Climax would be submitted by Ministry of Information officers, ^ so that Sir Geoffrey felt the liberty of the press would ^ not be materially abridged. With this satisfactory explanation the entire party agreed to sail next day. Next me sat Louis Tracy, the novelist. Noticing I wore a service button, he congratulated me upon going across with a prospect of meeting my son, and then remarked, with a deep touch of sadness in his voice, that his own son had made the supreme sacrifice. " Killed in action? " I inquired. " Yes, thank God, a captain leading his men; just as I wished him to die and as I know he would have pre- ferred to die. Noble boy." Before we arose from our delightful meal, Sir Geoffrey told us that the mystery and secrecy attending all sailings must be observed, but he felt safe in saying our ship was to be a giant greyhound of such high speed that submarine danger would be reduced to a minimum, if not wholly eliminated. We were told to report at a certain pier next day, at an appointed hour, and ask for a ship known to us only by number. With mixed anticipations and forebodings over our embarkation on the morrow, our enjoyable dinner came to an end. Those who went were: Franklin Potts Glass, of The Birmingham, Ala. News; Edward W. Barrett, Birming- ham Age-Herald; Edward H. Butler, Buffalo Evening News; Herschel V. Jones, Minneapolis Journal; Frank Richardson Kent, Baltimore Sun; A. M. McKay, Salt Lake Tribune; Edgar Bramwell Piper, The Oregonian, Portland, Ore. ; Edward Lansing Ray, St. Louis Globe- Democrat; Col. Charles A. Rook, Pittsburgh Dispatch; — 10 — Lafayette Young, Jr., Des Moines Capitol, Des Moines; World War W. A. Paterson, Western Newspaper Union, Chicago At Its and New York, and Edward H. O'Hara, The Syracuse Climax Herald &9^ &i^ ^ — 11 — 3s p< .K ^ • ~ c^ J & ~ o - o •. CHAin^ER III A Ship of Death A Hideous Voyage — Spanish Influenza and Pneumonia take Frightful Toll — Worst Storm in Fifty Years Resulting in Loss of One Transport and Many Lives. C)()N following dinner at Sherry's found our Editorial voyagers at pier 59 North river. Ship number 718, for which we were told to ask, proved to be not the promised Cedric, a modern floating palace, but a poky, stuffy 8,000 ton troopship, the Orontes. From mysterious whisperings among her crew, it quickly leaked out that Spanish influenza had been discovered aboard before reaching Boston one week earlier, at which port twenty cases were taken off. Customs officers, health officers and our British hosts were sunniioned for conference, and twice we threatened to quit the ship. On repeated assurances that all reports were grossly exaggerated, that there had been thorough fumigation and disinfection, an officious federal representative, wiiose word was law (martial law at least) imperiously waved us away, and after twenty-four hours of almost constant wrangling we put out to sea. Then we learned it was the first voyage of the Orontes to America. Hitherto she, British owned, had plied between Australia and Great Britain bearing English colonial troops to war. England had never permitted her to carry more than 750 soldiers, as the ship's maximum capacity was not more than nine hundred passengers. In America's — 13 — World War mad rush to get men over 1834 troops, including 500 At Its negroes, had been herded into cramped quarters. Clim\x ^^^ ^^^* ^^ ^^^ ^^^ reached our convoy, which apparently J had l)een lying in wait for us. There were eleven camou- * flaged vessels, comprising a fleet of twelve, carrying 28,000 troops and protected In* a destroyer, a cruiser and a giant man-o'-war — fifteen ships in all. Seaplanes and dirigible balloons hovered above or sailed about us. With these and the mystifying, tortuous, shuttlecock movements of our convoy, we got our first big thrill and simultaneouslv we realized we had indeed entered upon A GREAT ADVEXTURE. After a few hours, these *' eyes of the sea," as hydro- planes were known, withdrew their protecting wings, their hum and roar grew fainter and fainter until finally they died away in the shoreward distance. A sense of great depression came over us as we realized wewerealone with our fate. As told in the rhymes of the Ancient ^lariner we were: Alone, alone, all, all alone. Alone on the wide, wide sea. Hydroplanes had been scanning the seas for submarines just as a kingfisher searches its prey. Almost from the outset we encountered stormy weather. The third day out our first tragedy of the sea happened when a Presbyterian clergyman, a ]Mr. Croucher, old and diabetic, traveling from his temporary charge in Vancouver, British Columbia, to his native Scotland to die among relatives and amid scenes of his childhood, succumbed to pneumonia and was Inu'ied at sea. Then we learned that in the twenty-four hours we lay along- side dock in New York, forty cases of Spanish influenza had developed, many were secretly taken ashore, and that there were then more than one hundred cases on — U — I board. Next day there were two burials at sea, next World War three and next five. Our negro troops became wildly At Its exercised, threatened to nuitiny and had to be put under Climax martial restraint. There were no more daylight burials, bodies thereafter being cast into the sea secretly at night. Against the wishes of those in charge Mr. Piper and this writer attended the clergyman's biu'ial. We thought of the rude awakening in store for his waiting relatives in Scotland when his failure to arrive was explained. At 6:. '30 A. INI. of the second day thereafter, our whole Editorial party arose to participate in the burial of three soldiers. It was decided to change the hour of the cere- mony to 10:30. The trii)le burial proved to be inexpress- ibly sad and depressing in the midst of a cold, driving rain and an angry sea. A Methodist chaplain connected with Y. M. C. A., officiated. The ship's little band of civilian passengers and a number of soldiers stood by with bared heads throughout the brief exercises. Soldiers in charge of the military burial stood at sides of grooved plank affairs in which the bodies rested. Over the tops of these rude catafalques were fastened American flags. The bodies were in sacks with heavy pieces of iron rails tied at the feet. Ceremonies over, soldiers raised the head of each chute to a proper angle until bodies slipped from under the flag into the deep. The flags remained with the frame. There was many a wet eye among the sorrow- ful gathering, whose chief distress was that a greater and worthier tribute of respect could not be paid these glorious dead. A Danish sea-captain, called to Washington on a secret mission, having also served Great Britain, showed little concern over the storm, declaring it would soon blow itself. But he reckoned without his host, as it did not abate one jot or iota. He further enlightened us with the — 15 — ? World War story of how upon discovering the presence of a sub- Ax Its marine, cruiser and destroyer, which accompany con- Clim\x '^^y^' circle about and drop depth bombs and keep up constant firing until the submarine is hit or sunk. A bounty of twenty-five pounds sterling, we were in- formed, was paid the person discovering a submarine, and the ship sinking one received two thousand five hundred pounds, the money being distributed among crew members. In earlier days many of our newspaper tribe were penny- a-liners, or space writers, to whom a bonus of twenty- five pounds would loom big. While editors spent much time keeping a sharp lookout for submarines they inwardly prayed they would n't see one — their avari- cious instincts for once having deserted them. Early one morning there was great commotion when our destroyer laid down a smoke barrage. It was a tense moment. The destroyer and submarine chasers started after something. When they came upon it, it turned out to be a big piece of old wreckage. In the thirty-six hours which the eighty -mile gale had raged two of the crew had been lost overboard. The purser was rolled along the deck by waves shipped and his head so badly cut, six stitches were taken. It was a miracle he was not swept overboard. One seaman broke his leg; another pitched down a hatchway and broke four ribs s^ &^ Pneumonia, following influenza, increased alarmingly. Two hospitals below decks were jammed full of patients, and windows were torn out of smoking and lounging room on the hurricane deck, converting the space into another hospital where fifty pneumonia patients were placed. All medicines were quickly exhausted. There were no tubes of oxygen, so useful in the last stages of pneumonia, but had there been they would have helped — 16 — Climax little with only two physicians and no nurses to care World War for the sick. A Y. man on the way to Paris did wonderful At Its work 5^ &^ To add to the other horrors of this SHIP OF DEATH, four days off Liverpool, the worst storm in forty-five years broke. First afternoon a seaman at work on the hurricane deck getting hawsers in shape so that life boats might be lowered was swept overboard and dis- appeared in the mighty combers. Next morning a watch went up to the crow's nest, or lookout, to relieve the night boy. Door was open, but boy was gone, having during the night been blown out into the sea. Next day the storm reached the zenith of its fury, wind and wave having grown wilder and mightier until in its awful power and action the ocean became majestic, enthralling. A whirling, typhonic gale sprang up suddenly in the midst of it all, and when it had gone we were entirely alone, our convoy and all our cherished protectors having been separated from us to be seen no more. That afternoon a mountain of water came over the ship's larboard side. From prow to stern our stumbling but gallant little craft trembled under the awful impact &^ &^ Windows and doors were riven. Furniture and men in the upper deck lounge were swept across the room in wild confusion. Passengers were bruised, shocked and wrenched. Mighty seas, thus shipped, swirled down stairs like cataracts, carrying everything before them. Consternation ensued. Men in the lower decks believed the boat doomed, but pumps were put to work and comparative calm was finally restored. Kitchen fires had been put out, and it was found impossible to brew tea or coffee or to cook food. For three days we were forced to live on crackers and cheese with ginger beer — 17 — » World War for a drink. So badly did our boat toss and roll wo could At Its take our boverai^o only from the bottle. Clim\x ^^^i^^'i ^^'^ reached Liverpool, fifty-six pneumonia pa- tients, laboriously gasping- for breath from want of proper facilities for treatment, and the rolling about on smoking room floors, were carried on stretchers to the city hospitals where, doubtless, forty or forty-hve of them died later. It was learned that we had had 500 cases of influenza, 130 cases of pneumonia. There had been 38 burials at sea. Two negroes were found hidden under the stairs on the boat's deck, where they had gone in their fright or delirium. They had been dead for many days, l^ats had gnawed the arm of one of them. The last three nights, when it seemed as if we cer- tainly nuist sink, our Editorial band delegated two young members to keep vigil and arouse our party if necessary to leave the ship. It i>robably would have been useless to (|uit the ship in the circumstances since no life-boat could live in such a sea. AVe were to stand by and help each other if anvthing happened. FOR OXc'E, IF UK WEXr TO THE BOTTOM, WE DESIRED TO GO DOUX AS AX I XI TED PRESS. Second night before landing, Edgar Bramwell Piper and I sat discussing our plight and the seeming cer- tainty that our sliip could not live through the a^^•ful storm. To my comment that if first permitted to see my son Cicorge, who was fighting at the front, I l)elieved I \1 be reconciled to go. Piper brought his fist liowu upon the table with a resounding thwack and said: ** O'llara, your son is in the wicked machine-gun service ami has been over the top many times. Mine is an aviator. Even now they are taking a thousand chances to our one. There are a thousand reasons why we should take a chance to one that they should. You and I are going down the western slope of life while they are in — 18 — i the joyful period of their young manhood. I '11 be World War damned if I 'ni going to he a cringing coward. Let 's go At Its to bed! " Climax To bed we went and slept. We were among the few who did, as nearly all believed we would never see the dawn of another day. As we entered the Mersey, a connnittee of our party went to the ship's bridge and presented the captain with a purse of $5'20, a token of appreciation for his faithful vigil and great ability as a navigator. In the five days before Liverpool was reached he had been off the bridge but four hoins and was ke{)t awake with j)ots of strong coffee brought to him at frecjuent intervals. Arriving in Liverpool, our chairman, Frank P. (ilass, himself a pillar of the Presbyterian church in his home tow^n, suggested that next day we search out some quiet chapel in I^ondon and with special prayer give thanks to the Almighty for our deliverance from the grave in the deep. Next day and other days came and went, but thanksgiving services were not held. It was evidently a case of '' when the devil was ill, the devil a saint would be, when the devil was well, the devil a saint was he." But our harrowing trip was not without its great compensations. Through the courtesy of Admiral Sims we sent to President Wilson a code message giving a detailed ixccount of the overcrowding of our boat, sick- ness, deaths, absence of medicines, lack of doctors and nurses, telling him of our misgivings before sailing and all other details. We received no reply, expected none, but at once overcrowding ceased and all convoys were provided every precaution to check the spread of influ- enza or other infectious or contagious diseases. 19 <'iiAi»ri<:R IV Tragedy of the Sea The wreck nf llic Olranio irlicii lininnicd hjj a Si.iirr 'rran.sporl. The Kd.slivilr l/teulenanl FranriK Worlhivulon (.raven (Umvmand- ituj the I'jtujli.ih Deslroyer Moursey I initiorlalized //im.wlf as a Hero Otilji lo itieel a Tr(u/i<-, l*alhelle Fate After World War handed. IO(;iNNIN(i our voyji^v ;,l New York, iii.ilcdicl ions, iriiprcc.il ions ;im<1 iiria- ^IlKMiins were lic.-ipcd Iii^li upon I lie iiiili.ippy licjuls of our iiiviliri^ coim- iiiissioiKMS IxM'.'iiisc of llicir hroUcii lo pill IIS oil l)o;i,r Oronlcs, ji, niiscnibic lilllc cr.'iri, iiislnid of JM-in^ honored vvilli (|u;irl('rs on our Heel's H.-i^siiip Hie Oininlo. DisjippoinI nicnl and dismay lia,d, liowcvcr, IxMMi somcwlial inollilicd by one of our Mdilorial parly wlio vigorously denounced us as arraiil cowards, wholly iinworlhy and iinapprccialivc, since we seemed loo proud lo ^o under circumslances and environmenl riilly as ^ood as I hose oF our sons who had pre- ceded us. Mulinous 111 leraiices ceased in Ihe face ol' so concilialory and convincin, otf northeastern Ireland, from out moimtainous waves, there arose two small objtvts. They resembled old-fashioned wooden cradles, such as those in which older members of our party had no doubt been rocked in babyhood. There was this dit^'erence, however, no human hand was ever powerful enough to agitate cradles as old ocean in an angry mood tossed and shook and rolled our steamships. Coming nearer, the objects proved to be two British destroyers. One of them wig-wagged this query : " We 've betm wirelessed that a boat in about this latitude and longitude is in distress. Are you that boat? " Answering ** No." word was added that the Otranto, fully equipped with wireless, had doubtless sent out the S. O. S. In less time than it takes to tell, our interrog- ators disappeared to the north in foaming seas and we continued our desperate fight to reach Liverpool. For two days we were butfeted like cockle-shells until Liverpool's domes atui steeples ln"ightened our eyes and gladdened our hearts. Keacliing dock, a number of our ships, upon which we had not feasted our eyes for four days, lay at anchor. There were mysterious rumors of a mishap to one member of our convoy otf tlie nortli coast of Ireland, but not until our arrival next day in London did we learn the bitter truth. Admiral Sims exacted of us a promise not to divulge the story of the calamity until his otHce had an opportunity to investi- gate fully and obtain all the facts. And the sacredness of that promise was observed until Admiral Sims released us from our pledges. Beyond the appalling report that an American trans- port had been sunk in a collision and several hundred $ Aniorican tr()o])s wont down with it, nows came out only World War piocomonl. Altliouiiii LdiuIoh iiows])npers were in full At Its p()ssossit)n of tlio fads wliicli thov withliold l)ec'ause a r^mrAY 111 I 1 ' I -> 1' <• ^ LIMAX law. based u[)()n nocossity and known as [\\v Satety ot tilt' Uealni Act,ft)rbade publication, several days elapsed before our lulitorial party was ]>ernn'tted to print details of the horror. For four days a continual lenipest hat! ra^ed. Old sea-ilogs deelared it the worst storm in forly-tive years. Our convoy of fifteen shij)s was blown apart and only the Kashmir and the Otranto had kej)! in sight of each other. 15etween (ilasgow, Scotland, and Belfast, Ireland, the two were running side by side, the Otranto on the Scottish side and tlie Kashmir on the Irish side of the channel. The captain of the Otranto l)elieved all boats of our convoy were destined for Liverpool. The Kashmir was the one exce[)tiou and it turned to go into (dasgow. With the mighty force of the hurricane back of her, she rannned the Otranto amidsliip. When the ships pulled apart it was found impossible for either to turn around to help the other, and they realized they were badly rent and damaged .<^ .^^ The Otranto made for the Irish coast otf I5elfast, while the Kashmir put on all steam and continued toward Glasgow. The Captain of the Otranto attempted to beach her, but insteatl hit one of the rocky precipices that skirt the shores of northern Ireland, and the ship was })ounding herself to pieces when the two English destroyers came to her aid. Lieutenant Francis Worthington Craven, commanding the destroyer Moursey, made a frantic attempt at rescue, but the other destroyer's captain, evidently believing discretion the l)etter part of valor, refrained from standing l)y. Otranto's captain, knowing his ship was doomed, besought Lieutenant Craven not to come — 23 — \Vc>Ki.n AVak over, doclarinu- it meant certain suieide for himsolf ami At lis In^^ t"l•t^^v. /> **A\oll. it must bo suiciilo thou." was liis reply, "for J, we *re eomiug over! " ^ Then t\>lK>wed most awful ami lieartremliuii' seeuos. riuehed between sinking- Otranto ami roeky shore- Lieutenant Craven's ship was torn and wrenched while men tinnu" then\selves from the dtvk of the (^tranto to that oi the ilestroyer. Misealeulating, in their frenzy, many fell into the sea. others were crushed to death between tossing ships, wiiile others in jumping to the Otranto's deck sustained broken legs, arms or ribs or were otherwise injured. Tlu-ee trips were made by the heroic Craven, landing alternately his injured, dying or dead cargi> at Isley near Cdasgow or at a point opposite Belfast. Ireland. Kacli time Otranto's captain protested it was down- right madness, only to receive from Lieutenant Craven, who himself was badly hurt, the same cool, tirm and unvarying reply that so long as his own boat could be kept atloat or the Otranli^ remained above water, he woidd keep coming. Just as he was leaving the Belfast pier for a fourth trip. Lieutenant Craven saw the Otranto make one frightful plunge and sink into the sea. And the mighty breakers rolled on in all their anger over the spot where the ill- starred Otranto IkuI madly tossed and struggled a few moments before. It was providential tliat Lieutenant Craven had pro- ceeiied no further in his fourth errand oi mercy, as in making for Belfast w ith all possible speed he was barely able ti> reach there. Kxperts declared that had he con- tinued on into open ocean waters, his vessel could never have lived, so badly was she damaged. AVhile Lieutenant (^-aven's ship went into liry dock for repair (' 1.1 MAX at Belfast, he enterod a hospital wIkm-c his injuries World War received attention and where, six weeks later, we found ^Vt Its him, with many others whom he had rescued, and learned from his own li[)s this story. ,, Before i^'oing' to Ireland our party had visited Scotland. * There in a shi[)-l)uildini;' plant on the river Clyde, near (ilasgow, we saw the Kaslunir, her prow laid wide oi)en for twenty feet, the rent exlendiuii,' from water line to deck, and we marvelled how she had managed to make her way to (ilasgow in such a seriously crippled con- dition throui^h foamini;' seas. It was finally announced oHicially that four hundred and thirty-one were missiui;' and live hundred ninety rescued, of whom one hundred later died, as the awful toll taken by the disaster. It was related to us as a fact that hatl the Otranto been able to reach a point a thou- sand feet further, either up or down the coast, she would have landed upon sandy beach and attained safety instead of death ui)on the rocks. Hefore leaving- home it had been my hope that I should be able to visit and drop a tear, a flower and a ])rayer upon the grave of Lieut. l*hili]) K. Lighlhall, brave and beloved son of Syracuse, who lost his life when the Tus- cania went ilown off the Island of I slay. The body was washed ashore and buried with many oilier victims in a little cemetery in this rugged promontory. Since going under government management, however, railroad schedules had been greatly disturbed, and a tri[) from (dasgow to Islay and return was now a matter of four days. As 1 could not leave my party for more than a. day, 1 regretfully abandoned the idea. It was my great good fortune, however, to meet at the Lord Provost's dinner in (dasgow, a Rev. jVIr. (^lark, in charge of one of the churches on the island. lie was there at the time of the wreck of the Tuscania and said — 25 — I NVoKLD War he knew all about the burials and described to me the At Its location of Lieutenant Lighthall's grave. The minister said Clim\x ^^^ ^^*^^ engaged in a scheme to erect an appropriate monument to the Tuscania victims which would also include those of the Otranto. Similar to the great sorrow attending the sinking of the Otranto was the pathos which the hero of it encountered in the last days of his life. One year after Armistice an international news writer, in London for one of the big American syndicates, was requested by a member of our Editorial group to look up Lieutenant C^raven. Word came back that in (ireat Britain's disarmament ])lan he had been discharged from service and, with wife and children to support, found himself in straightened circumstances. Six of our party most readily reached were appealed to and a sizable purse was raised and sent. A letter of gratitude came back. One member of our party, having learned what had been ilone, insisted on making a contribution. It, as a second installment, was sent to Lieutenant Craven, or rather, to our representative in London. Before this second contribution reached him the Asso- ciated Press bore news that two days after Lieutenant Craven had joined the Black and Tans as a district inspector, lie was shot to death at Ballinalee, L-eland, in a Sinn Fein uprising. Unable to tind other employ- ment to feed his family, he had volunteered into the British constabulary. Crowning a rocky promotory that juts out into the sea at a point near Glasgow is the rude, picturesque little settlement of Islay. Here, as already described, were buried bodies of our American boys as they drifted ashore after a (icrman submarine had torpedoed the Tuscania soon following America's entrance into the World War. — ^21? — It \s'as a strange coincidence that the Tnscania, the only World War American trooi)ship submarined during the war, and At Its the Otranto, the only American troopshi[) lost because Clu^ax of a storm, met tlieir fates at almost an identical point ^ in the Irish Channel between Glasgow and Belfast. * At Islay, too, are, or rather were, as nearly all have been brought back to iVmerica, buried many bodies washed ashore from the Otranto. At the dinner in (ilasgow where we met the Rev. Mr. Clark, a resident of Islay who officiated at most of the burials, and an American consul at that place, it was understood by our party that tliese two gentlemen were authorized to erectat Islay a suitably engraved tablet of remenil)rance to the vic- tims of Tnscania and Otranto. It was reported at an annual reunion dinner of our group at the Waldorf- Astoria, New York, in April of this year, that only a tentative order was given and that therefore nothing had come of the matter. Then it was resolved to revive the subject at once, to give honorable mention upon the tablet to Lieutenant Craven and also to ascertain why our federal government had not, in some form or other, taken cognizance of the Lieutenant's valorous deeds in saving the lives of hundreds of American soldiers at the risk of losing his own and the lives of his crew. 27 ( HAPTER V Isolation Complete and Gloomy Pi(blu'hcrs Cut off from World News for Fourteen Dreary Days — Constitute Themselves a Board of Inquiry and Get Valuable Information Bearing Upon their Mission Abroad. OURTEEN long days entirely outside of world affairs was an experience hitherto unknown to a galaxy of news- paper publishers, wireless messages being only for our flagship — the Otranto Si>» &^ Occasionally a flag at half-mast on anollRM- ship of our convoy denoted a death aboard and was practically all the news we had of the flotilla of which we were a part. Liquor was not sold to soldiers, although there was a bar aboard, and civilians and some officers were permitted to buy. Each member of our party was provided by our P^nglish hosts with a quart of old brandy for prevention of sea sickness, but on the second day out we gave the entire allowance to the ship's surgeons to be used as medicine among our American troops suffering from influenza and pneumonia. The publishers as a distraction and to gain desired knowledge decided to turn themselves into a Board of Inquiry before which they would summon witnesses among the civilians on board who might enlighten them upon things pertinent to their trip. A Mr. Crooks of Liverpool thought L-eland incapable of self government. AYith a nuijority in the house, should — 29 — f World AVar they get home rule they would immediately erect a bar- At Its rier against England by a prohibitory tariti'. Lloyd George pTTAri^' ^^''^^' 1^^ said, bv all odds the strongest man in Britain, V^LIMAX . . , 1 • ■ • , . 11'' Asquith weak, pronnsmg many thmgs and donig nothing. ]Mr. Crooks had been to America purchasing for England material, mostly woods for airplanes. Next was a W. Davidson who, with his wife, seemed overjoyed at being homeward bound, notwithstanding the gloomy conditions on shipboard. ^Ir. and Mrs. Davidson were returning from Russia after a twenty years' residence, where the former had represented one of the biggest Bible publishing houses in the world, had accunndated a fortune and built one of the finest resi- dences in Western Russia. Then came war. Finally Russia collapsed, followed by Soviet misgovernment,of which little was then known outside of Russia, but of which the world has since acquired ample and Intter knowledge. Bolshevism sprang up, and ]Mr. Davidson resolved to Hy the country, (ilad to escape with their lives, Mr. and ^Nlrs. Davidson, after allowing their real estate to be confiscated, fied for Madivostock whence they were to ship to San Francisco, from which point they were to proceed home. Jewelry and negotiable securities were taken along, but money, bonds and other securities were left behind in banks. With their journey began terrible persecutions. At nearly every sizable trans-Siberian railway station they were seized, upon some pretext or other, and money was extorted. In many instances they had been cast into loathsome jails until they paid the demanded ransom. News of their coming preceded them and confederates intercepted them at the next station. Up to the time of leaving \ew York the couple had been eight months away from their Russian home. They had succeeded in secreting barely enough money to pay their way back to England. — ^0 — I Mr. and Mrs. Davidson said they believed eventually World War their beautiful home and real estate would be restored At Its to them, but declared they would n't return again Climax " for all Russia." On the first evening out of New York I met L. Bai-ring- ton Simeon, Lieutenant of the First Highland Light Infantry. The day before sailing I had chanced to meet him at the vise office in New York. Lieutenant Simeon was 30, of giant stature, nmch traveled and an intensely interesting chap. It was his twenty-sixth crossing. Three times he had rounded the world, had served (ireat Britain in India, organized the Mounted Police of Northwestern Canada, had been in the Friendly, Fiji and Samoan Islands in the South Seas in the interests of his govern- ment, had fought in Mesopotamia under (ieneral Allenby, where nine months before he w as shot through the lung by a Turkish sniper, and was sent to the Isle of Wight to recuperate. Then he was sent to America on a secret mission for the British government. It seemed to be his boast, however, that he was a born fighter and not a diplomat. He was eager to get back into the fray at the head of his regiment, but feared his government would not permit him to return. Turks, the Lieutenant told us, were the cleanest fighters in the world except when in combat with Americans, when they became demons incarnate because of religious fanaticism. Then nothing short of complete extermina- tion seemed to satisfy them, so diabolical were their methods 5«» 5o» An English mei-chant who asked us to be allowed to remain anonymous, returning from America where he had gone on a government errand, gave our Hoard the English side of the Irish question. England, he believed, would not consent to Irish separation and, without prejudice, it was his opinion it would be the worst thing — 31 — I World War that could happen to Ireland. In his judgment, Ireland At Its ^^'^'^'^ incapable of self-government. Clim\x ^^^ '^^^^ away the most intellectual man to come before our Board was F. ^Nlaginn of Warrington, England, who followed the Englishman and combated all his argu- ments. He was a mamifacturer of some sort and had been in America to buy American machinery. In order to obtain permission to come to America at that time. England exacted of all more than a business reason for leaving home, and accordingly he was appointed by England, on account of his literary ability, to look into school text books in use in American schools, colleges and universities. This gave color to the report which ]Mr. Patterson of Chicago had brought up in his speech at Sherry's the night before we sailed — that England complained of our text books as containing things deroga- tory toiler. Mr. Maginn,in his otHcial capacity, had visit- ed Washington, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Chicago. But of this he would speak no further. Mr. Maginn had lived in England eighteen years and found Englishmen the best people on earth among whom to live. As an Irishman he owed allegiance to Ireland. He went over the high spots in Irish history for a hun- dred years; every act of home rule or land legislation was on the tip of his tongue. Ireland's cause was his cause, her people were his people and her welfare was his welfare and he nuist be with her forever, right or wrong. His business partner and all his relatives were in war before the draft and he coidd not find it in his heart to censure Ireland because she resisted conscrip- tion. Then he broke down and cried bitterly, declaring it was the regret of his life that Ireland could not see her way clear to be in the war just as she was before conscription. — 32 — PART II England A Day with King Cieorge, Queen Mary, Dowager Queen Alex- andra AND Princesses Mary and Louise Viscount Northcliffe a (Jracious and Generous Host Balfour and the English Speak- ing Union Visits to the Tower of London, St. Dunstan and The Times Plant ^' . "i^*! CHAPl ER VI In Dear Ole Lunnon Cu'tting Viiih-r Wai/ in the First Tiiruti/-Four Iloiir.s- — Had Thci/ Waited I'litil Fidhf Prepared Allies Might Hare Won the War With Tanks — On the Contrary Germany Could Have Done the Same Thing, if They had had Enough Poison Gas on Hand When They First Began Hs Use. \T Ln'KKPOOL wo were met at pier by an able ami courteous conunittee, a deleoatiou of the British ^liuistry of luforniatiou, escorted to tlie Ailelphi, said to l>e (ireat Britain's l)esi hotel, if not the best in all Europe, where a real supper, a Turkish bath, luxurious rooms and a comfortable bed, in a measure at least, dis- pelled the horrors of our tempestuous journey and a wretched two weeks aboard the Orontes. The next day our hosts tot>k us aboard a special car bound for London. We did not realize then, but soon found out that om* privations and hardships, so far as courtesy, intelligent care and gracious and distinguished attention could amend, ended when we stepped otf deck at Liverpool. Arriving in London early in the afternoon, we found at the Savoy Hotel the Ministry of Liformation awaiting us with an excellent luncheon, after which we were assigned to the best suites in the hostelry, given the use of an innnense assembly room with anterooms and lob- bies and two secretaries and a number of typists to take dictation, write letters or telegrams or do any errands — 35 — AVorldAYar which we shoiiUi entrust to them. These were to be our At Its headquarters whenever in London during our stay in CLm\x Europe .<^.^ to Then, we were informed by our hosts, we shouhi be left * quite akme until next day to unpack, hxik after our hiundry or rest or in any other way exercise our own sweet will to our hearts' content. When we arose next morning we were told that Ms- count Xorthclitfe would call promptly at ten o'clock, and every one was conunanded to be punctual at head- quarters. On the stroke of the hour. Lord Xorthclitfe walked into our othces. His dash and strenuousness reminded me of former President Roosevelt in his earlier years. After a most cordial welcome he bade us lunch with him next day in The Times home in Printing House Square, warned us to zealously guard our health. as Spanish influenza had come to London, said he had directed a young woman, superintendent of his stenog- raphers and typists, to detail us all the secretaries we wished, to do our work. We were, if we preferred, to go to The Times othce or call upon it for anything needed. After a half hour's chat upon war topics, in which he imparted confidentially a vast amount of war news that could not then be printed, he withdrew. At eleven A. M. we were taken in automobiles to Cricklewood, where we were shown an innnense field of bombing tanks. We were given a ride over the nuiddy field in them, the different makes with their several points of advantages explained, all of which imparted a thrill and was extremely interesting. It was an open secret that a tactical blunder had been made by Allied forces in prenuiturely introducing tanks into the war. With the usual reserve and caution of the English, only a few were made when they were sent into action. Cierman ingenuity quickly saw their great pos- — 30 — ? sibilities and ]iower and at once adopted them and was World War capable of making' I hem as rapidly, if not more rapidly. At Its than the Allies. Had Allies wailed until a sufHcient ^lj^ax number were made before putlin,<>' them in use, our host declared, war would have been won, as these wonderful inventions, he believed, would have gone through wicked barbed wire entanglements and the boasted impenetrable Ilindenburg line like a knife through cheese. W^e reminded our informant that had (icrmany been less hasty and better prepjired when she sprung the danni- able poison gas she could have ended the war. But she could not get enough of it before Allies resorted to it, besides quickly discovering the gas mask and putting it in use. A captain in charge of the field sought me out and said he was George Grossmith, that he had often been in Syracuse, and for several years had traveled with our own Edna May. He turned out to be the well-known English actor, son of the great actor of that name, who had given uj) his profession to do his bit in winning the war &^ *•► — 37 — CHAPTER VII Meeting England's Great Luminaries Viscount Northcliffe's Memorable Luncheon Punctuated with Brilliant Speeches — Magazine Men and Newspaper Publishers Called Together by Lord Northclijfe to Get Acquainted with Some of the Great Minds Active in World War Affairs. flSCOUNT NORTHCLIFFE stood in an anteroom of the big banquet hall of the historic Times building and shook hands with each guest, calling many by name, although he had seen us but once before. Then we were direct- ed to the cloak room and next to the dining hall. At the entrance to the latter was an easel upon which stood an immense diagram of the tables. My heart leaped into my mouth as I read that I was placed next Rudyard Kipling. From its hour of serving it was called a luncheon, but it proved to be a feast worthy of Luculhis. We met here the first or magazine party who had just returned from France and the fight- ing fronts and were to return to America in a few days, the Viscount having planned thus pleasantly to bring us together. When we were seated around the festive board, a panoplied butler, a sort of major donio, stood behind our titled host, who sat in a throne-like chair at the head of the table. Each event was announced with profound formality as follows: " My Lords and Gentlemen: I beg you give ear and listen to Viscount Northcliffe." And again: — 39 — i ^VorldAVar " My Lords and Gentlemen : Viscount Northcliffe prays At Its you charge your glass and drink to the health of the CLm\x ^"^g *^^^<^ *^i^ President/' Glasses were charged as coninianded with best vintages of pre- Volstead days and every one arose and, holding his glass high, chorused: ** The King and the President." On taking my seat I found I was not to sit next Rudyard Kipling. I was familiar with his picture and knew the man next me was not he, but, as I quickly learned, the Editor of The Mail, Viscount Xorthcliffe's great evening newspaper ^^ £^ Lord Xorthclitfe explained he would have wished more of the English newspaper and magazine men to be present, but lack of time forbade. Lloyd George, Prime Minister, had a war engagement which prevented his attendance; Balfour telegraphed he was to entertain the Editors next day; Kipling that he had missed his train in France and was unable to nuike connections; Lord Tennyson that he was ill at his home in the Isle of Wight, but his latch string there was out to the Editors where he 'd gladly receive them if only they \1 come. § Then Lord Xorthclitl'e proposed a toast to the Ameri- can Editors and said: " I can assure you it is most gratifying to us in Printing House-square that so goodly a company should come together. Our American friends are divided today in this room into two companies. The first company are those who arrived in England some time ago and have had the thrilling experience of seeing the Great War at first hand, and who are now on their way back to the United States. The second division are those who have just arrived in England after a terrible experience in the Atlantic and who are leaving us for France in a very few hours. — 40 — " Most of our American friends of the first party, I World War understand, have hstened to over a hundred speeches. At Its They have eaten more than a liundred luncheons and Clj^^^x dinners. They would agree with me, I am sin-e, that ^ ordinary war oratory is a little tiresome. Yet I can not ' let this company part without telling you as one who had the pleasure of being in the United States during its great awakening that our guests today constitute a very powerful and very formidable body of public opinion in the Great Republic. Their circulations — if I may mention a delicate topic in newspaper circles — on what they call a conservative basis, amount to fifteen l)illion of copies. They come from a country which has two excellent laws: The name of every shareholder in a newspaper has to be made public, and the cir- culation manager has to reveal the secrets of his sanctum 5o» si^ " Our friends, having witnessed the sufferings of France and of Belgium, are going back to tell their country that the intervention of the United States is, to use one of their own phrases, worth while. When I was in America last year I wondered at the strange phenomenon of the rising young men of that nation, many of them resident hundreds, thousands of miles from the sea, drawn by some mysterious instinct to leave their prosperous lives to come on this mission across the Atlantic. Their cru- sade is one of the great miracles of the world. We who are here, especially those who have been to the front, are so apt to dw^ell upon the dreadful aspects of war that it may be wise to think of some of the things that are not so dreadful. We can reflect with admiration on the ease with which a nation has been transported across the Atlantic. We can dwell upon the popularizing of the means of communication, such as wireless telegraphy, and the extension of flight. We can comfort ourselves — 41 — ^VoKl.D^VAV^ that these developinouts make for a better understand- Ar Its ii^r^ between the peoples of the future. CiiM\x "-^^^ these aeeomphshuieuts point to a worUl in whieh a V League of Nations would be a nineh more easy thiui: to • manage than it might have btXMi before these means of oomnuniieatiou were perftx^ted, and it is a faet that war has perfet^ted them more rapidly than many, many years of peaee. ^Ve have to look — we who are engaged in the business of spreading publie intelligenee at the etfei^t on our own industry of some of these develop- ments. Take tlight. for example. Will tiight eoueentrate newspaper produetion into one or two hands in great cM^nters whenoe the newspapers ma\- be disseminated by ilying maehines? Personally. I do not think it will. 1 know that there are provineial eonnnunities appre- hensive of the destruetiou of their own loeal publie opinion — one of the most valuable inspirations towards national judgment. They are afraid that a metropolis may dominate publie opinion by newspapers spreading from that metn^polis. That has not btx^n the etl'tvt in tliis eountry of newspapers whieh. like one of my own. are dispersed from one center. These newspapers have had no etlW^t whatever on the standing of newspapers voicing Ux'al public opinion and Uval public thought. The maintenautx' of local public opinion is essential. AYe know, as a matter of fact, though not so well as we ought, that the voice of New York, which is the \oice we hear most often in England, is not at all the vimcc of the whole of the I'nited States, any more than the voicx' of London is the voice of the North of F.ngland or of Scotland. We know that those in the Vuited States who are scanning the public opinion' of America as to war looked with eagerness to the ^liddle West and the Far West and the South. They looked beyond New England nnd the seaboard States, ami they measured — 4^> — very ('.-ireful ly JiH lliosc ()|)ini<)iis lo sec lluil llic vvliolc VV()in>i)\VAi< couiilry was iiii.iiiiinous. P]v(MihmlIy public opiuioii \'i \'y^ \)cvi\u\v unaninKHis, iiol hccausc I lie Unilcd Slalcs lias /', ,.,.,. ... . , , . \ L I M A \ aiiylluui; lo ^('l oul ol lliis war it has iioMhii^' vvlial- -, ever lo ^cl oul of il hul because of an overvvliclniiiii; * iiisliucl lo rise lo I he cause of juslice. '* 'rhesei^allieriiii;s of I^iii.i;lishuieii and American men are I he oulcouie of a, new (leparliiieul in our ( lOveriMuenl, a, (leparliueul Ihal nnisl and I hoju' will be a periuaueul, deparliueul, Ihe Deparluieul of luforuialion. Owiuj^' lo ill-heallh, liord JieavtM-brook, lo whose vision Ihe briu<;- iii^' logelher of Ihe editors of Ihe Uuiled Slales and Ihe i'dilors of (ireal I5rilaiii is due, is unable lo be here today. I consider Ihal Ihe elVorls he is making' lo brinj^' us lo,i;'elher are well worthy of Ihe cause in which we are e!i«;aj;ed. 'I'his j^ellin^" lo^elher of Ku^lishnien and AnuM'ican uumi may sound a, very obvious su^'^'cstiou, bul no one has <^iven elVecl lo il before. IL is due to Lord B(>averbrook aui^ .^©» Mr. V. V. (dass, Hirmin^hani, Alabama, News, chair- mau of Ihe secoud j^roup of American editors, replied to the toast, lie said:- - '' It is an unusual honor and privilege lo be |)r(\seul on this occasion, and I esteem it very, very deeply. I wish to thank Lord Norllicliffe and the other distinguished Hrilishers who uvv here, and your Cabinet, your (lova'rn- uhmU, and Lord iJeavcrbrook, who has so wry wisely, I Ihiidv, initiaUMJ this imporlaid movcuKMit in brinj^in^' represenlative news|)aper men and mai'azinc men from the Lnited Stales to this country. I believe it is ^'oin*;' to accom|)lish a <;real deal of ^ood. S|)eakin«;' for one i^no- ranuis like myself, who has never had the privile<^'e of — 43 — WoKi.nWvK visiting this uroat Mother C^oiiutry bofoiv. 1 am sure 1 At Irs 'I'l^ uoinu' to ho instnictod aiul guidod aiui tioopoiiod Ci iM vx '^^^^^ bonotiteii more tlian by aiiythiiiii' that has liappoiiod -. ill my oxporionoo in a uiimbor of years past. I am sure ' that every one of our party will go baek far better equipped, far more useful, and. I hope, far more iutlu- entiai ^in spite i^f our limited eireulatiiM^ than we have ever been bet\>re. " ^Ve are deliuhted with the liospitalitN >hown to us on all sides. '• We have been greeted e\en l>y the heavens with eharm. \Ve luul a beautiful sunny day eoming from Liverpool to London, atul the dismal fog we have heard about was noi here. The sunshine in the heart and mind of every Englishman with whom we lun e lome in eou- taet has only reiterated and eontirmed i>ur reception on the first day from the elements. We in America are tremeuilonsly interested in this attaek in Franee. We are delighted to be here today following the magnitieent victory oi the Uritish armies in Franee. and we hope before many weeks have passed by there may be equivalent vii'tories on the part oi the Freneh. and per- haps something more of the kind from Cieneral IVrshing, our great leader there, with his increasing force. *' You spoke, my lord, of the great ditUculties we had in coming over on ship. We had very great discomfort from the weather and sickness, and various conilitii>ns not luvessary to mention. \'ery little news came to our ship. The wireless was not working all the time. i>r \\e were noi trusted with nuich of its wingeil news. There was a rumor atloat that Hulgaria had sued for peace, and that the war might end right away. bet\>re we could stx* it. Among the eighteen hundred troops on board the constant expression of otlicers and men was this: * Sup- pose befiMV we get there it is all o\er.' These men. in — 44 - spilt' ol' llic (l;in«;('rs lo wliicli llicy were exposed, wniilcd WorldWah lo gel lo h'nmcc lo InUc |);irl in I lie nslilul ions are bottomed on the common law of Mn^land. Our own Declaration is onl\' a ren(«wal of the Maj^na Cliarla of your country, and we are determined, as far as we may beabl(\ to insisi in estal)lishin<^' I hese ])rinciples through- out thewoild. ^Ve h()|)e out of this war will cornea day of sunshine for all Ihe world, in which there will be real inleiiialional law, some sort of international court, and maybe some sort of international police lo enforce the ruling' of that court. Kn^lish justice, American justice, Kn^lish and French and American ideals, musi ])revail in Ihe world, and, (iod willing, they shall." Dr. Edwai'd J. Wheeler, Everybody's ]\higazine, a, mem- ber of the first group of editors, also replied to the loasl. ^ He e\|)ressed diflidence in sp(«aking for Ihe American editors and for his country before a grou|) of critical American newsj)ai)er men. " Down in Charleslown, West Virginia, years ago,'' he said, " there was an old darkey who had a chance to buy a tombstone at a bargjiin. lie took the chance, and — 45 — AA'orldAVak wanted some sort of fitting epitaph put on the stone At Its aiiainst tlie day of his death. He went to a hnvyer friend Clim\x ^^^ ^^^"^^ '^'^^^ asked him to write the epitapli. The hnvyer, ' ^ after thinking- for a few minutes, wrote it in the fohow- * ing words, and I an\ toUi tliey are on the toml)stone today in Charlestown:. * I did n't eome here for to do no harm.' ** 1 think that apphes to us Ameriean editors. We ' did n't come liere to do no harm.' I think the facts will bear us out that we have not done any harm. Our journey, that of the tirst group, has l>een a triumphal procession from the beginning. Almost as soon as we left New York we began to receive wireless news that the Central Powers were trembling and retreating. By the time we reached Great Britain we found that the Allies were pushing their line forward on all the nine fronts throughout the world. By the time we reached Paris we found that one of the Central Powers had already sued for peace. By the time we got back to England we found that all the (^entral Powers were asking for an armistice and for terms of peace. AVe think a very good case could be made out to show that the group of American editors who Ih-st came over here have been winning the war. By the time the second group have left they will be convinced that they have been winning the war. I do not think we are going to have a chance of sending over more than three or four groups. No more will be necessary. *' In the last month we have had more mental impres- sions than we can assimilate in another year, and we have been placed under more social obligations than we can ever hope to repay. The impressions we take away are mixed, and yet some of them are coming ou\ more and more clearly and distinctly. 1 think one of them that we take away from England — 46 — is that the old hulldof^ that stands for the symbol of World War English deterniination and pluck is a most excellent At Its symbol. We have seen the grit of your people mani- Climax tested, not only in their words and deeds, but in the ^ cheerful smiles of your women. The Bulldog is all right, ' but the worst national symbol I know of today is the (iallic cock of France. France is doing no strutting and no crowing. The (iallic cock will not do for France today. ^ " These are some of the impressions that we carry away. The mass of the impressions we can not assimi- late, nuich less describe. You said, my lord, that America had nothing to gain from this war. I think that is abso- lutely true as you meant it, and yet, in another sense, America has just as nuich to gain as England or France or any other country in the wide world. We are not at war for England, or Belgium, or France, or Italy. We are at war just as much for America, for the United States, as you are at war for yourselves and France is at war for France. Although our country has not been invaded, and although there is no fear of invasion during the war, yet we know we are fighting just as much for ourselves, for the defence of our institutions, the defence of our liberties and our civilization, as any other country. It is just as much America's fight as it is yours." Others present at tliis function beside newspaper and magazine men were: Mr. Irwin Laughlin, American ('liarge d' Affaires, the Earl of Reading, (i. C 15., Lord Burnham, Lord Roth- ermere, Vice-Admiral W. S. Sims, G. C. M. G., Mr. E. C. Schoecraft, Sir A. Conan Doyle, Mr. H. G. Ciuy Gaunt, Lieutenant-(]olonel Sir Campbell Stuart, K.ILE., Major Evelyn Wrench, C. M. G., Colonel the Hon. A. G. Murray, M. P., Mr. H. J. Learoyd, Mr. Valentine — 47 — "NVc>ki,d\Vak At Its Climax f Wallace. Mv. Vs. Siithorland, ami :\Ir. G. A. Sulton. Mr. AV. A. AiK'klaiul, Mr. C. 1. Hoattio. :\Ir. J. P. Hlniul, Mr. G. :\l. HriinuvolL Mr. 11. Corbott, :Mr. M. lliiin- phrev Daw, Mr. CuHitVrov Oawsou, Mr. Llovd Kvans, Mr. T. K. 'Mackoiizio, :SlV. 11. G. Price. O. H. K., Mr. \V. Lints Smith, and Mr. H. W. Stood. Lonl Xorthrliffe — 48 (HAITI :ii Vlli The English-Speaking Union Hal four's Epochal Speech which ('anstically Arraigned Germany and Contained a Few Important Prophecies — Acknowledged the Great Part America Was Taking in Winning the War and said She Alone Had the Poiver and the Ability to T'leip Ger- man ji in a Material Way. MONCf iiottihle dinners early after our arrival in London, ovornniont is to he diivctocl /^,ttv*ay and annnatod, and it wo are to .inagt^ — and snrely we ^ may jnduv withonl nnfairness of a man's lieart l)y what " lie does, I wonid ask yon whetlier lliose who ha\e made mankind pale witli horror over their early barbarities and brutal exeesses in lU^lgium show the least si^n that four years of war have in any material respeet improved their disposition. Brutes they were when they began the war, and, as far as we ean judge, brutes they remain at the present moment. 1 speak, i)erhaps with a warmth of indignation nnl>etitting a Foreign Seeretary, but w^ith the news of this outrage in the Irisli Channel, of whieh I have just been getting, I won't say the details, l)ut the rough outline from my gallant friend on my left. Admiral Sims- I eonfess that 1 find it ditlieult to meas- ure my epithets, for, if I rightly understand the story, this Irish [)aeket-boat — eranuned as it always is, with men, women and children — in l)road daylight was tlelil)erately torpedoed by a (lerman submarine. It was earrying no military stores. It was serving no military eutls. It was pure l)arl)arism, pure frightfulness, delib- erately carried out, and one would have thought that tluxse who, after all, l)rought in America to their own undoing l)y crimes of this sort, would have shrunk a little from repeating them at a moment when their fate is to be decided by America perhaps even more than by any other of the co-l)elligerents. I can not measure the w icked folly of the proceeding of which they have been ^ guilty. And yet let us not forget that tliat is only one, and not the most destructive, the most cowardly, or the most brutal thing which at this moment, when they are asking for peace, they are perpetrating upon helpless civilians or still more helpless prisoners of war. I wish — 51 — ^YoRLD^VAR I could tliiuk that these atrocie^us crimes were the crimes At Its ^^^' '^ small domimuit military caste. I agree that the Clim\x tiirectioii of policy, the direction of national policy, may be in the hands of a small caste, but it is incredible that crimes like these, perpetrated in the light of day. known to all mankind, condemned from one end of the civilized world to the other, should go on being repeated month after month for four years of embittered warfare if it did not commend itself to the population which com- mits them. However, gentlemen, it was not of that 1 wanted to speak. I was led otT from the course of my speech, such as it was, by the retlections suggested by this most tragic and deplorable episode, and 1 rather wanted to say to you and to say to our friends and guests that when peace approaches, when peace comes to be considered, and when that period of reconstruction comes, when peace is arranged, all sorts of new ditH- culties are bound to arise which will require the tact and judgment of statesmen to get over, and, if I may say so to our guests, the co-operation, the loyal and ettective co-operation of the great newspapers of the world to see it carried through. The poet, as we all know, has said that peace has its victories as well as war, and let me say that the victories of peace will be at least as hard of accomplishment as the victories of war. They will put as great a strain upon all the higher moral and intellectual qualities of the peoples concerned as even the great struggle in which we have all been engaged. ^ " I know, and I think you all know, but I know, from watching to the best of my ability the utterances of the German newspapers, that what they coimt upon now, and what they have always counted upon, is jealousy and disagreement between their opponents. It is the sort of calculation which I think will fail. But it is the sort of calculation which has a kind of external plaus- — 5i — ihility and unless it be watched may even have an World War olenient of reahty in it. They say to themselves, ' The At Its union of the great English-speaking people is the most Cumax formidable factor we have had to deal with in this war, ^ but that won't last.' There are old causes of difference * between these two branches of civilization. lioth are at the present moment great commercial and industrial nations, but both possess and aim at, rightly aim at, a connnerce spreading over the world. Britain, which used to be sui)reme in the matter of mercantile marine, now sees growing upon the other side of the Atlantic a mercantile marine of unlimited size. ' Here,' say our (lernian friends, ' here are elements which in a short time, when the first intoxication of victory is over, may well produce differences of opinion between our ojjpon- ents from which we shall profit.' I believe myself thjit there never was a shallower miscalculation. We mem- bers of the English-speaking Union do not regard our- selves as the missionaries and apostles of a disowned or difficult cause. We regard ourselves as simply embodying in an organization a real union which already exists, which is growing, and which, to the infinite benefit of the world, is, I think, predestined to grow for genera- tions &9^ S^ " I am one of those who believe that civilization is to be ministered to by permitting nations of different genius, each to develop that genius in its own way, each, there- fore, to contribute its own characteristic element to the general intellectual and moral pleasures of mankind, and I therefore don't wish to see all the world moulded into one form of culture. If I had the power I would not attempt to do what the (iermans attempted to do, which is to spread any particular type of culture over the whole of reluctant humanity. That, I think, is folly; but at the same time, let me add this — while there are, — 53 — World ^YAR and will doubtless always be ditt'erences of outlook At Its between various branches of the English-speaking Clim\x Peoples, whether they belong to the I nited States, to i these small islands, or to the great self-governing ^ dominions of the British Empire, while there will always be differences born of environment, born from historical causes, born of the countless sulitle elements which greatly produce that curious entity, national character; granting all that, I believe that there is such a thing as the English-speaking method of looking at the great affairs of mankind, and that method of outlook is of infinite value to the freedom and progress of the world, and can only be truly accomplished if there be an inner harmony, an inner regard between all the elements of the great I^nglish-speaking connnunities of which every- body in this room is a citizen and a member. That is my conviction, and if there was or could be any doubt that that intinuite union is natural, is right, is fruitful for the good of the world, and if there could have been any doubt that that union of hearts is destined to be per- manent, these doubts would surely be dissipated by the events of the last few months. " After all, there is nothing which binds people closer together than the consciousness of great deeds done in common, great acts of heroism performed side by side, great services to humanity carried out in brotherly co-operation. That consciousness all of us have now in the highest measure; that consciousness will grow. History will embalm it, and it will beixmie part of international tradition. It will make happier, easier and far more glorious that union which we exist to promote — that union which is based upon mutual respect, a common love of freedom, a common language, conunon law, connnon literature and which has in it such infinite potential good for the benefit of mankind. Ladies and — 54 — ¥ ,i>eiitlenieii, 1 beg to ask you to drinlv with us to the World War liealth of tlie re})reseutatives of tlie great Auierieau At Its press. jNIav thev liave every good fortuue atieud tlieui, r^ tmav aud uiay tiiey go t)aelv with kuidly thouglits ot the eouutry which desires uothiug uiore thau lo give [\wu\ geuerous h()S])ilahty/' Mr. F. P. (ilass of Hiruiiughaiu, Ahd)ania, respoudiug to the toast ou behalf of the Auierieaii editors, said America wanted some of the lionor and distinction of having accomphslied sometliing substantial in the world struggle for tlie establishment of justice — English jus- tice, if they pleased — for the bulk of Americans were of English blood, and were proud of their English deriva- tions of law and theories of justice, whether they administered those laws so nicely as the English did or not. Admiral Sims said that it was very important liiat the American peoj)le should be absolutely informed as to what was taking place on this side. They had not been too accurately informed. There had been a number of misapprehensions which had done some damage, but to what extent that was the fault of the press, he was not sure. He had c(uestioiied a good many Americans who lijid come to this country as to what they thought of things over here. For example, he had asked Americans who, as was customary when they crossed the Atlantic, had had to elbow their way through submarines, how many submarines they supposed were operating against the merchant ships and transports making })()rt. lie would like to ask the editors present how many they thought were operating. Wlien he had asked he had never seen an estimate of less than fifty and sometimes it was a hundred. As a matter of fact, the average number was eight or nine, and it sometimes ran up to twelve or thirteen. Of all the submarines that the enemy — 55 — World War had that was the most tliat were kept out. Another idea At Its ^^^^s sometimes in the American mind that the American Climvx ^^'^^^'y ^^'"^^ been doing the bulk of the business over here ^ — at least a half. That was not correct. There were about ' three thousand anti-submarine craft operating day and night, and the American craft numbered one hundred sixty, or three per cent. The same ratio applied in the ^Mediterranean. Again, Americans seemed to regard it as a miracle of their Navy that they had got a million and a half troops here in a few months, and had pro- tected them on the way. " We did n't do that," Admiral Sims said. ** Great Britain did." Our party were handed a pami)hlet giving this explana- tion of what the Union is and aims to be: " The English-Speaking Union is an attempt to draw together in the bond of conn-adeship the English-speak- ing peoples of the world. The movement has been formed by a group of Americans and Britishers — in no spirit of hostility to any people. It is felt that the corner- stone on which the Eeague of Nations must l)e built is a complete understancling and friendly co-operation between the two great sections of the English-speaking peoples. On them will very largely fall the problem of making the world safe for democracy. " In IS'^o Thomas Jett'erson, s})eaking of Great Britain, wrote to President ^Nlunroe : ' With her on our side we need not fear the whole world. With her then we should most sedulously cherish a cordial friendship, and nothing would tend more to knit our affections than to be fight- ing once more, side by side, in the same cause.' Little did Jetferson think when he penned these words that one hundred years later the two great sections of the English-speaking world would be fighting side by side for common ideals. " The aim of the English-speaking Union is, briefly, to make the English-speaking peoples of the world better World War known to each other, whether they be Americans, At Its Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, South Afri- Climax cans, Newfoundlanders, or the inhabitants of the ^ British Isles and their dependencies. • " It does not aim at formal alliances, nor is it concerned with the relationship of governments; it is solely and simply a good fellowship movement among the people who speak the tongue that Shakespeare spake. " The aim of the promoters, American and British, is that no citizen of the English-speaking world should ever feel lonely again after the War, that no American visiting the Old Country should ever want a friend, and that no Britisher should ever want one in the (ireat Republic. A good fellowship movement, glad hand club, whatever you may like to call it, but it has more than a purely social side. " In ninety -five per cent of the things that matter the English-speaking peoples, whether they come from the United States, from the British dominions in the far antipodes, or from the Mother Country, have the same outlook, the same ideals, the same conceptions of right and wrong, the same laws, the same literature. It is only in the remaining five per cent of superficial things that they differ. " The Englishman is more reserved and goes to his club when he wishes to be alone and to escape from his friends. The American, on the other hand is more soci- able and goes to his club to meet his friends! The Englishman drinks tea in the afternoon, the Australian drinks his tea in the morning at eleven and the American drinks iced water! Once we know each other, we get to understand these little surface differences and realize that in all the things that matter we see eye to eye. ^ " If the English-speaking peoples would pull together — .57 — ^YoRLD AA'ar in no mean spirit of exclusion or race pride, but in one At Its ^^^ humbleness, and show by their actions that they r^TTurix- realize the vast responsibility towards the smaller fe nationalities ot the world whicli is theirs, there is no ^ limit to the great part they miiiiit play in abolishing war for all time and in spreading the reign of order and good fellowship throughout the world. ** One hundred years ago when the autocracies of Europe cast longing eyes towards the South American continent and desired to re-establish monarchical insti- tutions, America and Great Britain stood together, and largely owing to that spirit of co-operation, to which Thomas Jeti'erson referred, the struggling young South American Republics were securely launched on their national careers. " Our aim is to establish a branch of the Knglish- Speaking Union wherever Americans and Britishers are to be found and it does not require any very wide tiight of imagination to envisage a chain of great buildings devoted to the common service, encircling the globe; the outward symbol of a great bond of sympathy which believes in the great tasks of reconstruction in which the English-Speaking peoples must always lead the way." ^ In America, William H. Taft of the United States Supreme Uoiirt is and has been from the beginning the President. The American branch has giowii ci>nstantly both in numbers and activitv. 58 ( IIAI'TKR IX A Day at Sandringham Red Letter F/vent for I'lihli.'ilter.i, Newspaper and Magazine — Entire Royal Family Threw Aside Formality and Seemed to Enjoy Themselves. King George, Making Use of Roosevelt's Fatuous Expression Declared He Had Had a liidly Day. i\ Saturday, October l^th, the Aiiieri- caii publishers and editors were informed that Kin^" (ieor<>e and Queen Mary wouhl be le. One of the pieces went to HutValo, one to * San Francisco and one to Portland. Oregon. The King expressed a desire to show the editors through his library, doubtless with the idea that it would be of especial interest to men engaged in a literary calling. And so it was. The library had once been a bowling alley, but King Edward had thought it would be more useful and ornamental as a place of study and retlei^tion, and he made the change. King George lead the way to Sandringham chapel, a wonderfid house of worship, with many cherished deiH^rations and memorials. Then he took the visitors back to his reception room, where he and the royal group bade good-by ti^ all. shaking hands cordially with each. There was every reason to believe the hosts were as pleased with the event as were the guests. King (leorge is a very democratic man, and his entire family treated us as if we, not they, were royalty. The tour was completed by a second visit to the nuiiu house, where tea was served. It was a rather elaborate function, though all the royal party continued to mingle with the visitors in the most democratic fashion. It was a great dav for the edititrs. anvwav. — (54 — ( IIAPTKR X " The Thunderer " Pioneer of the World' ^ Great Xeic^papers — Goi)ig lioch to Shahr- speare's Days — Built on Site of Great Playwright's Theater — History and Development of this Journalistic Institution. I SITING newspaper men observed an aniaziuij; ditt'erence between British and French newspapers and those of America. Ilhistrative of this was on Armistice Day. At home an enterpris- ing newspaper man wonld have noti- fied President Wilson that armistice was signed and ask what he had to say or was going to ilo abont it. In Enghmd, King George or Lloyd (leorge, or some other official (leorge has first to make pnblic annonncement and then newspapers are privileged to speak. It is, however, only a difi'erence of method. English and French newspapers, notwithstanding these shortcomings from an American viewpoint, are a mighty power abroad as well as in America. Our party also was struck with the smallness of English and French publications. Practically no advertising ai)peared. With the exception of the great London Times, in England, Scotland, Ireland and France dailies were four pages. Usually The Times was ten or twelve pages, never more than fourteen, Paris editions of the New York Herald consisted of only two pages ^Mondays, four pages on other days. Shortage of paper had much to do with it. as Germany in peace times had manu- — 65 — "World War factured newsprint in great qnantities and sold it to At Its other European countries. Clim\x ^^^'^<^<^ii '^^^^ Norway likewise were large producers of J newsprint. But war had commandeered the output of * paper mills for many purposes, so that the making of supplies for newspapers was of secondary importance. In Germany, especially, a big percentage of newspapers were discontinued permanently — she using paper to make clothes. The Times is traditionally a London institution known as '* The Thunderer " in the newspaper world. One of the guests to whom an editor of The Times had been introduced and who inquired. *" What Times: New York or London.^ " was loftily reminded there was only one Times c^^ .^^ At one of the notable \'iscount Xorthchtt'e functions the Viscount called attention to the fact that the build- ing in which we sat was the most ancient home of print- ing in all the world, three hundred years, and long before The Times was established. Printing House- square, he admitted, did not compare with the news- paper palaces of America. Each afternoon. Lord Xorth- clitfe explained, there was printed the smallest circulated newspaper in the world. It was The Times's permanent record edition designed for its own files and libraries. It was i)roduced on linen paper, believed to be inde- structible, and with indelible ink. The favors at the dinner at which this knowledge was imparted included a handsome book printed for the occasion. On the front page is a picture of Printing House-square in Seventeen Hundred Xinety-four. in a district known as l>lackfriars. site of a monastery of black-robed Dominicans founded there in the last quarter of the thirteenth century. King Edward II held a Parliament here early in the fourteenth century. In — 66 — ¥ FiftecMi Iliiiidrod Eleven the Emperor Charles V stayed World War here, and in Fifteen Ilnndred Twenty-three King Henry At Its VIII held here a Parliament, known as the Black (Climax Parliament. Fifteen years later, on the dissolution of the monasteries, the monks left their great buildings and the eonventual buildings were sold or leased. Among those who bought })ro})erly here was William Shake- speare. The district included the fashionable Bljickfriars Playhouse, which was owned by Shakespeare's company of players, and was attended by Queen Elizabeth. Here Shakes])eare\s company held the stage for many years, although Shakespeare had then ceased to be an actor, and here were acted the great works of Elizabethan dramatists: Ben Jonson, Marston, Fletcher, Mjissin- ger, probably of Shakespeare himself. In Sixteen Hundred Sixty-six The (ireat Fire of London devastated the region. A year later there was built on this spot the King's Printing House, whence Printing H()use-s(iuare takes its name, and John Bill, the King's Printer, i)rinted the London (lazette, which was then the only paper in England. In Seventeen Hundred Thirty-seven The King's Printing House was burned. In Seventeen Hundred Eighty-four it was taken by the first member of the family that has ever since been identified with the spot, John Walter, founder of The Times .'5^ &^ It is strange that the man who founded The Times was neither a journalist nor a printer. John Walter had been a coal merchant, then an underwriter of shipping. French and American wars caused losses which put him into bankruptcy in or about Seventeen Hundred Eighty- three. Henry Joluison about this time had devised and patented a method of printing by means of logotypes, a font consisting of whole words instead of separate letters 5^ .<)«• — 67 — f Woki.d\Vak John AValter bought the patent rights, iiuprovod the At Its tiovitv and set np as printer in Printing House square. Clim-\x -^* ^^*^^ ^^^' undertix^k only the printing of Ixx^ks. The printing of lux^ks by the ** Logographie '* pnxvss was not a suoeess. King George 111. to whom the invention was exhibited, was not moved to extend to it his patronage, ehietiy. as John AValter supposed, bei^iuse the name of Innijaniin Frankhn. tlien Ameriean Ambassador to Franee. appeaivd in the hst of supporters. Jolm Walter's bid for job-printing was destined to btvome a pioutXM- step in the printer's art. His interest in printing was inherited by his son Jolm Walter 11. who. educated at Meix^hant Taylor's Jv^hool and CHford and destined for Holy Carders, was taken into The Tin\es otlitv in Soventetm Hundivd Ninety-seven or Seventtxni Ilundnxl \inety-t>sed libel of the King's son, the Duke c^f York. In his imprisonment he was tried for other libels, heavy tines were imposed with another year's imprist>nment, the otHee of printer of customs was taken frt>m him autl all government advertisements were withdrawn frt>m The Times and its foreign dis- patches seized. Notwithstamliug every oppression. The Times grew, and in John Walter ll's administra- tion its circulation stood at twenty-nine thousand while none of its competitors reached the five thou- sand mark. In Eighteen Hundred Forty a gigantic scheme of inter- national forgery originated in Paris. The Times spent twenty-tive thousauii dollars or five thousand pounds in dettvting it. London was so gratified it raised the money by subscription and repaid The Times. The event is conunenuMated by a tablet still over the entrance door to The Times office. John Walter refused to accept the money and employed it in founding free scholarships in famous Londt>n schools. In Nineteen Hundred Eight Eord Northclitfe became principal shareholder of The Times ami stamped his name upon the great newspaper which, down to then, had been unbrokenly in the Walter family. With his splendid newspaper equipment and vast wealth. Lord Northclitfe placed The 'Fimes upon a permanent and enduring hnancial iKisis. The most famous writers of Europe and men of action liave served in all the years on The Times. The late Mr. ^loberly Hell, manager of The Times t\>r — Ul) — World War iiiaiiy years, delighted to relate how he had once received At Its '^ letter from the superintendent of a lunatic asylum. Clim\x ^^^^^^ reference to one of the inmates. **As he has for 'to many years been a subscriber to The Times." ran the ^ concluding sentence. " I thought you would know that he was a lunatic." ro — CHAriKR XI St. Dunstan's In.s-fitiiic for the Blind — Founded bi/ Sir Arthur Peartion, Rich Magazine Puhlifther — Good Flown from. It. PupiU- are Taught Tradefi and Inspired to Be Cheerful and Uncomplaining of Their Lot. HURSDAY afternoon, October lOtli, was spent listening to an inspiring and patriotic address by Earl Grey, who had been silent for two years. He had been a pacifist, and as his views were not popular had retired from pul)lic life. '* The League of Nations " was the title of Karl (J rev's talk and he spoke to an innnense and ap[)reciative audience. He strongly ap[)roved of what was being done to win the war and expressed firndy his views upon the League of Nations. That evening a dinner was given for us at Hotel Savoy by the English Authors' Club with headcpiarters in London. Many of the world's great writers attended, among them. Sir Anthony Hope and E. Phillips Oppen- heim, judges and other leading otKcers of the British Government. There were no formal speeches but each person was asked to speak, sing or tell a story. It was a thoroughly enjoyable affair. Next (lay, Eriday, was fixed for a dinner given us by Rt. Honorable Arthur J. Balfour, president of the English-Speaking Union, account of which is given in a preceding chapter On Eridav afternoon. after -71 - our English-Speaking World War Union dinner, most of our party visited Saint Dunstan's At Its hospital for blind soldiers. The head of the institution Clim\x ^^^^ ^ ^ne, manly fellow, perhaps thirty years old, to totally blind. Many of the men were of splendid • physique. Cheerfulness was the first thing impressed upon their minds. They were not permitted to consider themselves deficient or unfortunate in any degree. They moved about with the aid of canes. Strips of linoleum ran through the rooms with carpets on either side. While they remained on the linoleum they did not bump into anything, but when they got onto the carpet they knew they were " oft' the road." Sir Arthur Pearson, founder of Pearson's ]Magazine, one of the great magazines of the world, himself blind from overwork, estabhshed Saint Dunstan's and conducted it at his own expense until the British Government decided it should take care of its own people who had lost their sight in war. Captain Fraser in charge of one of the leading departments of Saint Dunstan's lost the precious faculty of sight in gallant action in the great Battle of the Somme. It is simply marvelous what is taught to persons at Saint Dunstan's. Chickens, ducks and rabbits are bred and reared by the blind. Fish lines and netting are made in looms operated as dextrously as though the operators enjoyed vision. Swimming, tandem bicycling, crew rowing, (in the last named regattas are rowed) telephone and telegraph operating, typewriting, stenography, basket making and shoemaking are fields of activity. There is a department where massage is taught as a science &^ &^ Hundreds of graduates have gone out and established themselves and have become self-supporting. Their spirit and love for their alma mater is as great and genuine as that of the college graduate. — 72 — It is a splendid institution and a monument to its World War illustrious founder. At Its That evening the editors were the special guests of Climax Major Evelyn Wrench at the Cheshire Cheese, a quaint ^ old ale house where Boswell, Johnson and other literary ' lights held forth and many a brilliant battle of wits was fought over wine cup and ale mug. Little is changed. Memories of the past are in the air of the place and our entertainment there was genuine as well as unique. 7,'i PART III Scotland Seeing the Great Fleet and Com- paring IT with Roosevelt's Around the World Armada Unhappy Mary Queen of Scots Carlisle's Attempt to Control Consumption of Liquor CHAPTER XII E^^ 8 1^^^ ^S In Scotland's Capital Hi}^toric Npo/.v ivere Shown and Many Interesting Things ivere Told — Entertained in Good Old Scotch Fashion. FTER our most charming and perfect (lay at Sandringham, nightfall found us on the way to London, which we left late that evening for Edinburgh, Scotland 5<^ &^ To and from Scotland and to and from Sandringham we were struck by the api)arent fertility of English farms. Sheep, hog and cattle-raising go side by side with gardening. The wonder was how England can afford to use its rich lands for cattle, hog and sheep-growing when in New York State, with its hundreds of thousands of acres adapted espec- ially to sheep culture and worthless for anything else, sheep-raising has become a lost industry. Farm life in England seems ideal. All properties show thrift and intelligence of a high order both in cultivation and management. A prominent English farmer, who rode with us to Edinburgh, said that since war began nmch valuable land had been given over to stock raising, because of the scarcity of lielp it was impossible to work land for regular farm purposes. At Sandringham early in war, three hundred and seventy -five caretakers asked King George's permission to go into the fight. To this royalty assented and super- intendent of landscaping became captain of a company &^ &^ — 77 — WorldWak Almost in the bei^inuing of service at the front, their At Its entire company was either killed or so badly n\aimed Clim\x ^^'^^^^^"' '^^'^-^ '^^^^^ ^'-^ retnrn to work. With war still on only "J a dozen men were abont Sandringham at the time of our * visit there. Arriving in Kdinbnrgh at seven A. M., we were com- fortably quarteivd at the Great Xorthwestern Railway hotel, breakfasted and began immediately to stv the town, its wonderful citadel on a roeky pron\ontory. with its bloody history, going back to the Tenth Century where kingj; and qnetMis or aspirants to the throne were beheaded, where belligerent classes fought, where in a miserable little chan\ber "Mary Qutvn of Scots gave birth to James of S<.\>tland and afterward of England. passed the monument to Sir Walter Scott, the home of John Knox, and were driven to Holyrood Palace, where ^lary Qutvn of Scots ivigned. Our automobiles were next whisked away into the coun- try tive miles to the birthplace and early home of Robert Louis Stevenson. A cousin of Robert Louis, tall, blonde, rosy cheeked, handsome, young, vivacious, drove one of our cai*s. She was acting as chautfeur in an etfort to do her bit. not. however, btvause of the mone- tary stipend, as her family is wealthy. Sir J. Lome ^lacLeod. the Lord rrmi^st. as mayors in Scotland are called, gave a dinner at night in the C\nuicil Chambers to which were bidden prominent otlicials. manufacturers, business men and men oi letters in Edinburgh and vicinity. The Lord Lrovcx^^t made a virile and impressive talk. Our chairman replied. The warmth and cordiality of our reception was a noticeable feature. As we were leaving the building the X.ovd Provost took my arm and. accompanying me to an elevator, remarked that he was an L-ishman. adding: " Poor. unhap]>y Ireland 1 (^ne of the regrets of my life i is tlia[ slio is n'l in this «i;ivnl war. I 'in sorry, so sorry. WokldWar SIic lias orrod i>riovoiisly ! " \r Its In proposing- the hoallli oi" the American gnosis, Provosl ('i^i^^x MacLood said thai, williin llu^ inonlli, ovciils had niarclu'd willi a rapid sirido. *' Tlio rcsnil ol' lliis world issnt' is now a nialtor of (vrlainly suhjcci, however, lo many (jnahficalions, carernl walclifnhuvss and con- tinued resohilion and pnri)ose. Tins \isi( would he a niosl valuahle means ol' eonsolidatiui;' I he lies helween the Iwo eonnlries. Tlie nnily and eomplele undersland- ing and eo-operalion of I he Kni;lish-sj)eakini;- peoi)les was necessary lor I he safely of I lie world. To ensure I he rei«;n of justice and fair dealini;- in all the relations of mankind, alike in the connnunity of nations as in the individual life, is our conunon [)ur])ose, and the highest purpose and trust and duly and obligation inn)osed ui)on the Knglish-speaking race. After four years of war, w(^ ho})e that lofly aims of our ])eople remain unabated. A clean peace and lasting sell lenient sought, nothing less will be accepted. We await the outcome with perfecl conlidence. Our visitors will lind here a triMnendous admiration for Ihe American people simple and unaf- fecled in its character for the allainments and produc- tion in every branch of industry, their strenuous and robust vitality, the practical etiuality of their citizen- ship and the hospilalily of their shores to all national- ities, lluMr deep moral fervor and their high ideals of human life and conduct. We deeply a[)preciale Ameri- ca's immense contributions in every respect, inexpres- sible indeed, and beyond a(le(|uate recognition and gratitude on our ])art. President Wilson is simply named lo render him sincere homage and to ])ay tribute to his sagacity, profundity, clear vision and inflexible will. The British p(M)ple have staked their existence against the forces of barbarism and l)rutalit>-. Afler pitiless ^YoRLD^VAR slaughter, torture, devastation, outrage upon the weak. At Its the defenceless, and the oppressed on land and sea, Clim\x eternal justice must be vindicated by the Allies. Our b hope and purpose are that the liberties of mankind will ^ be saved, and all the peoples of the earth free to work out their own salvation." Mr. Franklin P. Glass replied that members of our delegation felt at home in Scotland, as many of them had an abundance of Scottish blood in their veins. AVhat was doing in America today was the product of Scottish activity of blood and iron. AVoodrow Wilson came of Scottish blood on both sides. Some of them on the other side had had the idea that the people of Great Britain were rather cold and stitf. Perhaps on the other hand they misunderstood the Americans; but the delegation was delighted to find that the British people had dis- co\ered them in their true spirit. Americans were not altogether a nation of money-grabbers. They had their ideals and were today pouring out billions of treasure and thousands of lives in the determination that the world should recognize that these ideals were the true ones which (lod had jnit on earth to be followed by all men .^^ &^ 80 ( HAPTER XIII Unhappy Mary Queen of Scots Editorial Band Finds Two Factions in Scotland, One Glorifying, the Other Caustically Censuritig Her — Her Charm and Loveli- ness, the Sorrow and Pathos of Her Life, Make Her One of the Outstanding Personalities in History. NE approaches Edinburgh happy in anticipation of viewing the Queen City of the British empire. One leaves Edin- burgh behind, somewhat saddened that regal beauty should ever have been marred by man. It was here in the sixteenth century that Mary Stuart, the hapless Mary Queen of Scots experienced distress and sutt'ering enough in six years to fill a lifetime and met cares that ended only at the executioner's block in London Tower; a woman of supreme beauty, but white- haired through sorrow at forty-five, her physical loveli- ness destroyed, but the memory of it preserved in the story of her fatal charms. A trip to Edinburgh becomes somehow a pilgrimage into the shadows that surrounded the unfortunate young queen with melancholy, relieved only by remembering the greatly out-balancing thought that her son's reign began the union of England and Scotland through three hundred happier years. In the Tower of London we were shown the place where she died in Fifteen Hundred Eightj^-seven, an outcome of a plot to assassinate her envious and masculine royal cousin, Elizabeth. There were few more poignant sor- — 81 — World War rows than her last hours describe, telling how she wrote At Its her will at night, divided her jewels among her servants, Climax ^^^ed their forgiveness if she had been wanting toward to them, dined moderately, slept calmly a few hours, rose • early and passed her time in devotion until the high sheriff came. A queen, serene in the reign of her highest realm, her- self, with calm aud undaunted fortitude she laid her neck on the block, and when the Dean of Peterboi-ough cried out after the execution, " So perish all Queen Elizabeth's enemies ! " only the Earl of Kent answered, "Amen! " And, according to the records, " the rest of the company were drowned in tears." At Edinburgh Castle our especial attention was called to Queen INIary's room, where she gave birth to James, forerunner of tlie present English line. By present day standards it is a mean room whose greatest length is barely eight feet. We were shown an oaken arm-chair where it was explained the princeling, who was to realize all his mother's claims, was first put into her arms. A block of wood beside the fireplace, hewn from a thorn tree planted by Mary at Loch Leven, now contains the date of his birth. As we looked from one of the great windows downward some two hundred feet and more, we saw the (irass- niarket, and " Kirk-o'-Field," where murdered Darnley lay, the father of the young prince, slain within a year of that momentous birth. Each side of the castle promontory, !250 feet below, swept waters that have rushed on to the sea in those same channels since before the time to which the strong- hold can l)e traced, back thirteen hundred years to the time of the conquest of the Picts by Edwin, Prince of Northumbria, and the naming of the town and the castle, Edwin's burgh. — 82 — Fatherless when only seven days old, fleeing in a fishing World War smack to France when scarcely six years old, married At Its at sixteen, proclaimed queen of France, Scotland and Clu^j^x England, widowed at eighteen, married again at twenty- ^ one, mother of a child of destiny at twenty-two, courted, * intrigued against, Mary Stuart was the pawn of malev- olent forces, rather than queen of even her own house- hold 5^ &^ Marvelous in beauty, brilliant in accomplishments, gentle and winning in manner, she was the logical object of hatred to the haughty, isolated Elizabeth, with her harsh, masculine manner and unpleasant personality, which were in striking contrast with the glowing beauty of her cousin. Still, on the chessboard of history on which they played their parts the unfavored Elizabeth became the queen, Mary the pawn. Unhappy in her home life, the queen sought in frank- ness and gayety with the persons of her household to make up for the lack of happiness elsewhere. From these apparently innocent diversions, cruel misinterpreta- tions, her admirers believe, were made and the darkest misery arose. The place is still shown where the hideous Rizzio died, cringing behind the fold of Mary's skirt, slashed by the daggers of assassins. Scotchmen who belong, or would belong to a faction in bitter opposition to Queen Mary were she still living, call your attention today to this event in her life and declare it proves that, instead of being the devout religionist her admirers claim, she was, on the contrary, to speak plainly, a royal wanton. David Rizzio and his brother, Joseph, had come from Piedmont with the ambassador to Mary's court and stayed on as confidant and secretary to the queen, World War arousing, by his constant attendance upon her, the At Its jealousy of Darnley and the resentment of the assassins. Climax ^^ Person of httle grace, he was nevertheless a skilled musician and linguist. He attended to the queen's cor- ^^ respondence in French and was familiar with her affairs. ^ She was holding a salon in Holyrood, her then regal residence, on the night of the murder, the Countess of Argyll, Rizzio and others being present, when Darnley entered by the door of a secret staircase into the apart- ment 5^ s^ How Darnley expiated this crime within a year, widow- ing Mary for the second time at twenty-five, is too familiar to need telling here. Just after Mary visited him, a small-pox patient in an isolated house, on the site of the present, splendid university buildings, he was found dead in his garden, his house blown up. After the death of Rizzio, Mary fled with Darnley to Dunbar, where she and her consort were received by Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. He was the master hand in the death of Darnley, and him Mary took as her third husband, within three months of Darnley 's death and immediately after he had obtained annulment of his marriage to Lady Jane Gordon. That was the end. Within sixty days she had abdicated in favor of her infant son, herself to become a prisoner at Loch Leven. soon to infatuate her young jailer and to escape and seek refuge with cousinly Elizabeth. And beautiful, talented, emotional Queen ]Mary deserves the sympathy, even the pity, of any who ever touches or becomes acquainted with anything that was of her. 84 CHAPTER XIV Glasg ow Seeing the Wonderful Great Fleet Which was the Big Holding Thing of the War — More Scottish Hospitality T Glasgow in City Chambers a dinner given for the editors was attended by prominent officials and titled and pro- fessional men of the city and neighbor- hood nuich the same as in Edinburgh. The Mayor of Glasgow, Lord Provost Stewart, proposing the health of the guests, paid tribute to the help America had given. Perhaps the greatest discovery Germany had made in this war, and the one which had ruthlessly shattered her mechanical calculations, had been the discovery of the American soul. What Scotchmen admired most was the moral strength of the great democratic and freedom- loving people in using their illimitable resources to pro- tect smaller nations. Sacrifices made by the gallant sons of America and the Allies would bind together English- speaking peoples throughout the world in closer bonds. "Auld Lang Syne," in which all joined, was sung with fervor and gusto. On the Clyde River, near Glasgow, at the great ship building plant of Boardman & Company, shipbuilders, aeroplane manufacturers and makers of other war equip- ment, eight thousand women were employed. It was at these works that the ill-fated Lusitania was fabricated. The Clyde a few years ago was a narrow, shallow stream, but by gigantic dredging it today is wide and — 85 — ^VoKLD >Vak iloop and navigable for oooan-going boats. Lnnolioon At Its ^^^^*^ served in tlie great otiiees of the works, otHeers. Cloixx *'"U^^^\^'<^"^"'* '^1^^^ workwomen mingling in a happy meal ' J> ^ Speeehes by members of snpervisiug forees of the ^ works foUowed and employees i^who, a while before had been at work on heavy lathes'* put on an exeellent pro- gram of nnisie and siMig that WiUiUl ilo eredit lo the best emieert cnnnpany. Speaking of the etiieieney of winnen, the superintendent of the great plant said they rapidly beeanie expert in the use of mierometer gauges and were pronouneed even more etlieient than men. in some respeets. Sir William BairilnuM-e was the iirst industrial operator in (»reat Britain to have the audaeity to use women for these tasks. He said it was either women or no work, for the men were all in the war. He was delighted at the out- eome of his experiment, and remarkeil that hundreds of thousands of women were later employed in all sorts of numition work in (ireat Britain, and they had made possible the Empire's etiieieney in war. Next day, Tuesday, was set aside for a visit to the great fleet in the Firth of Forth. AVe were put aboard a yaeht and had luneh on the Colossus. As there was intluenza aboard the flagship, where we were to have Innehed, the eonunodore deeided not to take the risk of exposing us. He eame onto the Colossus and shook hands, but would not remain, as he deelared it would n't be fair to us. There were five United States men-o'-war when we arrived, and we were to have had tea on board one of them. Albeit an hour after our arrival, all ti\e boats put out to sea on some mysterious erraml. Among the international throng whieh saw our Ameri- ean tleet sweep majestieally down Hampden Roads to Old Point Comfort tHi AVashington's birthday. Nineteen Hundretl Twelve, 1 stood transfixed at that nuirvellous — 8(i — sijjjhl of power aiul glory. It sooinod lo luo IIkmi as it" World War nothing on tlio seas in all the world was mighty enough \'p 1'^^^ to withstand il. Yet there were only twenty-seven battle d^ij^j/vx shi[)s, as 1 reeall, while here were between three hundred ^ ' and three hundred fifty such ships, to say nothing of ' smaller boats such as destroyers, cruisers, colliers and sub-chasers which outmnnlxM-ed the moiislcM- nicn-o'- war two to one. Nothing in the whole Irij) impivssed our parly so pro- foundly as that mighty licet. Looking u[) the Kirlli of Forth as far as the eye could carry, these giani masters of the sea were limned against the horizon. Then we undei stood that it was this marvelous fleet, every ship of which was known to the Kaiser, which made (lermany hesitate &^ ,^^ It, beyond all (juestion, was the bulwark which, even when (lermany a})parently was winning on land, stood like a mannnolh spectre in the background. No one any longer doubted that this stupendous armada was the holding thing of the war. (lermany understood its size and knew the weight of its power. We of the United States had access to statistics, but few people knew where to look for them, or if they did, could form not the least impression of their respect- ive sizes or comparative power. Without England's shi})s, America could not have been in the war, as it would have been im])ossible lo transport troops in any other bottoms. Without American soldiers, (lermany would on that day be in or near Paris and up at least to the Channel ports of Knglaiid. No one of our party had hitherto dreamed of the material work done by (Ireat Britain, of the blood and tears shed which at length and forever had ended so ignominiously for (lermany ^^ s^ On the following day we went to the wonderful works — 87 — World War at Gretna, where twelve thousand girls and women At Its were employed in making fuses or cordite. We lunched Clim\x ^^ ^^^^ office of the great works. There are one thousand to separate buildings, said to have cost more than one ^ hundred million dollars. As in the Clyde shops the women and girls were good looking, well housed and fed. A large hall suitable for dancing and entertainments of all sorts was built for them. There was considerable talent among them, and theatricals, concerts and other forms of amusement were features. There was a splendid hospital fully equipped in every way. Explosions were common in the works despite every possible precaution taken to prevent them. On our way back to Carlisle we stopped at the old blacksmith shop in Gretna Green where the marrying blacksmith united in wedlock so many runaway couples, the romance of which has been read the world over. CHAPTER XV A Carlisle Experiment How England was Trying to Solve the Drink Problem and was Appareyitly Greatly Pleased. O us of America, where prohibition is now a law, if not an absolute fact, Great Britain's method of controlling the drinking of alcoholic beverages in war times as shown by experiment at Carlisle remains an interesting study. It impressed me as a very wise method; certainly the results proved it so. From the feudal times of wassail to the present, Great Britain has been a drinking nation. It drank as a matter of course, just as it ate roast beef. English literature is permeated with drinking. The old English tales tell of the brews, the drinking parties, the merry times. Dickens' stories, you will remember, were enlivened with the atmosphere of strong drink or of light drink like beer, and when Micawber made punch one could smell it and see the steam rising from the bowl. Dickens wrote of the times that he knew and he knew them well. Other writers have shown us how much a part of life the whiskey and soda was to the higher class Englishman, while the workingman regaled himself with ale and beer. ^ I have cited all this merely to show the contrast between Merrie England and England at war. Great Britain did not attempt to make prohibition effective in the war. It was not radical. It realized that sobriety or at least greater temperance was necessary, — 89 — World War but it realized also that the Briton does not like to be At Its stinted too much. So it went about the movement to Climax reduce drinking in what proved to be a wise and effective fe manner. It did not prohibit; it reduced. In other words, * it rationed the drinking in the United Kingdom. It was a part of the win-the-war purpose, and the British took it as a matter of course, just as they had taken their drinking, just as the average Englishman takes almost everything in life. The war became a matter of course, and anything that would aid in winning the war was a matter of course. The government reduced the number of hours for sale of liquor from about 17 hours a day to five and a half hours. That did not result, as many might think, in the British trying to drink as much in five and a half hours as they had drunk in 17 hours. The government forbade selling drinks on credit. There was no longer a score at the public house or " pub." Treating was prohibited. A man bought his beer, paid for it and drank it. He did not have to drink again in pursuance of the old custom of " treating back." That was a good rule. Only three hours at night were the drinking places per- mitted to be open, and the other two hours and a half permitted were at midday. Moreover, the alcoholic content of drinks was reduced. Much of " the kick," as we call it in street parlance, was taken out. The British public, as I have said, took all this as a matter of course. The government's effort was not to stop drinking, but to stop drunkenness, and it succeeded to an amazing extent &^ 5©» In the year preceding the war the number of deaths from alcoholism was more than eighteen hundred and in Nineteen Hundred Seventeen the number was re- — 90 — duced to less than six hundred, a reduction of sixty-six World War and two-thirds per cent. At Its There were less than one hundred cases of delirium Clj^^x tremens reported in Nineteen Hundred Seventeen as ^ compared with more than five hundred in Nineteen ' Hundred Thirteen, the year before the war, surely a satisfying proof of the success of the government's methods ^ a®* The number of suicides and attempted suicides traced to excessive drinking was reduced by considerably more than fifty per cent. Arrests for intoxication from nearly thirty -five hundred each week dropped to about six hundred. The British government did more however than merely ration drinkables. The government through its Board of Control practically took over the management of liquor selling. It instituted reforms. It cleaned up certain places that needed cleaning up. I think that the government's action at two great muni- tion centers was one of the most successful and exem- plar}^ to cite, as it shows what a government could do in the way of controlling drinking and the sale of liquor in a non-prohibition country. To me it seemed a remarkable demonstration of control of a very difficult problem, control which left the people themselves in full posses- sion of their " personal liberties," a term which we often make use of in this country. It is not a simple matter to deal with a problem of this kind in a section where thousands and thousands of workers feel that they must have their stimulant. Habit is a strong master. The experiment was at Carlisle, England, and at Gretna Green, just across the border in Scotland, the Gretna Green of romance. Carlisle was more difficult than Gretna. It had mam^ public houses, too many, and these — 91 — AVokldWak \vero in lively ooinpotition for the tnuio oi tho tlunisaiuls At Its *-^^ workei*s in tho nnniitions plants. CiiM\x ^ *^^^^'^^i^i*^^^^^ ^^■«^'^"^' ^^'^'^^- Intoxication was fivquont. Thort^ were tights and scandals. Aside from the questions of *^ welfare and deivncy, the condition was interfering with the ethciency of the workers and theivfoiv of the work of winning the war. The Uritish governnieut assumed direct control of the sale of liquor there and it designated a very able othcer who for years was in the police court at Liverpool as clerk and afterward magistrate to take full charge and to clean up Carlisle. A'irtually the British government took up the Inisiuess of supplying liquor in Carlisle. It went about it too in a perftvtly businesslike way. It bought the one hundred twenty, in round numbers, public houses at Carlisle. The owners of these places could not complain that the government had not resptvted their rights as owners. Purchase of the public houses was only a beginning. The government set about reducing the numbers from one hundred twenty to about seventy as 1 recall the tigures. The government bought the breweries, four in number and used one only to make the beer sold in C arlisle. It went further in cleaning up Carlisle. It put women in charge of the public houses and wcunen served beer .eer was served only at tables with sand- wiches or with other food. The government realized that if one eats he does not drink so nuich. The result was remarkable. The '* pubs " were like — iH — rjuuily phicvs. TIkmv was coiiiparalivoly little driiikinj;-. World War All tlu' lr()iil)los IJiat had boon, (vasod to ho. Carlisle ^rj j,j.g was a (lilVereiil place. Tlie ^ovenmieiil had succeeded (Climax and moreover the people alVected were happy and sal is- ^ tied .<5«^ .()od |)olicy, it was good business. It should be uieutioued that sales of sj)irils to be drunk away from the j)remises were forbidden on Saturdays, so there could be no week-end drunkenness. As 1 recall the methods of the British government at (^arlisle and elstnvhere it occurs to me thai |)erhaps [)rohibilion would not have come to this country, as early as it did, if these same methods had been em- j)loyed in America in peace limes. 1 am nol holdinj;- a brief for I he sale of li(|uor in America. I am merely |)oint- ingoul Ihal if this oovernmenl, all <;overnmeTds in fact, had handled at all times the li(|uor prol)lem as Kngland handled it in times of war, the drink evil would never have been what it became. Knj;lan(rs control of li(|Uor selling during the war surely [)roved that the use of alcoholic beverages could be regulated in such a way as to reduce to a mininunn the evils resulting from such use. I repeat this not as an argument, but merely topoiiUout what all governments might have done years ago. AN EXPLANATfON Misgivings and trepidations characleri/ed a. meeting at head(iuarters in London to discuss a tri]) into Ireland for a study of all aspects of the Irish (luestioii. Many of our i)arly, who in former European travels had visited the Emerald Isle, believed time could be used to better advantage elsewhere. A few dreaded — }).'J — C LIAIAX \VoKLD ^VAK the trip, saying tlioy were roiniiulod of Mark Twain's At Its f^nnoiis utterance : " liernuuia's heaven, but it's liell to get there." Both Irish and Knghsh channels art^ noted for tlieir roughness. Added to this, the Leiuster had a * short time before btvn subniarint\i and sunk in crossing to Dubhn. Then, it had beini planned that the magazine group prtxvding us visit Ireland, but it had. for reasons best kuoNvn to itself, given up the journey. A few of us toi^k the position that weiv we not to go oin* motives might be impugned and our l>ritish hosts cvusured and charged with bad faith. Fear was expressed that as we were guests of Cireat Britain the latter might be thought to control our actions and movements. Indtxxl. that was the Irish interpretation of the magazhie men's failuiv to go over. Major Malone. an Irish soldier in British service, who. bei^uise of his knowledge of Irish atfairs. was assigned to accompany us. was called into consulta- tion and the situation discussed in every detail. It was explained that all of us had thousands of ivadei-s, Irish or of Irish extraction and that we did not caiv to go back and face them with the fact that we had an opportunity to study, tirst hand, Ireland's problems and were so utterly inditfeivut as not to avail oui*selves of it. Then the acting head of the "Ministry of Information Avas called in and all matters were again fully gone over .«^ .^^ "We were retold that the Ministry of Information had deluded not to attempt to dictate nor in any way intiuence us; that not only had it planned for us a tour of Kngland but had sent us to Scotland, loancti us. as it were, to France and Belgium and Ireland. While England did not wish to impose further hardships upon us.^j(,our trip having Ihxmi exctvdingly strenuous up to thispoint"* nevertheless she would be inunei\sely pleased were we to go over to Ireland and look frankly and fully — }U — upon holli sides of llio Irish (iiicslion. Il would ivliovo VVowi.i) War hov of wlial she rcjjjjirdod as unjust censure on tlie pari At Its of Ireland, ami our })arly, of the erilieisuj thai il was (^,^,[y,^x under Hrilish influenee because (Ireal Hrilain was nieel- uii;" our e\|)enses. The nieelinj;" ended in our resoKing lo make I he journey. I !»» PART IV I Ireland Getting a Slant on Sinn Feiners AND UlSTERITES VisiTiNC. Seats op Antagonistic Par- ties, Dublin and Belfast Changes that Have Been Wrought IN Three Years ("IIAPTI^R XV The Ulster Viewpoint A Two-Day Study at Beljast oj the Opposition Party in Ireland — Feeling Against Southern Ireland Found Very Tense and Bitter. () hellcM- cliapler can l)e written now upon lllsl(M-'s views tlian a ('()nij)()site ailicle produced by tlie Editorial party wliile in I5elfast and which, among oilier newspapers, was printed in The Herald at that time. It read: "An allemi)l was made l)y the Ameri- lo study I he Irish (piestion on Irish soil. They made a visit to Belfast, the stronghold of IJLster- ism, and iuterviewed representatives of all classes, official and unollicijd, cjipital and labor, em])loyer and em})loyee, and t hey heard t he cause of free and independ- ent Ireljuid pleaded hy the bellicose generals and caj)- tains of Sinn Feiuism. The Ulster view is presented in this letter. " Broadly, Ulster represents imperial Britain; Sinn Fein is now the voice and arm of militant Ireland. The Ulster movement, four years or more ago, was a ])rotest against home rule. It was outright secession against the pro- posed constitutional sepjiration of Ireland. It was a Ihreatened war upon England, having as its provoca- tion and basis the proposal that there be a political secession from (ireat Britain. Altogether it was an anomaly, an anachronism. Just think, for example, of a sovereign state in the American republic resorting to arms in defiance of a federal project to exclude it from — DO — AVorldAVak the I'nion. Yot lister planned to tight the British At Its empire to preserve its sovereign rights to be ami remain Clim\x ^^^^ integral part of the British empire. * "J '* lister is Protestant and essentially British, while the ^ rest of Ireland is C\\tholie and intrinsieally Irish. It is not intended to say that the controversy is religions or sectarian: Init certainly the Clunvh fnrnishes the back- ground of the entire trouble. Yon will hear in Ireland, from Irish and Catholic witnesses, that the greatest of Irish patriots have been Protestant; and that the Irish revolution of Seventeen Hundred Ninety-eight had its origin with Protestants. Unquestionably, many of the supporters of Irish Xationalism today are non-Catholic: and others of the supporters of the empire, foes of sepa- ration and home rule, are Catholic. But Ireland outside of Ulster is overwhelmingly Catholic, and lister, at least Belfast, which furnishes a big slice of Ulster's population, is strongly Protestant: and the geographical cleavage is very nearly identical with the sectarian line. AVhether or not it is a coincidence may be a matter of opinion. That it is a fact will be everywhere in Creat Britain conceded. But that the Church as an organiza- tion is responsible for the constant agitation of the Irish question is not generally charged. 1 believe, even in Ulster. A reasonable explanation is that it follows rather than leads in political atl'airs. Its faithful adherence to such a policy may be one secret of its pmverful hold on the majority of the Irish people. "* The case of Ulster is substantially that it has pros- pered under British laws and rule, and that it has no coiihdence in an independent Ireland controlled from Dublin. It is opposed to home rule — unless indeed Ulster shall be excluded from its operation — and it is opposed to separation. It wants to be let alone. Belfast is the most active, populous and prosperous city in the — 100 — islaiuL ll [)()iiils proudly lo llio fjicl thai it has live of World War I lie <;rcalcsl iiiduslrios of llicir kind in I ho world — linen, At Its lohacco, vo]H\ ship-huildin^, collon that it has three (Climax and onc-lialf lin\es more sliipi)in^ than the rest of Ire- ^ land, b'roni I lie lime of I he Act of Tnion (lii<;hleen I Inn- ^ dred) until Ki,t;hte(Mi Hundred Nin(My-oue, Belfast nnd- liplied its |)opulalion Ihirleen and one-half limes a. record willioul a parallel in the llniled Kin<;(lom. Ulster elaims that it |)roduees forly-ei^hl per cent of all Irish oals, forty-one |)er eeni of potatoes, iifly-lhree per eenl of fruit and niiuMy-nine |)er cent, of (lax, and i)ays in enslomsand revenue nearly twenty-five million i)onn(ls, or more than twiee the remainder of Ireland. " It is not easy for the American to note with nneoneern the em])loyment anywhere of youn<>' boys and girls in j;real numbers, at hard labor, and under conditions that do not appear to guarantee either their health or their pr(){)er education. In the nnmitions factories of Kngland there are many thousand wouumi. It is unavoidable and care seems to have been taken to safeguard (hem in every j)ra('lical way. Hut it is not at all cK^ar that child labor is jusliiiable, in the way it is used al Belfast. At the linen mill, young l)oys were used as the operatives of great machines, and in the tobacco works the majority of the workers were boys and girls mostly the latter. It is said that none under fourteen is employed. There were many who appeared to be not nmch over that tender age. There were hundreds an if thoy had any opportunity for play, or rational A r I vs rtVTxwtion of any kind, suoh as is the riiiht of o\ ory ohiUi. C^iM\x ^ '* ^ l^i^^^ labor has no phuv. appaiXMitly. in any oon- 5^ sidonition of tho Irish qviostion in Irt^land. Thon^ is no ^ thouirht in Oublin. for o\an\pU\ of ivniplaint that Hol- fast's prxx'ipority is n\aintainod in iriw^t part by bo> and girl labor; for Onblin itself has n\a do no sptvial proi;rc\« that oity. l^\tor. however, in a stroll thivngh the baek strtvts of Liver^Hvl. squalor, tilth and wivtehed liviui: eonditions I Nvitnessed s^HMued to me to be far niort" iieneral than in Publin. A welfart^ worker appeannl befori^ the editors at Oublin. and i^ave a deseription of life anioui: the pixtr in the Irish eapital that somewhat ilis- turbed them. He wanted their help to get a nieagn^ five thousand dollars out of the imperial iiovernment to earry on uplift work among the nun\erons ignorant boys and yoiuig men of Oublin. HundriMs of them, he said. iHHild not Rwd even the head-lines of the papei-s they sold in the strtvts. *' The prt\«ient status of home rule in Irelauii is that the Uritish Tarliament. under the pivmiership of Mr. Asquith. passed a bill giving the Irish a eertain measure of autonon\y. with a home legislative Knly. having eertain limiteii powei's over taxation. The objix'tions of lister weiv vehen\ent. not to say violent, and it was then arranged to exelnde six eounties of tliat province. Hut it was a settlement that did not settle anything, and tinall> Mr. l.loyii Cii\>rge. not then pren\ier. to whom had Ihvu referred the problem for si>lution. devised an Irish eonvention. whieh was to determine for itself just what Irx^land wanted. The inauguration of liome rule was indetinitely postponed, pending action by the ooun entiiMi; and theiv was an implied pledge lli.U I lie ^ovrniiiiciil woiiM ju'ccj)! ;i,iiy Jidjiisl inciil I lie WowldWak corivcnlioii wns ;i,l)l<' lo iii:i,k('. Il, wns ;iji ('rilircly sjiicr y\',. 1,^ |)r<)iiiis<', wliJilcvcr llu- ronvciilioii did or r;i,il<'d lo do, r',,»,-.v r I I I ' I I • • I !• I , . , » I i I M A A lor il ,i\)\)r;ivrt\ Irnc IIkiI iMi^latid is sick ol IIk^ Irish r, <|iic.sli(ni ;ijid will ajji^vcc lo Jiiiylliiii^ llijil liids fjiir lo ' ;^<'l il oiil of llic w;i,y. " TIh' (•oiiv<'mI ioii, ill wliicli [Ilsl«'r vvilli some nliicljuicc :i,^rc«'d lo pnri icipjilc, slsirlcd oiil willi lii;^li rxjx'cl;!,- lioiis. \Ui\ ^,\\'\^'V ci/^lil loii/i; inoiillis ol' d<'lil)cr;i,l ion ;i,nd ilisji.^rccMKMil , il ciidcil Iriiil Icssly. lis cliicf |>olil ic;i,l rcsiill s('<*ins lo liavc l)('<*ii lo pn-cipilnlc llic N;i,lion;i,l (Irisli) pJirly in liopclcss wreck. Tlic lender w;i,s I lie l;i,l<' .lolin l{clish- nienl ol" an Irish parlianienl, willi ph^nary aiil.horily over eiisloms arid excis(^ N(;verl.llel(^ss, l\\o, R(*dmorid- Middlelori coalilion ai)p<;;ir,- 000 population. The percentages of males of military age who have enlisted are: Ulster 33.8; Leinster 17.7; Munster 11.7; Connaught 4.9. In a recent war loan Belfast contributed £25,000,000, or about 85 per cent of the total for Ireland. " It is said that when conscription was abandoned, in consequence of the great furore in Ireland, a promise was made that Ireland would furnish at least 50,000 volunteers. But 10,000 was the maximum to be attained. arlia- nientary jncjisures, and they openly flout home rule or colonial government, or any otiier proj)osal which would hold Ireland as an integral unit of the British empire. Tliey are not British, nor Scottish, they say. They are Irish 5<^ oo> Ireland was a distinct race, witfi the full attribute of nationhood, l)efore England was; and of right they should and must be free. Their chief present reliance for independence, or separation, as it is commonly called — 107 — i World ^YAR here, is the forthcoming peace conference, which is com- At Its mitted in advance, through acceptance by all nations Climax ^^ *^^^ fourteen declarations, to the principle that small peoples have the right of self-determination. It is the Wilson idea. That is where the Sinn Feiners got it. If the peace conference rejects their pleas — well, they will carry on the war in ways they are not ready to define or divulge. And they will make, as their fathers made before them, so they say, all necessary sacrifices in life and blood until the great end shall be achieved. What matter a few thousand lives of patriotic and zealous Irishmen now or later? The visiting American editors saw the Sinn Feiners in Dublin. They had announced in passing through the Irish capital on their way to Belfast that they would return and they would be pleased to hear what the Sinn Feiners and any others might have to say on the Irish question. The leaders of the Sinn Fein were not slow to take advantage of the o[)])ort unity. They saw, doubt- less, a way to spread their propaganda in America, and to correct what they thought were certain misappre- hensions as to their motives, methods and ultimate aims ,">«» &^ A half dozen or more of them came at the appointed time, in a waiting-room at a large Dublin hotel. Not one of them appeared to be more than thirty-five years of age. They were collectively an alert-looking, keen- minded and neatly dressed lot of Irishmen, and indi- vidually they were educated, fluent, aggressive and candid. They did not appear to be the stuft' of which martyrs are made, though they evidently were; and they were likewise far removed from the type of low- browed, rough-necked and quarrelsome hooligans that represents the doctrine of force and terrorism which has its exponents in Ireland. They were altogether a — 108 — presentable group of men who knew exactly what they World War wanted, and were not afraid to say so. At Its The interview began with a statement by one of them, Ch^ax an officer of the Sinn Fein, as to the historic grievances ^ and present wrongs of Ireland. For seven hundred years ' Ireland had suffered the abuses and oppressi(ms of England and it still retained its unconquerable soul and it never would consent to be rided by the tyrant. There was a great deal more like it. " Let us all agree," said one of the editors, " that every- thing you say is true about the past and that Ireland has suffered much from England's misgovernment. What about the situation today? " " There is no intrinsic change now in England's posi- tion toward Ireland," was the answer. " We are un- justly taxed. We are denied our rights. We have no such thing as free speech or individual liberty. W^e are thrown into prison by the hundreds for such trifling misde- meanors as the singing of a song which England does not like. The Irish coast is a fortress and the island is a mere garrison for two hundred thousand British soldiers &^ 5«» " We are denied education for our children. We are im- poverished and miserable. W^e have declined in popu- lation, for example from more than eight million to a little more than four million. Our industries languish through discriminations of many kinds. We do not get justice in the courts. Not long since there was a brutal murder in one of our towns. The keeper of a public house had kicked to death an inoffensive woman, with no provocation. He was tried and found guilty and the judge, appointed by the Oown, sentenced him to imprisonment for twelve months, saying that he was a loyal citizen, for he had served the empire well by zealous service in procuring recruits for the army." — 109 — C i.niAX Wohi.dWak *" ^Mlat is the reason Ireland lias uiven so few soldiers At Its to the l>ritisii army? "' *' Invanse we are not British. \Ve are not tree men. ^^e are slaves or bnt little better. \Vhy shonld we tiuht to ^ make Cireat Britain strong? Britain went to war \o save its skin; why slu>nld we help? Let ns have i>nr freedom and we ean then ileeide on whieh side in the war to tiiiht. Bnt how ean slaves make a ehoiee? " *' Are yon pro-Cierman? " " We are not. AVe are pro- Irish." *• Bnt yon have aeeepted help from (lermany? '* *■ Yes. Bnt we have taken it as we wonKl have from America or France, or any outsider. But we have inenrred no obligations to Ciermany that we have not inenrred to others who are sympathetic auil disposed to lend ns a hand." *' Is it not true that there was a plan to lauil arms at an Irish port through Sir lu\ger fasemeut? \\as he uoi in the (lerman pay? " *' Sir lu\ger was not in the (uMinan employ. He was an Irish ]>atriot. He sought assistance against Kngland. our enemy, and for Ireland, and lie got it. But unfor- tunately his plans miscarried ami he was arresteil and imprisoneil, and later executed. This was in Ninettvn Hundred Sixteen, U>ng l^efore America entci-cd the war. We have had no truck or l>argain witli (icrmany since. Though Sir Roger was in British custody, we ^^ent ahead with our plans for an uprising. \Ve fmight Kngland and all its power and there were many casualties anil nuich loss of life. >\ c lune been accused of cowardice. Ooes that look like cowardice? The rebellion faileil ami our leaders voluntarily surrendered, (ireal Britain promptly shot to death eleven of them. One of our party here was among those sentenced to death, bnt later he was frixnh Yet he is uuiler constant surveillance and is liable to — 110 — $ jirrcsl jiiul iin[)ris()nni(Mit or worse at any time. From World War four lnmdred lo six Imiidred Irislmien are now in jail, At Its all of llieni foi- poliliejd od'ences. Yet we will not cjuit." Climax ^1 "Are you awiire of I lie faet that Anieriean sympathy for llie cause of Irish freedoin has declined as a result of Simi iH'im'sm and I lie fjiilure of Ireland to i)lay ttie part in I he war America thinks Ireland should i)lay? " " If (hat is so it is due lo llu; lyin^- propa^^anda of Eng- land against Ireland. I>ord Northclitte is behind it all. He has s])ent more Britisli money in an effort to poison the Anieriean mind against Ireland then he has spent in his anti-(Jerman propaganda in (Germany. An American transi)ort was sunk on the Irish coast and a lot of American soldiers were landed on Trisli soil; some of them in a dying condition. It was widely printed throughout America that Ireland had treated them inhosi)ital)Iy, refusing to care for them. Lord North- elitfe did that." It was suggested that they i)ro})ably referred to the loss of the Tuscania and the landing of many American troops on the north coast of Ireland. The editors all assured the Sinn Feiners that they had seen in no American newspaper any description of the event im- puting to Ireland a lack of hospitality or humanity. " We think America owes us gratitude and support," they continued. '* We are rebels against England — so were you. You were successful, but why? Because you had so many Irishmen as soldiers in your revolution, (ieorge Washington said that without them the war for American indei)endence would have failed. Now you tell us that we have lost America's sympathy. There are twenty million Irishmen in America, and you will have them to reckon with in case you go back on Ire- land. It is inconceivable to us that you can do so. We rely absolutely on President Wilson and America. — Ill — World War " President Wilson is definitely on record for the self- At Its determination of small peoples. We are a small people Climax ^^ precisely the sense that the Jugo-Slavs and the fe Czecho-Slavs are small peoples. Our distinct racial iden- * tity is further emphasized by the fact that Ireland is an island. Geographically, ethnologically, historically, the Irish are a race, a people, a nation." " What do you expect President Wilson to do for you.'' " ^ " We shall appear before the peace conference which stands for the fourteen Wilson articles of peace, includ- ing the right of self-definition and self-government, and ask for recognition. How can it be denied? We have come to regard President Wilson as the savior of man- kind. How can he refuse to stand by us, unless he is the world's greatest hypocrite.^ " " Yet the peace coiiference may refer your case back to the British Empire. What will be your next step.'' " " We shall carry on the fight. Thousands of Irishmen will die, but they are ready; then other thousands. But it will be the same till we get our rights." " But surely you have a concrete plan of action? " " Yes, we shall set up a government of our own at Dublin. In the coming Parliamentary election we shall elect at least seventy-five out of the one hundred two members of Parliament. They will not take their place at Westminster. Vacant seats there will be the silent witnesses of our purpose to have no more to do with the British Empire. These seventy-five members will be the nucleus of a new Irish parliament. Sixty of our candidates are now in jail. But it makes no difference. We shall find ways to get them out." " Will you not be satisfied if Great Britain gives you home rule? " " No. First, she will not give it. Second, we don't want it, and we demand, and will have, our freedom." — 112 — " How is it that Irish sentiment has for so many years World War favored home rule, and not separation? Whj^ the At Its change? " ^5^ Climax " There is no change. With Ireland, home rule was ^ merely a means to an end; a step toward the real goal — ^ independence. We have never wanted anything else. We would never have been content with anything else. Parnell and all the real Irish leaders actually aimed at separation and a distinct nationhood. We repudiate any other policy. We repudiate the so-called nationalist leaders who would give us half a loaf. They are done, for we are done with them." " What are you going to do about Ulster? " " We believe in majority rule. It is the republican way. Ireland must determine for herself what kind of govern- ment she will have. We will take our chances in that kind of decision. Let Ulster do the same." "Are you not aware that most Ulster men have signed a covenant that they will never consent to be governed from Dublin? " " Yes. But that is mainly bluff. What are they to do but accept the government Ireland chooses to give them? They will have no alternative." " Do you regard Ireland as capable of self-government?" ^ " Most certainly. The days of Irish freedom from England were Ireland's most prosperous era. We have the resources, we have the men, we will get the money. We want Ireland's taxes spent in Ireland. We want fiscal freedom. We are paying Great Britain in taxes more than thirty million pounds per year. We can administer an Irish government with eleven million pounds. We would impose our own tariffs, create our own industries, find our own markets. It is true that England is now our best market. But if England lays a discriminative tariff against us we shall build a tariff — 113 — Cl.lMAX ^^OKl-O^^AK wall against Kuiilaml. Why can't wo soil our proilucts At Irs to Aniorica and all the worUl? " "Yon have milv a t'ow million poo[)lo. llmv oan yon oxiHH't to maintain yourselves when yon are (>ut from nmlor tlio protect i(>n of the Hritish navy? " " Cireat Britain is the last remainiuu' auloeraey. It nuist go. British naxalism is a meuaee to the peace o( the world. .Vmerica talks nuich o( the frecilcMU of the seas. Siune liay yon will lu^ calleil imi io bring the l^-itish na\y to acctuint. We may safely lea\e all that io you. Ireland will be a small nation, luil it is the day when small nations are coming into their in\ n. Look at Oeu- mark, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, (loo- graphically Ireland is twice as large as the next largest small nation. It slundd have, and will lune. connnen- snrate population and wealth." ** Have yon thought of Belgium? " " Yes. But Belgium was in (icrmany's ri>ad. If l>elgium had given (icrnuni troops right o^ way. there would have been no trouble.** ** Is the Sinn Fein a Catholic organi/ation? Is tiie (\itholic Church in any way respt>nsible {or the present state of atfairs in Ireland? '* ** No. Ireland is three-fourths Catholii". anil naturally the Sinn Feiners are nu^stly (\it holies, as all other revolutionary movements have been. But it should be remembered that Wolf Tone, the great leader, was a l^rotestant, and so were most o{ his associates. Robert F^.nunet was a Brotestant. The di\isii>n in Ireland today is rather geographical than denominational. IMany Protestants outside o\' lister are with us. Most Brotes- tants in I'lster are against us, and tloubtless many Catholics. The Church follows, rather than leads, the political sentiment that pre\ails within its environ- ment.'* .^^ .^^ — 114 — i- Ami si> I ho ilohnlo niii on t"i)r hours. Tho Sinn Foiiiors Would \Var woiv oarnost, onthiisinstu* aiul, it may bo supposed. At Its siuooro. It is not tho dosion lioro to say that thoy wero (^i^ij^i.vx visionary, uiisouidod or niistakou; only to roveal what is in tlioir niiiuls. Tho i-lininx of tho day was roaohod whon tho (i|uostion was askod: Is a ooniproniiso willi Kui^land not [)ossihlo? *' '* Nt). Kuiiland has i^ivon us tlio worst novornniont in tho world. l>ut it" Kn^iand uavo us tho host ut>vornniont in tlio world, wo should tiuht for oiu' froodoui and indopontlonoo. ' 115 — CHAPTER XVIII Dined by Lord Decies in Dublin Interesting Social Function at Shelbourne Hotel. At ivhich Irishmen Prominent in Official Life were Present. ORD DECIES entertained the Ameri- can journalists at dinner in the Shel- bourne Hotel when prominent gentle- men met the visitors. The toasts of " the King " and the " President of the United States " were duly honored. Lord Decies in proposing the health of the visitors regretted that their visit to Ireland was such a short one. The time at their disposal permitted only of visit- ing Dublin and the great industrial city of Belfast. He had no doubt they had seen much, heard much, and learned much, but these cities, interesting as they were, were not all Ireland, and he should have greatly liked them to have the opportunity of studying the agri- cultural Ireland, which, even more than the great centers, gives its character to the national life. They had seen industries of peace and war, but they had not seen the effort of the farmers and laborers of Ireland to supply food for their own population and that of Great Britain, and to do their share in defeating the menace which had so long haunted the seas. He also regretted that this was the first party of Ameri- can press w4io had been able to pay a visit to Ireland in the four years of war. He believed that the whole future peace of humanity depended on a union of ideal and — 117 — 9 World ^VAR eti'ort between the Eiiglish-speakiiiii" peoples of Europe At Its *^ii^^ America. In the United States there were many Cllm\x "^ill^<^^^=^ *-^^ citizens of Irish birth and Irish descent. Naturally and rightly their hearts turned to the old country, and they were deeply interested in her happi- ness and prosperity. The Irish problem was one in which the American nation as a whole took a deeper concern than in any other foreign question, and because of that he believed it to be in the highest interest of the I'nited States, of Great Britain, and of Ireland, that leaders of American opinion should have an intimate acquaintance with this island and its atfairs, which could only be obtained l\v personal investigation. To that end he had during the past two years urged strongly and persistently that all parties of leading Americans who visit Great Britain should also visit Ireland, and when there, should have every oppor- tunity of meeting men of all classes, creeds, and politics, and of learning all that could be learned of the complex elements that go ti> make the Irish question. Their presence was a pleasant fultillmeut of that wish, and he hoped it was an augury of many future visits to this country by other distinguished representatives of the great Republic. Mr. Franklin P. Glass, of Birmingham. Alabama, who responded, is an old fellow student and friend of Presi- dent AVilson. He said they were tremendously interested in the Irish question. America was, to a large extent, the creation in fact, in spirit, and in purpose of Ireland. Irishmen went to America in thousands during many years and they had a considerable part in bringing about an American revolution which was said to have taught England an important lesson in handling her colonies. Whether England was able to solve the Irish question with as nuich wisdom and ethciency as she succeeded — 118 — ill solving" the colonial question remained to be demon- World War strated. If they, as Americans, could be of assistance in At Its that, they would be delighted to give assistance. Climax The Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, in proposing the ^ toast of "America," spoke of the close bonds wliich had ' united Ireland to America, and expressed the hope that America would do everything in its power to ])romote the happiness of Ireland, as Ireland in the past had done a great deal to promote the strength of America. Sir Horace Plunkett, also speaking to the toast, referred to the prominent part the Irish had taken in the American contribution to the war, not only on land, but perhaps more so on sea. He pointed to the rather strange fact that so large a proportion of the American navy and so small a proportion of England's was Irish. He went on to say that he had been one of those who realized the immense importance of trying to reach an Irish settlement during the war. ^lany held that it was a most ino})})ortuiie time to be discussing such a problem, but he personally held that never was there such an opportunity. He felt that the effect of this world-shaking event would probably divert the minds of Ii-ishmen from the more local aspects of their problem and enable them to take the larger view of it: that it would appeal as never before to the highest instincts, the historic instincts of the Irish people, and although those of them who had been engaged in an earnest and protracted endeavor to reach a settlement during the war were disappointed, he believed they did not labor in vain, and if they did not settle the Irish question they made it more amenable to settlement than it had ever been before. He held that what he might call the peace value of a settlement between Great Britain and Ireland was of immeasurably greater importance than any possil^le war effect the settlement might have had. When after — 119 — World ^VAK tiie war they had to pass from the question of what At Its they were fighting against to the question of what they Climvx '^^'^^'^ fighting for. the problems wouUi be far more \^ complex, and as they became less questions of physical * power and more questions of political reasoning a settlement of the questions of small nationalities would become more urgent than ever before. In the ultimate settlement of the Irish question he did not anticipate that the United States government was likely to take an active part. It would be wholly unnecessary. But the weight and intiuence oi the American people would be not only helpful, but would probably be a determin- ing factor in the settlement of a question which was of as nuich interest and importance to them as it was to this country, and every right-thinking man would be anxious to assist them to see the Irish truest ion in every one of its diti'erent points of view. The company assembled to meet the American visitors also included the Citv High Sheritf ^Mr. A. Beattic, D. L.), Mr. Wm. :M. Mnrphv, Gen. Hyrne. C/ol. Fowie. Capt. Gwynn. M. P., Sir H. Shetheld, Kev. Or. Mur- ray, ^lajor Montague, etc. P S T I. r D K In the three years following the visit of the American newspaper delegation, Ireland has been the scene oi epochal events; but neither the aims of the irreconcilable extremists nor the fears of those who deemed Ireland's struggle for political liberty hopeless, have been realized. The Irish Free State has been born. Its estab- lishment is a notch short of the absolutely independent Irish Republic which was the ultimate i>bject of the predominant Sinn Fein faction. The plan of campaign outlined by the Sinn Fein K\niers to their American listeners, as already nientioned, was — I'iO — put in oi)orati()ii in (he oonoral Parliaiiicntary olcH'tioiis World War of Ninctoon lluiulivd KiiihUvn. Tho voluino and \'p lys^ violoiur of the Sinn Fein movcMiiont tliat ovcrswopl (^[jjyj^x Ireland at tliat time may he judged from a simple r./ inathematieal eom[)aris()u. In the outgoinu-, or War, ^ Parliament, Southern Ireland i.e., the anti-British constitueneies — had ninety representatives, of wjiom only six were aA'owed Sinn Feiners, while nearly all the rest, or seventy-eight, were Irish Nationalists, or Home Hulers, who had followed the leadershij) of ,lolm E. Redmond, reeently deeeased, and John Dillon. Hut when the returns for the Parliamentary election follow- ing the Armisliee were all in, it was found that tlie Sinn Feiners had elected seventy-tluve members and the Home Rulers only seven. This striking reversal told the whole story of the Sinn Fein avalanche. What is more, the seventy-eight Sinn Feiners were elected, not to sit in Farlianienl, but to protest against British rule by staying home. Their seats were never tilled; and thus one of the ])r(Mlicti()ns made to the American visitors was verified. The political revolt of aroused Ireland was soon fol- lowed l)y armed rebellion. For more than two years most of the counties of Southern Ireland were in a state of insurrection. Owing to the strict British censorship, little was known l)y the outside world of the progress of the fighting. It has since gradually come out that in the later months of the rebellion, tlie British army of occu- pation, including the considerable body of irregular troo})s known as " Black-and-Tans," was not far from one hundred thousand. But in the reports that filtered through there were accounts of sharp local engage- nients, and many interesting stories of the prowess and enterprise of the leader of the Irish insurgents, General ^lichael Collins. — 121 — World Wak The on-looking world had just begun to settle down to At Its l^^^^ contemplation of a long, weary and sanguinary Cliai^x struggle in Ireland, when in the early fall of Nineteen ' ^ Hundred Twenty-one it was surprised, almost startled. ^ by the news that an Irish delegation had accepted an invitation to go to London and treat for peace and a settlement with Premier Lloyd George and other min- isters of the British crown. Next came the announce- ment of a truce and the departure of an Irish delegation, including Eamonn de Valera. President of the Republic that had been proclaimed by the Sinn Fein. The result- ing conference was abortive, but it paved the way for a second meeting, which yielded historic results. Among the delegates to the second conference was General Collins and the founder of the Sinn Fein, the famous Arthur Grifhth. The upshot of its ileliberations was the memorable " London Treaty." which led to the organization of the Irish Free State. This was in December, Nineteen Hundred Twenty-one. AVithin a few weeks the treaty was approved in the face of strenuous opposition on the part of Mr. De Valera and his sympathizers, by a small but decisive majority. Five months later it was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of the Irish voters, in a general election of members of the Dail Eireann. the legislative body of the Free State. In the first months of existence Ireland's new ship of state encountered stormy weather. A surviving faction of the Irish Republican army rebelled against the London settlement, and De Valera took the lead in letter propaganda against the Free State compromise. The outcome was a period of local, desultory warfare, chiefly in Dublin and Cork, between the soldiers of the Free State's army and the regulars of the extreme Republican wing. Satisfactory headway had been made — U2 — in piittiiiii' down the revolt when the new government was severely afHieted by the death of Arthur (iriffith. President of the Dail Eireann. Another and more sensa- tional loss was in store for it, in the tragie death of Miehael Collins, chief of the Irish administration, who was killed by rebel soldiers fii'ing from ambush. These calamities, painful as they were, had a pacifica- tory etl'ect. At the first meeting of the Dail Eireann held after the deaths of (iriffith and Collins, the members elected Richard A. Cosgrave president of their body, and in his first official address he pledged himself and his su])i)orters to work for Irish unity and to continue the policies of which Griffith and Collins had been the leading advocates. World War At Its Climax ^^Ww^Wj^'^t^ O'Connell .St reet cxnS iiriavo sink to sloop in tho oonifortinu' thoniiiit that wo had WohldWar ontdono our niaga/.ino hrothron? At Its The ihiy was oUnuly and misty with an al>sonoo ot" wind, idoal for an air voyago, in tlio minds of tho uninitiatod. Thon oamo tlio distnrbinu- thonghl that (lorman air hnooanoors miuht no^loot to sonntl thoir foi;; iiorns whon I'omini;' sndilonly npon ns l)ohind a ilark oloud, hixiX tlio whok^ l>unoh of Amorioan pnhhshors and mako otf for Horhn with thorn. A Sot>toh ook>nok aftor ouv tirst [)roparation to lly, toUl ns of tlio groat oost of oonstrnotini^' tho mighty maohino wo woro to tako, and said that anothor attompt might ho mado jnst boforo noon if it oloarod in tho intorim. *' IVr- haps yon won't mind a slight ohanoo of a tlitHonlt land- ing," ho obsorvod. *' Oh, not at all, not at aU," oliimoil tho oditors, ** Ihongh of oourso wo wonld n't for all tho world havo yon tako tho ohanoo of damaging so valnablo a llandloy-Tago maohino on onr aooonnt. Thoro aro othor wavs of roaoh- ing Franco INloanwhilo wo had absorbingly watohod aviators tako maohino aftor maohino and tly away, nndistnrbod by conditions. Thoy woro testing ont a tloot of pianos tlosignod for war uso which woro to bo takon o\or and wonld act as a sort of aerial ct)nvoy to tho grand tlight of tho oditors. Tho voyagors woro slu>wn about plant and tiold. Thou- sands of wonion worked in [)lants and hangars. Camo noon and from ont of buildings thoy pourod in marching squads into tho plaza in tho center of the place. In platoons thoy marched away to luncheon. It was an inspiring spectacle. The heavens wore still nuu'ky, and our colonel-host invited us to lunch at Lympue castle, ancient rendezvous of the Archbislu>]> of Canterbury, now hoaiUiuartors of ^YoRLD^YAR an aviation corps. In an hour or so he promised we At Its iiiight be able to make the flight. Lunch half over, the Climvx <^'^1<^^i*'^- called to the telephone, returned shortly with to beaming countenance saying, he had just heard from * France and he believed we would soon be able to make the liight i^ .=^ As we sat chatting after our lunch, seven British aces, bristling with medals, insignia of bravery, came in and took a table back of me. One of them had evidently just returned from the front and told minutely in an undertone of a thrilling battle in the air with three Bodies a few days before. I'nfortunately. eagerly never- theless, I drank in every word of it. He had been sur- prised. He described how he did nose dives, tail dives, volplaned, and executed the various other maneuvers necessary to outwit and deceive his antagonist, before he shot down a German ace. his machine in Hames. and drove otf the other two. It was a graphic tale. Upon u\e. however, it acted as anything but a good digestant. We were marched back to the ceilonels otHces and everything was made ready for our flight. It gets very cold a few thousand feet up in the air and there were electrically heated coats, helmets, fur gloves, goggles, all piled in a heap. At headquarters we were informed it was necessary for a plane to attain a height of ten thousand feet so that should anything happen over the channel we could, without power, volplane or glide either over to France or back to England. The big Handley-Page machine was again hauled out by a tractor and workmen got busy testing apparatus, adjusting wings, trying the engine and whirling the propeller. Clad in our uncouth paraphernalia, as if about to begin a Polar expedition, twelve gloomy editors closely watched tactics. It was a tense moment. — KU — Ill my roportorial days, 1 recalled, I had seen one man World War go to the ii'allows and, at another lime, one sent to the At Its eleetrie ehair, when a meniher of our ])arty broke in Clim^vx upon niv melancholy medilations with ** Well, O'llara, how do you feel about it now? " " Just as you do, you hypocrite, oulwai-dly calm and boastful; inwardly praying for rain." In early childhood a good mother inspired this writer with an abiding faith in the etlicacy of prayer. Our colonel-host looked n\) at dark clouds hanging over the channel, said it was raining in France and solemnly remarked : " Well, there 's one chance in a hundred it may not be all right. With my own men 1 'd have to take that chance. You are Americans, guests of the British government, and T 'm not going to take that chance with you gentlemen." Soon it rained and we were on our way by automobile to Folkestone, whence we sailed for Houlogne. We were met there by British otHcers with automobiles, had a good dinner at a French restaurant, and at ten o'clock resumed our journey to Hadinghem, that was to l)e our headquarters during our stay at the fighting fronts in France and l>elgiuni. A two hours' swift ride over a fair road tlirough stately Lombardy poplar trees brought us to our chateau shortly before midnight. f l;« — ( IlArTER XXI Radinghem Castle Iliaiorical Old Chafcaii irliich General Ilaig in Piirsiiif of Retreatiag (iennans Ahandonecl Four ]]\'eh\^ Hefore Arriral of the FAlitora. ADINCiHKIM Chnteau,or castle, which- c\'er name one is pleased to use, is of massive stone construction and digni- tied, imposing architecture. Tall, circu- lar towers and minarets give it an appearance of great size without and spaciousness within, the latter not borne out on insi)ection, as l)eyond an extensive dining hall and a big living room, each with huge, old-fashioned firei)laces, the chateau, for its size, is cut up into many small rooms. A moat, reminiscent of mediaeval days, surrounds the chateau, with its quaint, ancient-looking draw-bridges, which in olden times were raised at night, j)rotecting occupants of the castle against unwelcome visitors or marauding bands which then infested the country. In the hills beyond the chateau is the source of the river Lys, of which the moat is a part, so that the latter is always abundantly supplied with water. Spacious grounds, with a wilderness of big trees, green- houses, grottoes and fountains, tell of former rich attractiveness. While the chateau bears the appearance of great age, it really was built only seventy-five years ago by an Englishman. Some parts of it, however, come down from feudal days, a building having stood on the spot as early as the Tenth Century. Somewhat back — 137 — T ^VoKLD^VAl^ from the villairo street and just outside the great arehed At Its gateway of Radmghem Castle is a quaint httle Cathohe Climax ^^^^^^ch in the middle of a quainter cemetery, both of which kx^k centuries oki. Rich-toned silver bells at matins and vesper time awoke memories of pre-war days when peace and happiness reigned among these simple pei^ple. who today were being summoned to morning and evening prayer, the burden of which was that war might soon end. Nestling in a picturesque, peaceful valley, prior to Nineteen Hun- dred FourtetMi. pastoral inhabitants of Radinghem settlement never dreamed that war othces would one day be established in the historic old castle. Several weeks before our arrival at Radinghem. Uinden- bnrg had been forced to pick up his line and move it back toward Berlin. Sir Douglas Ilaig. commander-in- chief of the British armies, eager to keep in as close comnumication with Hindenburg as possible, turneii Radinghem Castle over to his government and. following Hindenburg eastward, established his headquarters in a similar castle twenty miles away. The British govern- ment dtvided to use the castle for Americans who, for one reason or another, had othcial business in the locality. General Haig left behind him. in charge, an excellent corps of chefs and other servants under several of his aides. From here our party was to sally to battle fronts in Belgium and France, leaving in the early morning in a train of automobiles, owned by Fnglish generals and driven by British soldiers, and returning late at night after a strenuous two hundred or two hun- dred liftv mile ride. LS8 — 5 K 2^ CHAPTER XXII An Unique and Scientific Stunt Itujcnioiis Allies Found a u'di/ fo Get Propananda into (Icrnian Hanks. I'scd II of Air Paper lialloons. jN what that excellent reporter, Irviii S. Cobb, described so plainly as the slam- ming and banii'ini;- of war, the sword seemed mightier than the pen. To a ])nblisher particnlarly, cherishing belief in the power of the press, api)roacli to the front was something of a disilln- sionmeut. Somehow the front l)roiight back to one Napoleon's profession of faith in battalions, and ponnded home the fact that a machine-gnn had its nses that conld not be hlled by a typewriter. If ever there was a " nnnxler of a lovely theory l\v a gang of brntal facts," it was in the a{)parent doing in of the adage that the pen is mightier than the sword. Every one recognized, of conrse, that the press was indisi)ensable in keeping np morale in dark hours, in disseminating information, bnt stark facts ruled at the front. It was therefore a morsel of comfort to us to find at Hadinghem that the press was in the war. There were bales of literature in French and German at the castle ready for circulation in Germany and in the borderland, where both languages were used. The issues included maps showing the advance of the Allies and carrying notations of (lernian casualties and losses in materials of war. They comprised dodgers with argu- ments likely to appeal to a people breaking under the — 139 — World War strain of war with its grief, mental depression in defeat, At Its disease and hunger. There were folders, fac-similes of Clevl\x ^^tt^^'^ from Germans, who were prisoners of war, to writing home to tell their families that they were well * fed and well treated. All these were carried by balloons or airplanes for distribution in the enemy territory. It was a campaign of peaceful penetration in the midst of war s^ ."^ An aide of General Haig, who showed us the material and explained the mechanism of this little-known phase of the war. said that the Intelligence Department reported unmistakable signs of its effects. Although it was an offense carrying a death penalty for a German soldier to keep such literature picked up from the enemy, it was said, prisoners brought in were found to have Allied prison camp menus concealed under their tunics. ^ The way this subtle ammunition was carried to the enemy was scientifically prepared. Captive balloons were let up with their crews and say a half a ton of such material, when the winds were favorable. In the cargo of the captive balloons were smaller paper balloons, to which packages of the pamphlets were attached. A timeing device was set so that the print paper would be dropped after the smaller balloons had been in the air a definite time. The drift of the wind was calculated so that the propaganda would reach the particular locality for which it was designed before it dropped. High lights in campaigns of this sort were the subject of press correspondence in wartime, as when D'Annunzio flew over Vienna and bombarded the Austrian capital with his own writings on the war. There was dogged- does-it daily work of the sort, however, that passed without mention. On the American front, a principal argument used in the communications to the enemy was that Americans fed — UO — their prisoners well. It was to combat enemy propa- World War ganda that prisoners were tortured. At Its The P^rench, with Latin subtlety, released anonymous Climax writings, purporting to be by French Socialists, calling ^ upon their German comrades to drop their arms and ' stop the senseless slaughter of workmen by workmen at the behest of " their masters." British bluntness marks the samples of the British air- press. " By Balloon " is printed in English on top of the front page of many of the specimens before me as I write. Below the legend the same routing is printed in German, " Durch Luftballon." One interesting dodger in the souvenir collection is a sheet with a cartoon on one page, and the reverse blank. The cartoon is captioned, " DieErste Million." In the foreground, climbing up a slope lettered " Frankreich " is a heroic-sized American soldier carrying the colors, and behind him stretching from pictured France back to New York and the Statue of Liberty in the back- ground are phalanxes of troops, the first million arriving in France on the bridge of ships. The soldier would quarrel with the cartoon which shows him carrying his amnmnition belt slung like a bandolier, and the artist might criticise the execution, but the idea is plain and the Germans got it. Even the well-oiled German propaganda machine could not erase that picture from the minds of the German people once they had seen it. Whatever they might mis- take in it, they could not mistake the Stars and Stripes, the men behind it, and the goddess of Liberty toward whom millions of them had strained their eyes in the past &^ 5o» Titles of other communications among the specimens are interesting in their suggestiveness. One is " Langsamer Hungertod," which even to one unacquainted with — 141 — World Wae German conveys some of its harsh meaning of slow death At Its ^^y J^tarvation. Another title with a special appeal to the CLr\L\x piii^'^^'^^^pl^i^^"^^ German is " The Fnture of Germany — f The enemy did not let the attack of the Allied press go nnchallenged. They issned connter-otfensive propa- ganda, circnlated by small, colored-paper balloons, which were shot down by American snipers and forwarded to the Intelligence Department after souvenir hunters had obtained their copies hot from the press. American veterans recall their anticipation of the weekly arrival of '* The American in France." ** The American in France '* was published in Fnglish at Strasbourg, according to information in its columns v^^ c^^ Its earlier issues were on heavy gloss paper. All were well prepared. The colunms contained numerous adver- tisements of beer gardens, theaters and anuisement places behind the German lines, the German idea of an invitation to the Yankees to go across and be comfort- able ,=^ .'^^ The photographic reproductions in the publication were executed beautifully. Some of them were of cuts from Fnglish publications issued in Civil War times. Others were of American soldiers who were prisoners in Ger- many. A favorite grouping was of a dozen or more apparently intact Yankees sitting in a beer garden with nuisical instruments in hand and steins on the tables, proving something about good fellows getting together, perhaps. Study of the photographed faces of the Americans showed in every instance that at least one in the group was glowering. The object of the old Fnglish cuts was to show that England had tried to aid in dismemberment of the I'nion. That was the appeal one week. The next week — U^2 — it was to Irisli-Anioricaiis anionu; ilio troops to nMiieni- World War hor Iivland. At Its To tlie slii(I(Mil of tlic iiuMliods and otlocts of piihlica- (^i^jj^^x tioM fJKMV always ap|)CNirc(l some (law in the (JcMMuaii e, luotliod of ari^imuMit. A logical scl of j)r(Mniscs would he ' built up and an ohlicjuc t'onclusiou draAvn. For instance, it was argued: England and Ireland never got along &^ &^ Britain has oppressed Ireland. Irishmen have haled Hritons for centuries, (icnnany hated England. There- fore ciiildren and grandchildren of Irishmen and Irish women should join Hergdoll. Kr whom they were written. And into my mind came the words of the lamented Roosevelt, who. when asked if he would remove to America the body of his son Quentin. shot down after desperate aerial battle with three Boche whom he might have avoided, replied: " You can not bring them up to be eagles and expect them to die like sparrows. My own choice is that a soldier, like a tree, should lie where he falls I " And Quentin Roosevelt sleeps where he fell, his wrecked — 150 — airpljine marking his gijivo in Knsloni Fraiuv. Our Would War parly j^ricvod not lo ho ahio h) iiiid it and (h'op a tear At Its and a (Iowcm-. \\u[ [\\c young Ikm-o is neither forgollon nor noglocloiL lie is si ill alive in the hearts of the Allies and they, and admiring Americans abroad, will eternally eover his grave with tears and (lowers and wreaths .<5©» .^o. Climax "y' i# ' ^,AVV 151 ( IIAriER XXV Windy Corner 07ie of the Most RepeUent Battle Fields in the War — Literally a Swojnp in u'liicli American Boys Slept and on which They Fought. ilXDY CORNER and Giveiichy had a strong lure for me, as the section is a ])art of Flanders fields and also because it is in the Ypres sector, where, as I afterward learned, my son first " went over the top." To those of us who have been permitted to see these dismal swamps and water-holes, in which trenches and dug- outs were impossible, the wonder is how men lived and fought under such horrible conditions. Truth is they didn't; they died in vast numbers in the terrific cam- paign at this point. JNIen were forced to roll up their equipment and, placing it under their heads as pillows, lie down in these sloughs to sleep. Sentinels walked among them to see that their comrades, in their ex- hausted state, did not, while sleeping, sink into the mire and smother. Major Furry Ferguson Montague, repre- senting the British Ministry of Information, our guide on this trif), who had fought desperately at this point and been decorated for bravery, interestingly explained the story of the Battle of Windy Corner, (iivenchy on the La Bassee canal in the heart of the fighting zone of the Ypres sector was our main objective. Here was the original Windy Corner, the Tommy's " shor'cut to *ell," a cross roads that had been con- — 153 — i World War stantly under Geriiiaii fire. Here, too, was the famous At Its ^^oai Farm where the tide of battle raged fiercest in the Climax f^'^*^'^* offensive in the spring of that year, where General Haig sent his famous message, '* For God's sake, America, hurry I AYe 're fighting with our backs to the wall! " — where General Haig in desperation put into action the Thirtieth Division raised in our Southern States, and oiu* own New York Twenty-seventh Division, the only American troops brigaded with the British in northeastern France and Belgium. And there, as I sub- sequently learned, my own son, a member of the One Hundred Fourth ^lachine Gun battalion. Twenty- seventh division, had gone over the top and received his baptism of fire, where the Germans in their march to the Fnglish channel had liroken down the Allied defense, but did n't know it. Four years of fighting in this sector had been so stubborn that the line had not varied four miles in all that time. Over a gentle slope about a half mile from the historic ]Moat Farm is all that is left of Givenchy. It had a church, business places and other buildings, but all was gone. All about was bleakness and ruin. A sombre padre was digging with a spade in the wreckage of a church. We were told that when the storm of fire and gas and shell broke over the unfortunate community,, several years before, his parishioners, fiying before the wrath of the Germans, gave their little treasures, orna- ments, jewels and so on to the padre, who would not desert his cluu'ch and they were buried by him where he believed they would not fall into the hands of the Germans. Now he was back to recover them. It was of this sector, too, that Lieut. -Colonel John INIcCrea of Toronto, wrote his immortal poem, ** In Flanders Fields." Both faith and pathos lie in the story. Lieut. -Colonel ^IcCrea was killed in battle and now — 154 — sleeps beneath the poppies about which he wrote so World War beautifully in the following stanzas: IN FLANDERS FIELDS In Flanders field? the poppies blow Between the Crosses, row on row. That mark onr phice; and in the sky The larks still bravely singing fly, Scarce heard amid the gnns below. We are the dead. Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow. Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe. To you from falling hands we throw the torch- Be yours to hold it high; If ye break faith with us who die. We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. At Its Climax — 155 C HArPER XXVI Huge Out -Door Tank Hospital Tniercfiiingh/ Unique Sy.steni of Camoujiaging — Scrccna Made to Resemble Tall Rowi< of Trees with Dying Leaves of Autumn. FEW miles from Radingliem on our second day out, our route took us Ihrough the small village of Ems. It was headquarters for repairing bomb- ing tanks of Allied forces. There was a solid fifty acres of these Erankensteins in all stages of disrepair. Hundreds were beyond repair. In the innnense shops seventy-five hundred men worked. Many were Chinese. It was said they were expert mechanics, quickly trained to the need of the hour. These innnense shops were in charge of two young Brazilians, graduated from Cornell Uni- versity, who had volunteered into the British service in Nineteen Hundred Eifteen. Chinese, they declared, were excellent workmen if clearly shown in the begin- ning just liow' to do things. They had no initiative, how- ever, their chiefs said, and when once taught would always follow in the same way. It w^as impossible to " un teach " them. There were miles of railroad tracks in the grounds, and tanks were shipped in and out on low platform cars built especially for this ])ur})ose. We were all intensely interested to see here also an army of Chinese working in an immense building upon a uni(|ue scheme of camouflage. It was autumn. Along i "World AVak French roads at tighting fronts on the side toward the At Its nioving German army, miles of screens were put np on Clim-\x P^^^^-^ resembhng hop poles. Behind this perfect camou- flage AUied armies stealthily moved, unobserved by the enemy. Gun carriages and other tighting machinery were covered on the top with earth and sods to shut out the view of air raiders. Materials upon which these yel- low men worked had been taken down from roads at the front and were being changed to match the season. Bits of Canton tlannel had hitherto been dyed green to resemble leaves of trees. Fall was now at its height and leaves on trees wei-e turning to gold and crimson and pink and yellow, and so these counterfeit leaves had been dyed into autumnal hues and were being sent out to be put up along active roads in war zones. The method of ertx^ting was that every few hundreii feet, bunches of these mock leaves were placed so as to give the appearance of trees covered with dying foliage. Stretches between these apparent trees were tilled with a colorless background cloth which did not stand out in the atmosphere but which served successfully to hide everything going on behind it. In the Ypres sector in and about \Vindy C\^rner we saw many miles of this sort of stutf to fool the enemy. Before leaving home I had betm told of train after train being rushed across Canada. A few who had been per- mitted to go inside these seiTct trains said they con- tained Chinese. Before our party went abroad it learned that two hundred thousand Chinese had crosseii Canada from Vancouver and were sent to France to do all numner of work behind the lines. It was in this way. no doubt, that the shops we saw. and many otliers not already run l\v women were brought up to full capacity, all able-luxiied men of France capable of taking up arms being at the front. — loS — CHAni:!! XX\ II LiUe Up to Armisiice Day the Scent' Here Was the Mottf Joyous One in Our Whole J ournei/— Sights That Brought Tears to the Eyes of Some of Us. ILLEI What a world of memories that word of five letters awakes to us! Three days'after the German hordes marehed out. after four long and weary years, our Editorial band nuirched in. It was a day of unbounded joy and triumph in this, next to Paris, largest city in France. From roof to cellar bunting and French. British. Italian. American and other Allied flags had been imfurled. Nowhere had we ever seen decorations so varied and profuse. In our minds it is an ineti'aceable picture. It seemed as though all the inhabitants were in the streets, too overjoyed to think of anything but their own deliverance. They had heard that a party of American editors were coming to town, and in a little suburb before we reached the city, buildings had been placarded with the words *' Welcome to Our Deliverers." The editors coidd not understand what they had to do with it. Then we learned the greetings were intended for British and American troops who three days agone had entered the city and driven out the Bochc; Lille was the only place evacuated by the Germans without first having destroyed it. President Wilson had told Kaiser Wilhelm it would be futile to plead for — 159 — World War interference on America's part until he stopped destroy- At Its iiir^ property, killing children and old people and CLm\x t^*^^^i^ii<^liii^g" women. These things Germany promised. "J They blew up Lille's great bridges, but this is perniis- ^ sible in warfare as a military necessity, the retreating army being licensed to do acts intended to prevent suc- cessful pursuit. In the great plaza in the center of the city where we stopped to view the joyous sights, our cars were sur- rounded by thousands of excited, in some instances, almost hysterical people, insisting upon telling us the a\\'ful story of their four years of German thraldom. As they spoke French, Edward H. Butler of The News, Buffalo, who speaks French like a native, acted as our interpreter. They told us that the Hun had bled the city of all able-bodied men, sent them to Gernuiny and forced them to work for the Gernum government: that they had carried otf five thousand young girls with whom they had lived; that if a girl was good-looking she had her choice of working twelve or fourteen hours a day in the fields or living in ease with a German officer. People with hand carts, and in a few instances, with wagons containing all manner of household goods, were hurrying about moving back to their old homes from which they were driven four years before. On an old mattress spread on a pushcart, I saw a feeble old woman and at her side a young woman apparently very, very ill, being propelled through the principal street by a boy of perhaps fifteen years. Mother, daughter and soul It was sad. but this was by far the most wonderful, the most joyous day we had seen and forced tears into our eyes. " Utterly indescribalile; words fail." we said in unison. Lille is a fortified or walled city of ancient type and is crossed by the Douai canal and is one of France's — 100 — ¥ most prosperous sections. Living was almost impos- World War sible. The (lermans forced many factories and mer- At Its chants to continue and then took the income away Climax witli them. Through many a ruined town in that day's trip we passed. Lille was an outstanding oasis in a desert of devastation and destruction. Lille is more than twice the size of Syracuse. Had the Hun treated Lille as he had other cities he had occupied, it would he not at all inappropriate to inquire what would he the state of mind of Syracusans if some morning they awoke to find not a brick upon a brick, the whole a dismal heap of stone, brick, mortar, iron and wood as if wrecked by some mighty earthquake. 161 CHAPTER XXVIII Vimy Ridge The World's Bloodiest Battle Grounds — More Killed Here Than on Any Other Field of Carnage. As Many Casualities of French Alone as the Total Army That Fought on Either Side in Our War of the Rebellion. HE writer's current letter to the Herald while there best tells, so far as he is able, the story of Vimy Ridge, which had l)eeii captured by the Allies two weeks before our party's arrival. It follows: '' Vimy Ridge marked the crest of Cier- man endeavor in the bloody and bit- terly conlested i-egion between Lens, which the Germans took and held, and Arras, which the Allies had and held. It is a sloping eminence of noble contour rising from the prevailing ])lains of Central France. The ridge proper extends for six or eight miles along the slope, and is })robably two or three miles in its widest dimension. It is n't much of a hill, as hills go in America, but it has distinct topographical proportions and is a natural defensive position. "It is the graveyard of many valiant soldiers, on both sides, and it is, too, the graveyard of any hope the Germans ever had of an advance on the middle British front. The French lost it early in the war, and laid long and determined siege to it. It is said that the total number of French casualities in the futile attack at Vimy were 215,000. The vast number of French — 163 — ? ^VoRLD^VAR graves in the area behind \'iniy prove that the losses At Its 'were great. There are Canadian and l^ritish graves, ** The Canadians took \'iniy in the spring ot' U)17. They took it at a great eost, bnt they took it. They had moved in about October, U)l(), after their great expUnt at Passchaendale. The British had failed there, and so had the Australians; but the Canadians did not fail. It was their superior strategy, perhaps. They made a feint in one direction, and engaged the enemy there and then sutidenly shift ei,l [o the Hoche tiank and had him. '* The Canadians modestly say that they had better luck at Passchaendale than the others, for the British and Australians are tine soldiers, none better. The Aus- tralians admit it always. It was said in France that they say the Americans often tight as well as they do. Higher praise could hardly be given I *' The Canadian corps was sent from Passchaendale to Vimy and began the long preparation for the surprise assault in the spring. There was a lot of timnelling and mines and one morning there was a grand explosion, and then the Canadians started out, supported by some Scotch and British troops; in a few hours it was over. The sapper had come into his own. *' The American Editorial party visited ^'imy only a few days after the Boche had retired from tiring range. He had been driven down into the valley beyonil, but continued to turn his artillery on \'imy. The Canadian and his conn-ades were comfortably quartered, however, in the dugouts and entrenchments the Ciermans had elaborately built during the years of their occupation. The (lernian first captured his hill, or hole, and then proceeded in the most painstaking ways to make it safe. His favorite abode of security was a dugout. — ItU — Viiiiy wjis fjiirly «:,()I)Iumc(1 with llieni, Imill into llie World War hillside, often of permanent eenient eonstruction and At Its always with a view lo rendering the enemy's artillery Climax fire inell'eetive by makinj*" it possible and convenient to ^ «^o far un(ier<>r()und. I low a man can live in a dugout * day in and day out, for months at a time, without suffocation or insanity passes all comprehension. Hut they did il, and probably thought themselves well off — so long as they were safe. Did not men exist somehow in the Fhmders line for months and even years ? The dugouts of Vimy were palaces of comfort beside I he waterholes of Flanders. " The aj)proach to Vimy from the west is by Mount St. Eloi. One m;iy know that it is a mountain because they call it a mountain. It is a hill — an outpost of Vimy — surmoimted by a higher tower. The tower is a landmark for miles around and was long a pet target of long range (ierman fire. They hit it, too, but did not destroy it. Then comes Vimy. The background is a complicated and extensive system of entrenchments with hundreds and even thousands of emplace- ments for big guns, and the customary trenches and barbed wire. If the (iermans held the Ridge for many months, the Allies liad the whole broad expanse of the approach; and they made life unbearable for their foe above. lie ])aid his respects in his tm-n to the men below^ s^ 5^ " Down in a little exposed angle of the Allied position rested the little village of Souchet. They take the curious traveler to Souchet even now to show him the ruthlessness of modern warfare. There are many larger places than this little town that have been completely wiped out, and although Souchet was among the first to go, its fame lingers. Where once was a ttiriving little city are now a few crumbling walls and indis- — 165 — ¥ AVokldWak tiugiiisliablo heaps of debris that once were buiUiiugs. At Its The grass had had time to grow over the ruins of former Clim\x l^'-^i^^t^^, and the moss had begun to appear on the walls. First thei-e was a ruin, and in its train deoay. The hand of time is eompleting the wreek made bv man. ^ '* The party was taken to the top of the Uidge and liad luncheon there. It was an excellent meal, eaten with relish. The fact is mentioned to show that the mind grows calloused from sustained contact with desolation and death. AVe were in the midst of ten thousand graves and were the sole visible survivors of a deadly struggle that had been waged for tifty months. Yet we did not fail to respond to the demands of appetite. Well, even soldiers must eat, so why shouKi newspaper men starve themselves? .lit and went to the (irand Hotel — where the French g'overinnent, to wlioni the English government had kindly farmed us out, had i)rovitled excellent (juarters and where the remainder of our group rejoined us a day later. A surgeon, whom the government had assigned, ordered Piper and me to renuiin quietly in bed for five or six days to recover from shock. I stayed indoors until evening next day and Piper, whose wounds had mean- while become infected, was sent to the First American base hospital in the outskirts of Paris for a stay of five days ^^ .^^ AVhile we were in Paris the French government, which bore the expense of our entertainment in France, fur- nished a civilian conunittee to look after us. When up at French or American hghting sectors, French gen- erals and majors were our escorts. Early in the morning following our arrival we were waited upon by a civil conunittee of the French govern- ment and informed we were to command them for any- thing we wished and that on the arrival in Paris that evening of our companions, the whole program of our — 189 — Climax \VokliAVak stay in Franco would bo takon up and ilotorniinod. This At Its oonnnittoo was ooniposod of Lord C^issolross, a roniark- ably handsonio follow of porhaps thirty yoars, broad- shouldorod. of sploudid soldiorly boarini^. six foot two. ^ Tho othor nionibor was Haron laioky. small of staturo and slondor of franio. Lord Cassolross is a son of \aloutiuo C'harlos Hrowno. Karl of Konniaro. ownor of tho Lakos of Killarnoy and aooountod hvlaud's riohost man. C'assol- ross is a man of wondorful porsonality. has oiroU\i tho world sovoral timos. is a scholar and a man of many attainments. Ho had sorvod throo yoars at tho hoad of an Irish rogimont; his shouUlor was shot away in battlo, ho was oapturod by Ciornians. holil for oi^ht ilays and tinally loft to dio on tho tiold by thoso samo Cior- mans. whon thoy woro forood to rotroat. saying ho was doomed, anyway, and why wasto otfort, food and modi- oinos on him? Ho orawlod throo milos on hands and kntx\s back to Allied quarters, was sent to a base hospital whore for eight months his life was despaired of. Baron Luoky is a nephew oi tho Puke of Orleans of the well known Hourbon party in Franoe. who by right of suoeession would bo King, should France again become a kingdom. The l>uko of Orleans was critically ill of pneumonia at our hotel in London, the Savoy, when we left it for France. Haron Lucky had served tlnw years as a major in tho French army. He was gassed and sholl- shockcci and invalided homo ti> Paris. This distinguished pair announcoti thoy wore wholly at our service. AVe quickly learned that tho French govern- ment had selected them for ottico because thoy wore accomplished entertainers and because of their personal touch with men of atVairs in the French capital. Just before leaving London 1 had reoeived a letter from Frank J. ^Lirion, formerly oi Syracuse, now of New — 100 — ^ Ork, witli wlioni i li:ul worked ;is ;i in^poiItT on I lie Syrju'iiso Slaiulnrd, oxlondini;' an iiivilalioii lo our onlire party lo iXo into llaly as liis giiosl and s(h> wlial was hoini;' dont^ on I lie Italian fronl. Marion, whose liead- (juarlers were at Madrid, Spain, liati, l)eeans(> of iiis i;real knowledue of film prodneliou, been seid over by I lie American i^overnnieid as Ani(M-iean oflieial photog- rapher at Italian t'ronis, jnsi as Lord Heaxerhrook was sent into lielginni and b'ranee by England as her re|)re- sentative at battle fronts. As we had already visited lielginni, lo which country we had no pass[)orts, and had also been [>erinilted by our I^'nglish hosts to visit AnnM-ican and b'rench points in l^'rance, wt' decided not to impost* furlluM- n])on the go«)d nalnre of the {Ministry of Information. Tinu' was also an (*l(Mnent lo be con- sidered and we, reluctantly, were foi-ced to decline Mr. Marion's gracious invitation. At Amiens, on my way to Paris, while in a rtvslauraid a man in .Vmerican uniform atlractt^l my altenlion. .Vecosting him, I learned he was (^iptain \N'illiani (irange of Brooklyn. Asked if he had ever heard of the One llundrtul Fourth Machine («un Battalion of the Twenty-seventh Division, he re{)lied that he had and that it was then at rest at Corbie, nine miles away, lie named several Syracuse memlxM's but had n't met my son (icorge W. lie was first lo inform me that Major Chester II. King, of Synicuse, and the One Hundred Fourth Battalion, had been frightfully wounded and could not possibly live. A hurrii'd automobile ride to Corbie l)rought no results, as we were unable lo rtMch llie tlelil where the battalion w^as encamped, and Major Montague decided, to my utter dismay and disapi)oinl- ment, we nnist return at once to Amiens if we wei-e lo get our train for Paris that evening. The day following our arrival in Paris, through Lord — 1!)1 — \V()l{Iil)\V.\K At Its Cl.lMAX World War Casselross, who went to General Pershing's head- At It8 quarters there, (general J. LesHe Kincaid was reached Climax ^^^ ^^^^ telephone at Corbie and sent my son to me at ^ Paris .^^ .e — »■ stoadt'astly Fivucli. NO clustoritii;- villauos with frockod \VokldAVak aiul wchhIoii-sIuhhI peasants iinprossod one as more At Its Froiu'h than Paris, allhoiiiili at the capital the arniv n, .^, ^^■ uniti>rnis o\ all the world trioudly to hraneo nut^ht ho soon on parade. Warning was np on ovorv hand against spies. " Dis- trnst yonrself! Tlio oneniv's oars are everywhere! " read signs that were translated for ns. So Paris liospi- tably proviile(i even for the enemies of France, there withont nniforms. There was something in the air that eonld be sensed nowhere exeept at Paris. Perhaps it was some pre- science of victory so nearly won after snch hitter years .<^ s^ ^ While cathedrals and nnisenms were n[>holstered with sandbags and camontlaged against the spying eyes and devastating aim of enemy airmen and the fire of Rig Hertha, they stood as lasting momnnents to the sonl of Paris. ^l^issive, s[>acions, colorfnl, the old Frank, his spirit of art and his monnments embodying it, gave challenge to the forces that wonld crnsh them with hatred and its weapons .lomby was a ])oint of interest as an aviation section - ^05 — World War from which nearly all our American fliers who fought At Its in t^^ ^^ar went out. A demonstration was made for Climax *^^ benefit of the visitors. Anti-aircraft guns were to demonstrated, but it was freely admitted that their * efficiency had proved disappointing. Other places of interest as fought over for four years were Pont-a-Mousson, Seicheprey, Thiaucourt, Pannes, Nonsard, Heudricourt, Les Eparges, Vigneulles and Beaumont, all of which were visited. Constant firing by the Germans dropping a shell here and there near us made Paris seem safe and dear, and afternoon found us bound there as fast as we could go. Domremy, near Neufchateau, where Joan of Arc was born, was a point of especial interest to the editorial excursionists on the way back to Paris. Joan's home is just as it was five hundred years ago. There are shrines to her memory everywhere. A heroic statue is in the court in the center of the little settlement. Indeed the French country homes are about as they- were in Joan's day — rooms dark and cold and unin- viting. Domremy is well worth seeing, however. ^ A motor drive to Chaumont was taken, after which we entrained for Paris. 206 CHAPTER XXXVII Fiendishness Wild Riding Through Ruined Villages, With a Gruesome Experience 111 r own in — Farewell Trip to the War Zone. EFORE leaving Paris for a farewell )^ trip along French battle fronts, Rae of the St. Louis Globe Democrat, commiserating Piper and me on account of our accident, said we had some ^asure of comfort in the thought that IS our sons, who were only ones from the actual fighting forces. Piper went that day to the American front, which hitherto he had been unable to visit, while I went with Rae, Butler and Young to the French front, our party having already been over the American sector while Piper was in the hospital. ^ On such occasions it was not possible for me to take my son. General Pershing, as mentioned elsew^here, had issued orders that his men were not permitted to go to Paris. As this rule was modified in my son's case, when his permit read " Paris only," for him to have left Paris and gone elsewhere without special permission would have subjected him to a charge of desertion. Further, as he was notified before coming to me that he had been promoted in rank, any transgression of terms of his leave would nullify his scheduled pro- motion &^ &^ Lord Casselross offered him a compensatory balm, agreeing to take care of him for the day by giving him — 207 — World War two of the best meals to be had in all Paris — a consider- At Its ation which loomed big to a boy whose trench hunger Clim\x ^^^ ^^* ^^* been fully appeased. \^ Our party left Paris for Xoyon on a very early train. ^ Lieutenant (Count) le ]Marvis representing the French government had us in charge. Perhaps fifty-five or sixty years old, the Lieutenant was gray, florid and stocky. Before 1914, a prominent horseman, he had sold pedigreed horses to kings and other royalty throughout Europe and dealt also in race horses. Because of his great knowledge of them, the Count was now buying horses for the French government for use in the war. He is very wealthy, kindly and cour- teous 5«» 5^ Morgan, the Associated Press man in Paris, was invited to go along, an invitation which he readily accepted as he knew the capabilities of our noble host. On the train the Count opened and spread before us in the compartment, one of the best lunches we had had, and none that we had eaten since our arrival in Europe had been ordinary— pheasant, chicken, fruit and the rarest old wines &^ &^ At Noyon, where we quit the train, three French limousines awaited us, and we began our rapid ride along the French front. From the train window, as we neared Xoyon, we saw where General Joffre stopped the Boche in 1914 in his rush to Paris. A very intelligent, young French officer with whom we had shared our compartment on the train, an acquaintance of the Count, amply repaid us for his seat by vividly describ- ing the battles in and about Xoyon where trenches, entanglements, and dugouts were both extensive and numerous. X'oyon, the birthplace of John Calvin, was in ruins. A beautiful old Twelfth Century cathedral was about one-half destroyed. So was the Hotel de Ville, — 208 — set on fire by the Boche before evacuating the city, World War another mute evidence of his vandaHsm. At Its From Noyon, we proceeded to Chauny. CiviHans were Clim\x here moved to one part of the city and the balance ^ of the town was destroyed. A big fertihzer works, • said to be the largest in Europe, was deliberately wrecked &^ &^ From evidences still remaining it was about the magni- tude of the Solvay Process works at Syracuse. Through Moy and Le Fere we went to St. Quentin. Roads here were shell torn and mine rent with many bridges blown up. Many times we narrowly missed automobile acci- dents by a hair's breadth. Drivers were reckless, with utterly no regard for human life. After my little episode on the road to Arras it will be understood I was a bit nervous over wild automobiling and believed myself unduly timid until I consulted my companion, Rae, when we were safeh^ back in the hotel in Paris. He declared, " Never again for me. Several times I thought we were goners and it will take several weeks for me to recover from the bruises and bumps received when we were jostled from one side of the car to the other." ^ xA.t St. Quentin, we had an opportunity of seeing, first hand, more evidence of Hun inhumanity and lack of respect for religion and death. A former convent was used by the Boche as a military hospital and is now continued as such by the French. Underneath, what was the chapel when the building was a convent, is a crypt in which were buried nuns who had died in the service of the convent. The bodies were buried in rows one above the other, much as they are laid away in vaults. One of these interstices was opened, the lid of the coffin removed and the body, or what was left of it — it having lain there for sixty years, according to the inscription on the tablet at the head of the casket — — 209 — World War dragged out in a search for copper or other vahiable At Its n^^tal which the Boche needed. Burial of these meek Clim\x '^^^*^ lowly servants of the Master was simple — a plain ^ to board box, tin- or zinc-lined, of no account to the ghoulish * Germans, The ghouls had opened another chamber and found the same cheap make of casket. No one, as a war necessity, would have blamed them if copper were there to take it away. But what would any man with red blood in his veins and a heart in his breast have done? Woidd n't he have tenderly put back the remains of these poor servants, who in life thought only of the good of others, sealed up their resting places and left them as if they never had been disturbed? What did these fiends do? On the cold stone floor of the crypt they left the remains exposed, skull bones and grave clothes, for that is all that remained. The words of the great Balfour at a dinner given us in London two weeks before came vividly into my thoughts; " Brutes they were when the war began and brutes they will always remain." &^ &^ Next we drove through Ham, Xexler, Chaulnes, Quesenby and Roye, all showing the same depressing desolation and devastation, Montdidier, of recent fame because Americans so lately and at fearful cost had made a wonderfid record there. After one hundred -forty miles along this wilderness of ghost-like, ruined villages, our minds sickened from the sights and our bodies sore and lame from reckless automobile driving we concluded our ride along the British, American and French fronts, glad in oiu" hearts that om- inspection of scenes of devastation and destruction was ended. ^10 ^.v CHAPTER XXXVIII President Poincare Closing Events in Paris and a Return to London — Interesting Information Obtained in Crossing the Channel. |E had been told, on meeting them in London on their way out, that our predecessors, the magazine editors, had had one hundred twenty-five banquets during their stay. It was, therefore, our aim to outeat, as well as otherwise outshine them. Up to Paris we were ahead of their record. Our Paris hosts became- co-conspirators, determined that when we left France our record should beat that of the maga- zine men by a big margin of safety. There were dinners by art societies, by the national agricultural society, by officers of the French Republic, dinners at the Grand Hotel, at the Cafe de Paris, dinners to the right of us, dinners to the left of us, dinners all 'round us, by all manner of social, literary and poli- tical organizations, so that when we left Paris our dinner average or record was thirty per cent above that of our magazine predecessors. We went to Versailles to inspect the fine, stately, historic old palace in which meetings at the time were being held to determine the exact form of an armistice the Allies would present for Germany's signature, a few weeks later. President Poincare had bidden us for an afternoon, adding that as pressing matters were weighing heavily — 211 — World War upon him he would much prefer to meet us informally At Its i^ ^^^ President's mansion, or executive mansion, as Climax Americans would call it. It was our last important to function in Paris. Before we reached the inner chamber ^ we had passed through room after room in which were generals seated at desks. It was noted that most of them were old and gnarled and bronzed. Our ushers said all were more than seventy years, some upwards of eighty, and all had seen much service and had distin- guished themselves on many a battlefield. Having done their share they were now pensioners of a grateful government &^ &^ President Poincare spoke to us for a few minutes in English, but as his mastery of that tongue was not then complete (it has since been perfected) he continued in French, which was given to us through an interpreter. He spoke of the undying love of France for America, which he said antedated the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to America. In all the years between, that love had grown, had been greatly intensified. America, fighting side by side with France upon French soil, was a crowning glory for which, on behalf of the Republic whose chief he had the honor to be, he wished to express profound gratitude. There was no doubt whatever that America with her illimitable resources, men and money, was winning the war. The American soldier was paid a high tribute. We should not, however, underestimate the strength of the Prussians. They had put together the most wicked, yet the most powerful fighting-machine, trained for deadly efficiency, in the history of the world. Used in an unworthy cause it could not, it must not, triumph. War might not end for a year, perhaps a year and a half, but end it must eventually with Allied armies gloriously victorious. — 212 — We left Paris for London Monday night, November World War fourth. Crossing the Enghsh channel, Sir Campbell At Its Stuart whom we had met in London at all our big Ch^l^x social functions, asked me to share his quarters with ^ him, as several of our party had become sea sick and * he feared I might be a victim, if I remained with them. Sir Campbell was returning from the conference at Versailles, where he went with Viscount Northcliffe, with whom he was associated. Since then he has become business head of Viscount Northcliffe's vast newspaper and magazine publications. " I tell you, O'Hara, this damned thing will blow up within two weeks," he said. I called his attention to the fact that we had prac- tically just come from President Poincare, who said war would last a year or a year and a half longer and that King George made it longer still and that Joffre and other men of prominence had made it much longer. "I don't care," he remarked "just set it down in your diary that I, Campbell Stuart, crossing the English Channel on November fifth, 1918, told Mr. O'Hara that in two weeks war would end." As the world knows now. Sir Campbell was a prophet. After all, this is n't such a big world! As we neared the English shore Sir Campbell introduced me to a young man in an American uniform, rank of captain, who. Sir Campbell said, was a trusted Allied courier carrying mes- sages between Paris and London that were too secret and confidential for telegraph or telephone or mail. He was taking the place of an English ofiicer who had fallen ill of Spanish influenza. Told by our introducer that I was one of the party of visiting editors, the mes- senger inquired what State I came from. " New York State; Syracuse." "Why, that 's strange," he commented. "I played foot- — 213 — World War ball with your University, in Nineteen Hundred Twelve At Its *^^' Nineteen Hundred Thirteen." Climax ^ I'ecalled some of the games of those years and inquired to what position he played on our Syracuse University ' team &^ &^ " Oh, I did n't play on your team — against your team. I played with the celebrated Jim Thorpe of the Carlisle team." s^ *•► He was an Indian. Except for the fact he wore his hair pompadour, a characteristic of his race, and, upon close scrutiny, there was the Indian shape at the top of the head, one would never suspect his race. He had graduated with highest honors from the Indian Uni- versity at Carlisle, Pa. I left Sir Campbell in London at five o'clock that after- noon. Less than a week later I was one of the joyous millions to celebrate the signing of the Armistice. 214 PART VI Armistice Glorious, Triumphant Allied Demonstration General Smuts and Others Give Dinners Then Editorial Party Joyfully Returns Home (H AFTER XXX IX Uplifted in Ecstacy, the Old World Metropo- lis Was Thrown Into a Great Tumult When Germany Yielded A Great Thrill and a (hipping Thrall Seized London on Armistice Day — Let TlerselJ Loose in a Manner Hitherto Unknown in the Whole Hi dory of the British Nation. K)N1)()N had never before beheld, nor will aj>ain behold, such a day! British ealni and stolidity were smashed to smithereens in a general paroxysm of joy following announcement that the x\rniistice had been signed. A delirium of delight, to reign uninterru])tedly for a whole week, arose in this old world metropolis. It was a scene unprecedented in the wliole history of the nation and became graven unforgettably upon the memories of seven million frantic humans who witnessed it. Premier Lloyd (leorge caused to be bulletined at Buck- ingham Palace, a typewritten copy that hostilities had ceased and Armistice had been signed. Crowds came from every angle. There were calls for King George. In the uniform of an Admiral he appeared upon the bal- cony. The Queen, in fur coat, bareheaded, was witJi him. Then came the Duke of Connaught and Princess Mary. The Irish (iuards band played " liule Britannia." People sang and waved flags. The King removed his cap and was cheered deafeningly. A groan foi- the Kaiser was proposed and given. There was a trium])hal procession — 217 — AVoRLD War a little later, with Qlieeu ^lary and Princess ]Maiy At Its riding with the King. The Strand and tribntary streets (-•j^jj^j^-j^ began to choke. Mnltitndes assembled at Victory ^, Memorial, at Admiralty Arch, at Ludgate Circnsand at * the ^lansion Ilonse, where the Lord ]Mayor. in ofHcial robes of black and gold, was on hand to receive King and Qneen .wever, utUhing serious happened .<^ .-^^ People literally went wild. Streets seethed with a howl- ing, happy, hilarious, hysterical mob. The Hriton was shaken by ]>eace as he had not been and could never be by war. Four years of pent-up anger and subdued emotion, bnnight about by a most wicked and awful war, were forgotten and for once in his life he let him- self go and gave way to jubilation. Barriers came down with a crash ixnd a bang. \o American in any American city could luive gone crazier. It was passing wonderful the shouts of the nniltitudes as they sought to force themselves through the stilling, choked streets in a wild, triumphal rout of victory. AVhen at ten o'clock gims boomed the annoimcement : waiters, chambermaids, guests, bell boys all rushed like mad out of hotels. Clerks, janitors, shopkeepers dashed out of shops, owners or managers being left quickly alone in sole possession of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise unprotected and exposed from the streets through open, wide flung doors. Women in munition — '■2 IS - plants ill the outskirts of the city tlirow down their World War work. Everybody who was doing anytliing just threw At Its it into the air and sprang for tlie street, wliere all joined Cum^x the singing, shouting throngs that surged up and down. ^ All work was suspended, including public business, and ' London gave itself up wholeheartedly and unrestrain- edly to rejoicing. Most wonderful of it all were the woiiien. Thousands upon thousands of them rapidly filled the streets like a torrent. They captured and coininandeered tram cars, taxis and other vehicles of all descriptions, upon which they piled in unbelievable numbers. Police authorities were swept aside. The London '* Bobby *' stood stunned, while women sat in human pyramids upon tops of automobiles, upon radiators and upon mudguards. They clung to steps and footboards, they jammed streets, they laughed and screamed and sang, wept with joy. For four years they had " carried on," as the British say. but when the end came at last and victory was won they broke &9^ *•► For days the nation's nerve had been taut and while the Armistice luing fire the tension was terrific. Saturday and Sunday before the end on Monday, from all prov- inces people poured into London until standing room was at a premium. Thousands were unable to find beds or to get into hotels or boarding houses. Thousands camped throughout the night on the Thames Knibank- nieiit and waited for the hour to strike, and when it struck, London, for the first time in its history, gave completely away to emotion. Girls of high degree and girls of low degree joined like sisters. All class distinctions were swept aside in the joyous flood. Women flung their arms unreservedly about the necks of any man who wore khaki, it made no — -21!) — AVokldWak dirt'orouce whether he was an otHcer or a private. At Its -^ '^^^'^ "^ t^^*^ iiniforin of a Savoy chamberinaid kwped Climvx ^^P*^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ board of a ear in whieh rode a staff \* general and hugged him. and the statf general laughed ^ with glee and patted her eheeks and squeezed her hands. C[I British eaptains and British majors lost that liaughty stare and became Ih\vs, laugliing, happy boys. The city literally bla/.ed with tlags. Tlie British I nion Jack, of course. })redominated, but up and down the Strand were hundreds of American soldiers, and Ameri- can civilians including the twelve American publishers, guests of the British government, joining in the big celebration, waving the Star-Spangk\l Banner and shouting with the Britons. Everybody loved everybody else. AVherever you looked you got an answering laugh and a whole-hearted response, and the crushing masses of humanity on the streets and in the hotels, were for the time being, all brothers and sisters. It made no ditl'erence whether you were Knglisli, American, French or Italian. For once the Briton tiurw aside his stolid cahn. Far down the Strand, where stands England's great established [church, when its rector could collect his wits after his tirst big shock of surprise, silver chimes pealed forth the glad tidings tliat war was at an end. Almost directly across tliismain thoroughfare of London, in a beautiful old Catholic cathedral, bells rang out in unison in wonderful public piva us of joy and exultation, while within the walls of these sacred edifices, services of prayer and thanksgiving in the one instance and sinuiltaneously jubilee masses were chanted in the other throughout tlie livelong day. It was indeed a most solenm, inspiring and impressive exam]>le of a nation's recognition of (lod. — 'iiO — Tlu' (lay was tho <;!vat(\sl, llio most joyful, llu' most woiulcrriil, London liad cvcv known. All day pandemo- nium kopt up. For Ihc first lime in four years, irecd from fear of air raids, London drew hack ils blinds at night and turned on ils lights. The inky hiaekness of the streets disappeared and pent-up feelings of a great nation, that had suffered terribly and fought splendidly to a vietorious finish, were released and swe])t every- thing l)efore them. Woiii.dWak At Its Climax 221 — ^§i OL!je#^laf CRESHAM RSUVW , LUNCH EON. The Eleventh Hour I NEW PEACE DELEGATES ON THE WAY Time for Acceptance Expired at 11 a.m. To-day. OTEJISION MAY BE ASKED. > itivip.cUi driv« Tl. < PAJus ON nrrof. HOHENZOLLERNS IN EXILE. Kumt'* Flight to Holland. GERMANY FOLLOWS RUSSU. Mm MIT Mcr. SOLDIERS OISAMKO. Insert Mow .ihoirs extract from itifiJf page of Lotuhin Star ARMISTICE Sl€513> TO DAY- fULL DETAILS^ Of SUMNDH? :jgS] THE SYRACUSE HEB .U.D 5 s^ I PRESIDENT WILSON L^PRQCUUMS PEACE Wuhinffton, Nov. II. — Pr«si souncinf lh.it the armistice with Germanv had been signed. The prtjclamation follows: "My Fellow Countr>-men — The armistice was signed this mominf- Ever>-thing for which America fought lias been accbmplished. It will now be our fortunate duty to assist by example, by sober friendly counsel and py- material aid in the esUblishmcnt of just democracy throughout the »for!d. WOODROW WILSON." mm) mmm^ m m mm m is okea t^'owtM Mi* l*c*»r I JMCIllESCONGflESSMIM OfG[flMANY'SCOMP[[I[SUefi[NOFR n.> WT »T(U«II ____^ ] Hert Art the Terms \ Two Sews papers on Armistice Day CHAPTKH XL Hero of Boer War A Statefiman an Well as a Soldier, IVait of Great Aid to England, Especiallff in Last Three Years of War. 1 1 REE nights after the Armislico, Rij>ht lion. J. T. Snuits adcknl one more to I he one hnnch-ed twenty and odd (Hn- ners given ns. Altliongh last, it by no means was least, a signal honor we fnlly ai)])reeiate(l. (leneral Snnils, hero of the lioer war, chairman of England's War hoard, diplomat, high in (Ireat Britain's eonneils, was the man afterward credited with luiving drawn England's peace terms for the Versailles conference, lie proved a most congenial host. This social fnnction at the Savoy that evening stands ont in my memory. The whole affair was as democratic and informal as it was gracions and gennine. It consisted of a heart to heart talk with a hunch of news])aper publishers, who were charmed with his l)rilliancy, his candor, his sincerity and his apjiarent desire, now that war was over, to repeat for all the nations of the world some of the wonderful achievements which he had accomplished for his South African re})ul)lic. Although much of his excellent speech bore upon the League of Nations, (with which later he had so nnich to do), it is such a classic document it is herewith repro- duced in its entirety: " Let me congratulate you on your good fortune in being here on this supreme occasion. I am glad that I — 223 — World War have been privileged to be in this country at the coming At Its of peace and to see the temper and l>ehavior of this Clim\x 8'^^^^^ people at such a time. Remember that tliis people ^ ^ has borne unexampled burdens for nearly four and a ^ half years. They have striven and fought and labored in a war effort which has no parallel in history. They have suffered in l)ody and soul. The iron has gone into their soul. And today you see them rejoicing in the same great spirit in which they have labored and suffered ."^ s^ " Not a tinge of bitterness or vindictiveness mars their rejoicings. In this solenni hour of joy and gratitude all the bitterness of the past has died out of their hearts. No hynms of hate, no trampling on a prostrate foe. " It is not merely their sportsmanlike spirit, which has seen them through the darkest hours of this war, but it is more especially that depth and breadth and sanity of human nature which shines through their history as it shines through the plays of Shakespeare. I have had my little differences with the British people as you have had yours; but let us freely and frankly admit that they are a great people, and their sanity and free- dom from petty vindictiveness are not the least of their great qualities. "What an awful doom has come over Germany! The terribleness and fearfulness of her tragedy is enough to purge our souls of all petty and selfish feelings. What a price she has paid for her ambitions and her crimes! \Yorld power or downfall! It has, indeed, been downfall, but what a fall was there! It is the most a\\'ful lesson of history. ^lay its warning beacon light blaze into the most distant future of the world. This is what we have fought for — that the fate of Prussian militarism might be the most awfid and solenm judgment of history. And now that the task is done, let our thoughts turn away o^-i^ from destruction and punishment to the great creative World War tasks aliead of us. At Its " It all depends on the spirit in which we approach the (^le^ax great work ahead of us. The English people and their ^ partners in the British Empire entered into this war in ' a spirit of exalted moral idealism. To defend the small and weak, to champion the public laws of Europe, to establish freedom; such were the avowed objects with which we went to war in August, Nineteen Hundred Fourteen. And when the great American republic joined us in the titanic struggle it was not only with material weapons, but with all that moral reinforcement which came from the splendid vision and moral enthusiasm of President Wilson, speaking on behalf of the people of the United States. His was the great vision of a league of nations and of world organization against reaction and militarism in future. The world had to be made safe for democracy in a great organization which would be strong enough to guarantee the future peace and free- dom of the world. It is this moral idealism and this vision of a better world which has upborne us through the dark night of this war. '* Through all its ups and down, its awful setbacks, its harrowing alternations of hope and fear, we drew strength and courage from the cause for which we were fighting and the great hope for the future. And now that the victory has been won, it is alike our duty and our interest to remain faithful to that cause and that hope; to see that our victory does not merely end with the downfall of Prussian militarism, but that the organiza- tion be established which will secure us against a recur- rence of such disasters in future. We entered into this struggle and persevered to the end because we were profoundly convinced that the fate of Europe and the future of the w^orld were at stake, and the same convic- — 225 — World War tions brought America into the war in spite of her At Its Monroe Doctrine and the most cherished historical Ct tmax traditions. And for the present and the future, just as ^ much as in the past, our main concern and preoccupa- * tion nuist be the saving of Europe for the future of the world &^ s^ " Her position and condition today are tragic in the extreme. The exhaustion and sufferings of the war have reduced her to a state which can not but cause the gravest concern to all thoughtful people. I fear Germany has bulked too largely with us. Do not let us fix our gaze too exclusively^ on Germany at the present time. The dimensions of this great tragedy go far beyond Germany. In this solemn hour let us think rather of Europe, of broken and bleeding Europe, the mother of our common civilization. The organism of civilization can only bear a certain strain, and I sometimes fear the strain which has been put on it by this war has brought it perilously near the snapping point. The loss of life and property, the mental and physical agony, the accumu- lated effect of years of under-feeding or downright hunger — all these and more — have combined to pro- duce a state of affairs closely bordering on the dissolu- tion of corporate state organization. " The indescribable conditions of Russia are rapidly spreading to Austria. In Germany, too, the danger signals are up, while in some of the small neutral neighboring states the situation is causing grave con- cern. It is not merely that thrones and empires are fall- ing and ancient institutions suddenly collapsing; a whole world order is visibly passing away before our eyes. And the danger is that things may go too far and a setback be given to Europe from which she will not recover for generations. The evils bred by hunger threaten not merely old institutions, but civilization as — 226 — such. In this hour of victory, which was given us for World War great opportunity, we can not look on unmoved at the At Its tragic and pitiable situation. W^e have saved the soul of Climax civilization; let us now proceed to care for its sick body. -^ As we have organized the world for victory, let us now ' organize the world against hunger. That would be the best way to bind the wounds of the nations and to pre- pare them for the new order of international good feel- ing and co-operation. Not only the liberated territories of our Allies, not only our small neutral neighbors, but the enemy countries themselves require our helping hand. Let us extend it in all generosity and magnanim- ity. The very idea of organizing the food supply for the lands will help to purify and sweeten the atmosphere which has been cursed with war, hate and untruth. It would all have been so much easier if Germany had put up a clean fight, and had not stained her hands in such crimes. But even so, we have to be influenced by larger considerations. We must try to save what can still be saved from the wreck of Europe and prepare the nations for the better order for which so much has already been spent. In this great crisis we are not merely Englishmen or Americans; we feel the call of a common humanity, the pull of those simple human feelings which alone can heal the deep wounds which have been inflicted on the body of civilization. "It is interesting to consider what influence this state of the continent of Europe will and must have on President Wilson's program for a league of nations for world peace. Although the idea of a league of nations has been universally welcomed, especially in America and in this country, and opinion in favor of its practi- cability has been making rapid progress, still it must be admitted that it has been looked upon more as an ideal than a practical measure. Among hard-headed politic- — 227 — AYokldWak ians and European diplomatists I fear there has been a At Its tendency to look npon the idea with a good deal of Clim\x 1'^*^^*^'^" '^^^^^ even skepticism as Utopian ami not snited r.', to existing conditions of European politics. ^ '* This has largely l>een due to the fact that the function hitherto assigned to the league of nations, namely, that of preserving world peace, was looked upon as a vain aspiration on the ground that, human nature being what it is, the prevention of all wars would be impos- sible. It is, of course, admitted that the prevention of wars and curbing of extreme national passions is the most dithcult function which could be intrusted to the league. But it was not recognized that other more practicable functions might soon have to l>e discharged by it. The situation which has arisen on the ccMitinent has suddenly changed all this and it is rapidly being recognized that a league of nations has become a neces- sary link in the chain of European policy. '* In the first place, it will be necessary innnediately to create what I have called the organization against hunger, and to ration all those countries where condi- tions of food shortage threaten disaster. The existing inter- Ally machinery, which is the nucleus of the league of nations, will probably untlertake this task in the iirst instance. ^Moreover, during the period of economic recon- struction after the war. when there will l>e a shortage of many essential raw materials, the Allies, as well as former neutral and enemy countries, will have to be rationed. Eor this purpose again the creation of inter- national machinery will be necessary. It is thus clear that we are making straight for a league of nations which will be charged with the performance of these essential international functions. Eor these important purposes a league of nations is no longer an ideal for an aspiration, but a sheer practical necessity. ]5ut there o>28 is more, unci here we come to tlie function originally World Wad intended for the league. At Its " It is more than pr()ba})le that the future map of Europe Climax will look very different from the pre-war map. Most of ^ the nations of the continent have hitherto been grouped * into great states or powers to whom they have belonged. A fundamental change is coming over the situation. Russia has already broken uj), and it is most unlikely that the western border nations which have broken away from her will ever return. Austria, again, has in the past held together a vei-itable medley of nations and races, and has with some degree of success, although not without grave political friction, kept the peace among them. Austria is also being dissolved into her original elements, and there seems little prospect of arresting this ])rocess before she has completely dis- appeared &^ s^ " What will happen to Germany it is more difficult to foretell, though it is possible that the great racial homogeneity and the education and political discipline of Germany will in the end keep her from disintegration. In any case, we shall have to face a new situation in P^urope. From Finland in the north to Constantinople in the south, the map of Europe will be covered with small nations, mostly untrained in habits of self-govern- ment, some having suffered political shipwreck on that account and divided from each other by profound national or racial prejudices and antipathies. In most there is a resolute minority of alien race making for internal weakness. If we may draw any inference from our experience in the Balkans, we may expect a much more disturbed state in the future Europe and more dangers of wars than we have had in the past. Already some of them are threatened with internal disorders. ^ " It becomes, therefore, imperative to create an inter- — 229 — World War national organization which will, to some extent, take x\t Its tl^^ place of the great powers which have disappeared. Climax ^^^^ keep the peace among these smaller states, even if to it is not necessary to supervise their internal policies. ^ The league of nations is no longer an idea in cloudland, but will soon be recognized as a necessary organ of future European government. And in discharging the functions here referred to. it will develop vitality; it will take root and grow; it will be seen to be a beneficent institution; a great volume of public opinion will gradually gather round it, and it will eventually become strong enough to essay that supreme task of preserving world peace for which it was originally intended. It will stand out as the greatest creative effort of the human race in the sphere of political government, and will then be seen to have justified all the losses and suffer- ings of this greatest tragedy in history. " In the meantime the league will probably be found useful in solving other problems with which the world will be confronted. Hitherto, where all states have been equals and principals, it has been diflScult to have recourse to the very useful idea of international agency. But when the league is established, it is very likely that it will, in a proper case, depute some particular state to act on its behalf. Thus America might be asked to act, say, in some offshoot from the Turkish or Russian Empire, not in her own right, but as the mandatory and on behalf of the league of nations, who will give her general directions. Or take again the case of the former German colonies. Some of these colonies are quite fairly and properly claimed and will have to be given to the British dominions which conquered them and for whose future development or security they are necessary. But it is conceivable that there are colonies which are not so claimed. The Allies which have con- — 230 — quered and now liold them will resist to the utmost World War their restoration to Germany, as they can not foresee At Its what course the future development of Germany might Climax take. In such cases these powers could be deputed to «, hold these colonies, not, however, in their own right, ' but as mandatories of the league, until the question of their ultimate disposal is settled in the future. Some other very knotty territorial problems could be settled, or, at any rate, deferred in the same way. And it will probably be found at the Peace Congress, which will eventually deal with these questions, that the league of nations will be a necessary and indispensable solvent of some of our gravest international problems. " The international state of affairs w^liich has resulted from this war calls for a great move forward in the political organization of the world. The great war was probably as much the result of outworn international law and organization as of German imperial ambitions. The task will be as difficult as it is great. But w^here America joins hands with Europe and the British Empire in attempting to solve it, I have no doubt that a solution will be found. And thus from the fluid results of this war we shall create the stable political forms which will hold the progress of the race in the coming ages &^ &^ " This war has shattered to its foundations the old immobile world. Things are fluid and plastic once more and capable of receiving a new creative impression. What impression shall it be.^^ It is for us to labor in the remaking of that world to better ends, to plan its international reorganization on lines of universal free- dom and justice, and to re-establish among the classes and the nations that good-will which is the only sure foundation for any enduring international system. Let us not underrate our opportunity. The age of miracles — 231 — "^ World War is never past. The greatest experience of my life has At Its been to witness how, in my own country, a pohcy of Climax conciHation and trust re-created a land broken by war, to and healed wounds and wrongs of a very dangerous • character. The history of South Africa since the Boer War bears immortal testimony to the wisdom of the policy of conciliation. If the victors in this greatest of wars approach the great problems before them in the same large temper in which this country acted on that occasion, I have hope that the bitterness of this war may yet lead to a great reconciliation of the peoples in the future and perhaps even to the disappearance of war itself." 232 Part VII Home Again Nothing Would Tempt the Editors TO Endure the Fatigues and Hard- ships OF Another Such a Trip Its Compensations However the Greatest of Any in All Their Lives CHAPTER XLI p»l 1 i PliK^vCM^^y S^^is^^SS Homeward Bound Snhmarines Withdrawn and Ocean Lighted at Night and the Great Transformation was Complete. ONDON still bubbled with joy and seethed with excitement over a con- cluded and signed armistice when, late Friday afternoon, November Fifteenth, we bade her a fond farewell and trek- ked our way homeward. Our official hosts accompanied us to Liverpool, where next day they took leave of us aboard ship. In marked contrast with our outbound accommodations were those returning. Balmoral Castle, a commodious and comfortable first-class steamer, whose regular route was between The Transvaal and Congo Free States and P^ngland, was chosen for it. It had been our unique, melancholy distinction to go over in a convoy, the only one to lose a vessel in a storm, and now" we were return- ing on the first boat in three years to carrj^ mail and passengers s^ &^ In midocean we met a large steamer agleam from water's edge to topmast. It was a most joj^ous sight, welcomed with whistling, loud and long. Our ship's officers said it was the first lighted vessel they had seen on the ocean in four years. Our own boat was inky black, not a light displayed anywhere. Shutters went up and lights were capped at four thirty o'clock as usual. The Briton did not know, officially, armistice had been signed and con- tinued war usages until he returned to Liverpool. — 235 — AVoRLD War Before quitting London we were positively assured At Its upon high governmental authority that so exact and P marvellous was Germany's knowledge of the where- « abouts of its underseas navy that within twenty-four ^ hours after the armistice was signed, every submarine was fished out of the sea. It was glorious news to us that these demons of the deep were to be no longer a menace or a peril. One day out, we came upon fleets of trawlers sweeping the seas for floating mines. Leaving dock at Liverpool we discovered a young man who was a mysterious fellow passenger on the way over. Armistice being signed his lips were no longer sealed and he revealed to us that he had been sent abroad by our federal government to make highly important experiments to detect the presence of submarines, locate them with precision, and practically to transmit radio- grams underseas. It was believed the new discovery would completely nullify if not entirely stamp out sub- marine warfare. Experiments were satisfactory, so far as they went, but time and a number of important changes, it was said, must follow before a full fruition resulted &^ s^ Congressman Byrne, of South Carolina, who, with Carter Glass, afterward Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, had been sent across by President Wilson on a secret financial mission, was also a passen- ger. Representative Glass had two sons in the service and remained in Paris to visit them, and as it turned out, to secure for one of them an important appoint- ment in connection with the peace conference at Ver- sailles &^ &^ Another fellow passenger was Acting Captain A. F. B. Carpenter of the Vindictive, which he sunk at the peril of his life, bottling up the German submarines in the Zee- brugge Canal so effectively they nevereven dared attempt — 236 — to come out. This was one of the outstanding accomp- World War lishments of the AUies in the World W' ar and Captain At Its Carpenter was its hero. Climax A pathetic feature of this remarkable exploit was that ^ Lieutenant-Colonel F. A. Brock, inventor of the smoke ' screen, without which this marvellous piece of strategy could not have been accomplished, was killed in action during the self-sinking of the Vindictive. Captain Car- penter was coming to America for financial aid for the British Seaman's union. In a talk to passengers on the Balmoral Castle the Captain drew attention to Kaiser Wilhelm's threat that he would fill the seas so full of submarines seamen could not be found who would dare to sail in merchant ships. " Let 's see," he continued " what there is to that threat. Today there sleep in the bottom of the ocean eighteen thousand members of the British Seaman's union — that was Britain's answer to the Kaiser. Never has there been a vessel ready to leave an English port to bring back food, munitions or what not — that has waited one minute for men to man it, notwithstanding they fully realized the stupendous risk they were under- taking." &^ s^ Outstanding above and beyond all else in this wonderful journey of ours was the rapid and complete transfor- mation in six short weeks. Going over, our convoy of camouflaged ships were guarded by a cruiser, a destroyer and a giant man-of-war, protected by seaplanes and dirigibles, which, of course, hunted submarines, forsook familiar lanes of the sea and mysteriously pursued its tortuous or zigzag way. All ships were darkened (it being an offense under an Act of the Realm punishable by death to display a hght, even a match to light a cigar,) and they crossed and recrossed each other's path at night in hair-breadth fashion, one being kept in con- — 237 — World War At Its Climax stant terror of a collision. Smoke barrages were laid down on the ocean to thwart submarines. WV were warned that German bombing planes were extremely active in Great Britain and France, that big Berthas were shelling Paris; everywhere in England were signs, " Save coal, less coal used means more boats to bring over American soldiers," darkened hotels, streets, buses, taxicabs, street cars and steam cars, theaters closed, hearing from the lips of King George, President Poincare, Clemenceau, Lloyd George, Pershing, Haig, Foch, and men active in conduct of war that it must go on from one to three years longer, finding pictured in the faces of English and French women, the awful sacrifices they had made and were making on the morning of November Eleventh, there broke the news of signing of the Armistice. And now^ we were in regular lanes of the sea headed straight for New York to con- sume only one half the time required in going over. ^ Fighting had ceased and the great transformation was complete &^ 5^ 238 A Glorious Antithesis In Exactly Four Weeks the Scene Changed, that President Poincare and Marshal J off re Said Would Require Years to Accomplish — Peans of Joy and Eloquent Words of Thanksgiving. ^-St^^^f^^i ]\1E and place have been termed the essence of all things. The truth of that aphorism was _ never more forcibly brought home to the writer than in attendance at solemn High Mass of Jubilee, Thanksgiving day, Nineteen Hundred Eighteen, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Syracuse. Home again, caught in the warmth and swirl of wel- come that awaits the humblest traveler returned to his own, Syracuse seemed good on his arrival on the eve of Thanksgiving. Our son was safe. The sacrifice was over. The end seemed attained. In the cathedral throng, solemnity and radiant joy vied for expression on the countenances of praying people. Only a month before I had stood in the chancel of a half destroyed ancient Catholic cathedral at St. Quentin. It had been converted into a hospital by the invader and continued in that use by the French after its recapture. The silence of the House of God was broken by piteous sounds of suffering wounded. In the crypt below the rifled coffins of nuns testified to the excesses, the depravity, to which embattled mankind may descend &^ &^ Yet here, a month later, it might have been a century, was peace. Below the surface maj'^ have lain hysteria, — 239 — World War hatred even, anger at any rate, and righteous anger, At Its but only thanksgiving welled through. Tears came and Climax ^^^^^^ glistened. J From the twilight of the nave, the altar appeared ^ resplendent. Bishop Grimes moved simply through the high ceremonies of the mass, assisted by prelates and priests. Sunshine that was wintry, but Syracuse sun- shine, slanted through the windows far above. Candles gleamed against marble. Linen, lace and brocades lent their purity and color to the scene. At the " Sanctus! " with the sounding of the chimes, hailing the act of consecration, lights flooded the altar. To the left between the arches floated the Stars and Stripes. At the right hung a congregational service flag, two hundred sixty-two stars upon its field, seven of them gold. Between, uplifted, shone the Host and the chalice, bread and wine, the Sacrament of the Eucharist. ^Except for the sounds of the service, the vaulted interior was as silent as that crypt in France. The momentary tension was done, the crowd packed in from altar rail to vestibule, in aisles and sanctuary, relaxed imperceptibly. Children's voices took up the mass again. The words of the sermon echoed in the mind of one auditor at least. The Reverend George S. Mahon, the preacher at the mass, had said reflectively that the good pious German people had the respect of all only a few years before. He had traveled among them and seen them going peacefully about their duty. The iron heel had clanked among them but few had noted. Then Germany went mad. Never might such madness touch America, he prayed. Rather should she keep her face forever turned from dreams of conquest and dominion, content with her empire of justice, peace, tolerance, and funda- mental righteousness before God and man! — 240 — "Amen!" sang the hearts of the people, and as the World War echoes rang in spirit the children's chorus tramped At Its down from the loft and came marching to the altar Climax singing " The Star-Spangled Banner." Professor John ^ J. Raleigh may never play again as on that day with the inspiration of that time and place in his heart and hands s^ s^ Congregation and clergy joined in the anthem until it became a great shout of joy and re-consecration to America under God. Such was the contrast of a month, between overseas and home, a church in France and a church in Syracuse. When we left St. Quentin, President Poincare and General Joffre told us the war was yet an affair of years, but a little later and in another place, we saw separately the fulfilment, the realization of America. 241 ClLVrrER XLII Mirth and Sorrow Humor and Pathos Gaihcrcd on ()tficial Trip — Bok and Wheeler Supply Two Pathetic Tales. ROM sunshine to shadow, from grave to gay, from pathos to eestaey, from the subhme to the ridieulous in qniek, kaleidoseopie succession, often com- pletely blending, outstand as lasting impressions of our trip outbound and abroad. Many of them arose on ouv troop-ship, tlie Oronles, which, from our frightful experiences, we called The Ship of Death, ^lost of it, however, was negro hiunor, five hundred of the Orontes eighteen himdred troops l)eing members of the black race. In the a^^'fulness of storm, of deaths and biu'ials, many became hysterical and a few temporarily insane. The latter were locked up and held in martial restraint. ^ Standing on the hurricane deck, although any deck might properly be called hin*ricane, a burly negro whose one-track mind seemed to work only in military tactics said, as he looked out upon angry, billowy, swift-rolling waters : " I vvondah, boss, ef dis yar ocean am ebber gwine to cum to attention! " Negro to Find Firm Footing Back, A " Y " man visiting a moiu'uful negro in the travail of seasickness offered words of comfort only to be met with this response: " I 'se nebber gwine to cum back dis yar way agin, boss. No, siree." — 243 — World War "Don't be discouraged, Mose; brace up; you're not At Its going ^o die," was the Christian officer's consoHng Clim\x reply .^.^ to " I kno\ys, I knows I is 'nt gwine to die, sir, but I 'se ' nebber comin' dis yar way no moah, suah." At this the nonphissed official inquired whether he expected to be killed in battle or if, surviving, he meant to remain in Europe, he received this answer: ^ " Oh! I 'se comin' back all right sir, I is. Yes, sir, yes, sir." " I can't understand you at all Mose. You say you 're not coming back this way, but that you are coming back.^ Do you expect to fly? " " Lo'd o' mercy no; aeroplane am wurse dan dis yar boat. No sir. No aeroplane for me. I '11 tell you how I 'se gwine to git back. I nebber see'd a ribber nor a lake w^at did 'nt hab sum land round it — wat else keeps de watah in.^ an' I 'se gwine to find de Ian round dis yar ocean and den I 'se arwine to walk back home." It Was a Gratid Fight John met Michael, just returned from war, and greeted him as follows: " Begorrah ! I 'm glad to see you and sorry to see you — glad you 're back, but sorry to hear you had a turrible time.'' &^ 5#» " Indade, I did," said Michael. " I was in th' Argonne, St. Mihiel, and hed a divil of a toime. But 't wuz a grand foight — a grand foight." " What th' divil de ye mane be a g-rand foight? " " Well, 't wuz the first foight I wuz ever in that th' police did n't interfere." Do You Want to Live Forever A colored captain of a machine gun squad composed of — 244 — ? his own race found one of his men lagging behind and World War shouted to him to come on and fight. " Get into de At Its game, sir, get into de game." Climax But the buck private had evidently heard the oft- repeated assertion that the average life of a machine gunner in war, as being then waged, was only ten hours, and still cringingly held back. The captain, in a rage, shouted to him: " Come yare, you white niggah; come on here an' fight. Does you want to live forever.'^ " Would Sell His Watch. A big wave struck the ship one day causing it to tremble violently. Believing a submarine the cause, whistles were blown signalling passengers to go above and prepare to enter boats and leave the ship. Life preser- vers were adjusted and a long line formed. A burly negro with a heavy voice occupying a place well back to the end of the line, thinking his time had come and that for a short while at most, would he have use for a time piece, shouted: " Does any gen'man yeah want to buy a good gold watch cheap .'^ " Preferred Land and a Tree to a Sail Boat. Another seasick, ebony hued individual was besought by a companion to leave his quarters and come out and enjoy the pleasant sight of a sail boat. *' Go away, nigger," w^as his cry, " I doan want to see no sail; But ef you sees a tree fur de good Lord's sake show me to it.'' President Wilson no Pacifist. Two negroes discussed whether President Wilson, now that America had entered war, was still a Pacifist. — U5 — World War "' No siree, he suali is 'iit," saiii one. "I kiunvs INIr. Wilson At Its berry well, berry well, indeed, an he ain't no pacifist. Clim\x ^^^' ^^il^^^^^ '^"^ '^ ^'^ly sensible man. He jes' places you to up in de front firing line, puts a gun in youah hands ^ and den lets you use yuali own judgment." A Wonderful Gun. A negro soldier came out of the tiring line to work in a base hospital near Paris. Just before leaving he had had some experience when the Germans laid dcnvn a low barrage. A servant of his own race in the hospital declared he was anxious to get into battle on the front, to which the veteran remarked, " Xo, siree! You does n't wan' to go up dar. Dem Boshes am got gims dat shoots cannon ball wat weighs twenty tons for fifty-six miles an' den trows rocks fo' haf a' hour aftawa'd." A Negro's Fear. The captain of a negro company one morning up at the front line addressed his men as follows: '* Now, boys, you see those woods over there. Well, we are going to shell those woods first with our artil- lery and then this company is going to charge over there and capture them." " Hoi' on. Captain, hoi' on," earnestly spoke one black private. '* Does you know dat dere is Boshes in deni woods .^ " .?♦► 5^ Difference Between an Englishman and an American. At a dinner in London given us by the Authors' Club an American publisher said the dirt'erence between an Eng- lishman and an American was that the Englishman walked into the drawing room of a fine old palace, strutted about admiringly, just as if he owned it, while the — ^4(? — American strutted about and admired, but did n't give World War a rap who owned it. At Its A Higher Power. Climax ^ *' Do you believe in a higher power? " inquired a ' clergyman of a newcomer at a revival meeting." " Certainly! I married her." Herald niustrator's Message to Queen Mary. Queen ]Mary is an expert milliner and designs most of her hats. It is related she made a vow when war broke that she would n't get a new hat until war was over. King George agreed to omit wine from the table as his sacrifice. Night before the writer left Syracuse for New York to sail away he asked the artist, whose work for a dozen or more years has brightened The Herald, if there were any suggestions he wished to make: " Yes. If you see Queen Mary tell her, for Heaven's sake, to get a new hat — I 'm awfully tired of drawing the old one." King George's Sense of Humor. At Savoy Hotel in London, before going to Sandring- ham for a day with King George, Queen INIary and others of the royal family, there was excited discussion as to what the editors should wear and how they should act. Ministry of Information said King and Queen would be best pleased to have them come in ordinary dress as it was war time and consequently form and ceremony were waived. A member of the Editorial party told King George, as he walked with him through the grounds at Sandringham of our discussion in London. ^ The King laughing heartily, said it reminded him of an incident in France whither he went to review the Fourth British Army where his son, the Prince of Wales, — 247 — World War was engaged. He said he was dressed much as he then At Its was in a suit of home spun. Finishing his inspection of Climax I^^tish troops he was stepping into his motor car to go fe away when he noticed two American dough boys at the ^ side of the car eyeing him intently. This dialogue took place betwween them : "Who's the boss.^" " Why, that 's the King of England." " The Hell it is. W'here 's his crown .^ " Piper Protested Sharing Honors With the Whole Party. When Piper and O'Hara, who narrowly escaped making the supreme sacrifice, or, as they saj^ in the army " going West," in a limousine smash near Arras, France, had mended their wounds so they were able to rejoin their companions, the casualties remarked one evening that as they were hurt while in the war zone, under escort of British soldiers, while in pursuit of knowledge for the benefit of Great Britain, that government should award them wound stripes or medals as a recognition of merit and valor. One listener suggested the honor should go to the whole party. Piper protested that as but two had gone through the ordeal, only they should receive the reward. The sector where the accident occurred had been des- perately fought over. Barbed wire entanglements, trenches, and dug outs were everywhere. The tree into which their limousine was catapulted was the only one left standing. " The Kaiser knew we were coming and he just left the tree there for O'Hara and me to smash into," said Piper. '* Why you two ? " one of the party inquired. *' Granted the Kaiser is wicked, cruel, criminal, fiend- ish," observed Piper, "he, nevertheless, is a discerning, — 248 — wise old fox. He knew which two of our party were World Wai capable of doing him the most harm and he just natur- At Its ally wanted to wipe us off the face of the earth and Climax left the tree there for that purpose." ONE OF WAR'S TRAGEDIES Lord Rothermere, Brother of Viscount Northdiffe, Gave Two of Three Sons to War. Lord Rothermere, brother of Viscount Northcliffe met Edgar B. Piper, of Oregon, member of the Editor- ial party in the lobby of the Savoy hotel and invited him to join him in a cup of tea in his Lordship's quarters at the hotel. Needless to say the invitation was ac- cepted &^ s^ While Lord Rothermere and his American guest were enjoying their brew, a handsome, athletic, upstand- ing boy of twenty entered and asked guidance on many details concerning the newspaper which his Lordship owns. When the boy had left the room, Piper, struck by the lad's fine appearance, ventured to inquire who he was. " He 's my son," came the reply. There was a pause and then Piper inquired if he were his only son. " Yes," Lord Rothermere replied, " he is now. I had three. Two were killed in action at the front. He wanted to go, too, to avenge his brothers but he 's all I have and I persuaded him not to leave me entirely alone." ^ There was no boasting over the great sacrifice just a plain example of English stolidity, asserting a pathetic, tragic truth. Settling the Irish Question. Our host, the British government, asked us to spend four days in Ireland to settle the Irish question. As good — 249 — 9 World War newspaper men, we modestly and cheerfully assumed At Its ^^^ great undertaking. Just before we crossed, Viscount Climax Northcliffe gave a dinner for us to which he had bidden g Balfour, Tennyson, A. Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kip- ' ling. Earl Grey, the Lord Mayor of London, a son of the immortal novelist, Charles Dickens, and half a hundred other notables. Next me sat the editor of the Mail, the evening edition of the great London Times, and which is distinguished as having one of the largest daily circulations in the world — 1,550,000. " Understand you 're going over the Channel to settle the Irish question.'^ " he says. " Yes." 5^ s^ *' Do you think you can.'* " " Well, that 's a fine question for one newspaper man to ask another newspaper man, now is 'nt it? You know we can— absolutely. W^ould n't go if we did n't know positively we could. Of course, they 've been fighting more than Seven Hundred years over the question, but you would n't expect twelve live, intelligent American newspaper publishers to go over there and stay four whole days and not settle it, would you? " " Yes, you will," he said, slowly and emphatically. " I '11 tell you how you '11 settle it. Yesterday I heard this analysis of the characteristics of the four peoples making up the British Empire: " The Englishman loves his beer and his Bible. " The Scotchman keeps the Sabbath and everything else he can lay his hands on. " The Welshman prays on his knees on Sunday — and preys on his neighbors the rest of the iveek. " But the Irishman, God bless him, he does nt knoio what he ivants and ivill not be happy until he gets it. " That 's about how you '11 settle the Irish question." And it was. — 250 — A Lot of Hard Work for One Pair of Shoes. A negro soldier in the trenches appeared with a new pair of shoes. " Where did you git dem aer shoes, nigger? " asked his chum. " I gotten! offen a Boche," was the reply. The first negro disappeared and was gone four hours. When he returned he, too, had a new pair of shoes. ^ " What kept you so long.? " asked his friend. " I hed to kill twenty of dem aer Boche befo' I got a pair to fit me." ANOTHER BIT OF PATHOS Editor Wheeler's Eloquent Tribute to French Noble Women At a composite dinner of newspaper and magazine men, given by Viscount Northcliffe, the brilliant editor of Everybody's, Dr. E. J. Wheeler, responding for the editors, told this pathetic story: " I am reminded of a beautiful woman with a smile on her lips, more or less wistful, but with an unutterable pathos in her eyes. We saw a beautiful countess of ancient family in the ruins of her beautiful chateau. She told us of the history and the present condition of the chateau. There was no attempt to appeal for sym- pathy, but it was there, in the wonderful pathos of her eyes. We saw a little later a count, the descendant of another illustrious family, in his ruined chateau. There was a little room, about the size of a hall-bedroom of a boarding-house in New York City, where he had a cot bed, and that was the only place he had to sleep in. There was another little room, down below, half-open to the wind, where he had his dining- room, and where he insisted on entertaining us at afternoon tea. He brought out his little store, one cup and eight or nine glasses. We had tea in glasses, not — 251 — World War At Its Climax World War in cups. He brought out a spoon — one spoon — two At Its forks, and one knife. A royal entertainer, with a Climax ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ 1^P^» animated in his conversation, and g making no appeal to anybody's sympathy. You can not ' pity the French; I went there expecting to pity them. You can only love them and admire them and adore them." s^ &^ Sii' Anthony Hope's Joke. At a banquet to our party in Hotel Savoy, London, by celebrated English authors, every one was permitted his choice of singing, speaking or telling a story. Every one chose the latter. Sir Anthony Hope's response was that he never did any one of the three but that vicari- ously he would, if permitted, tell one that Richard Harding Davis had told on him. Davis said that when Sir Anthony first landed in America at New York City he was about as green as one could be and live and with that observation Sir Anthony, as he looked back, agreed. Starting from his hotel he sought, bag in hand, to walk to the Grand Central station which, he believed was but a few blocks away, instead of several miles. Frequently he inquired of pedestrians or policemen his way. At length he became impatient and suspicious that the truth was not being told him. Finally, he saw a well dressed young man with his back against a lamp post, who looked intelligent and kindly. He said to himself, he would now^ get the truth and approaching the young man inquired: " My friend, I want to go to Boston." This was the answer he got. " Well, w^ho in Hell 's stopping you? " A GRUESOME FIND Onondaga Boy Blown From His Grave By German Shell. In Paris, I recalled to my son, our editorial visit to — 252 — Albert, France, once a beautiful city, with its famous World War cathedral, which had been ruthlessly shelled by the At Its enemy and completely destroyed. My son thereupon Climax disclosed to me the fact that when his One Hundred ^ Fourth Machine Gun battalion left Belgium, where * it was brigaded with and had fought with the British army, to continue fighting with the same army in France, his chaplain was sent there in advance to prepare such comforts as he might for the coming of our boys. Among other errands given him was to look up the grave of an Onondaga County boy, mortally wounded by a sniper while in NO MAN S LAND, heroically giving aid to an American soldier who had been frightfully hurt. He was buried in a little churchyard in the outskirts of Albert. The chaplain found the grave with small trouble. It was empty. A Boche shell had scooped out the grave, and coffin and contents were nowhere to be found. ^ In the bitterness of that day it was believed all such acts as the foregoing were wholly intentional. Changed His Calling. At St. Dunstan's School London, for soldiers blinded in war we were told the following: A kind hearted woman stopped in front of a beggar whose cap front bore the word, "Blind!" " My poor man," she inquired, sympathetically, " were you always bhnd.f* " *'0h, no, mum," came the prompt reply. "Last week I wus lame, but there wuz nuthin' in it." Admiral Sims' Pet Bon Mot. Admiral Sims in nearly every speech we heard him make at functions in our honor loved to tell of going into a — 253 — World War London haberdashery for a special pattern of shirt. At Its Mmutely he described to the salesman what was Ttta^tav wanted; about everything in the store was pulled i^ dowTi and spread out on a counter for the Admiral's ▼ approval. Nothing seemed to please him. Finally the impatient but persistent salesman sought to press upon the Admiral a certain pattern which he declared was exactly what he sought. " It 's not what I want." The remark greatly peeved the salesman who said: " Well, that shirt Is good enough for the Sultan of Turkey. He 's wearing one." " Oh, no, he is n't," Admiral Sims protested. " He 's wearing an asbestos shirt." The salesman had n't heard that the Sultan to whom he alluded was dead. A London Police Court Incident. Inthe police court in a lonely suburb of the city of London a prisoner appeared at the rail and was asked by the magistrate what had happened to him. His cheek was cut, his eyes blackened and there were other evidences of the horrible ordeal through which he had passed. ^ " I don't rightly remember, Yer 'onor." "Don't rightly remember?" echoed the magistrate. " It was a case of aphasia, I suppose? "^^ " My heyes! yer 'onor. Wat 's aphasia? " "Aphasia's confused memory; don't know your own name. Try to say something and get the wrong words or sentences." " Haphasha, that 's hit, yer 'onor. A friend told me next time I saw Patrick O'Brien to salute 'im with God save Hireland. Some 'ow hor huther I got into my bloody head and sang 'croppy lie down' and 'ere's what cum huv hit." — 254 — Heroic Charlie Chaplin. World Wab Inquiring at our hotel in Paris of my son who first At Its went over the top in Belgium if it were true that men Climax go over the top willingly and with a smile, he answered : ^ " No, dad. What 's there to smile about? The only person I' ve ever heard of going over the top willingly and with a smile on his face is Charlie Chaplin in the moving picture show." Wit of a Presbyterian Clergyman. A Presbyterian clergyman and a Catholic priest who had gone through the fierce campaign at the battle fronts which resulted in smashing the Hindenburg line were about to separate and go their different ways. War, they agreed, was a great leveller, that they had been together in many sad offices and had grown exceedingly fond of each other. Coming to the parting of the ways the Presbyterian clergyman said to the priest; " Well, good bye, dear old partner. W^e 've had many, many sorrowful and some happy experiences together. After all we both have the same aims and ambitions. Both of us wish to serve the Master — You in Your Way and I in His.'' EDWARD W. BOK'S EXPERIENCE In Book of His Life Tells Deeply Pathetic Story of World War. Edward W. Bok, Editor of the Ladies' Home Journal, was a guest at the Northcliffe dinner, hitherto men- tioned in this chapter, at which Editor Wheeler of Everybody's spoke. Had Mr. Bok been called upon, he, too, would perhaps have told stories of pathos gath- ered at the battle fronts as he had several most unusual experiences. They are not lost to the world, however, — ^55 — World War as Mr. Bok has preserved them in his book, which he At Its writes in the third person.* Clim\x ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ most prominent stories is: \ One evening as Bok was strolhng out after dinner a * Red Cross nurse came to him, exphiining that she had two severely wounded boys in what remained of an old hut: they were both from Pennsylvania, and had expressed a great desire to see him as a resident of their State &^ &^ ** Neither can possibly survive the night," said the nurse &i^ &^ " They know that? " asked Bok. " Oh, yes, but like all our boys they are lying there joking with each other." Bok was taken into what remained of a room in a badly shelled farmhouse, and there, on two roughly constructed cots, lay the two boys. Their faces had been bandaged so that nothing was visible except the eyes of each boy. A candle in a bottle standing on a box gave out the only light. But the eyes of both of the boys were smiling as Bok came in and sat down on the box on which the nurse had been sitting. He talked with the boys, got as much of their stories from them as he could, and told them such home news as he thought might interest them. After half an hour he arose to leave, when the nurse said: " There is no one here, Mr. Bok, to say the last words to these boys. Will you do it.'' " Mr. Bok stood transfixed. In sending men over in the service of the Y. M. C. A. he had several times told them to be ready for any act that they might be asked to render, even the most sacred one. And here he stood himself before that duty. He felt as if he stood stripped before his Maker. Through the glassless window the sky lit up * From The Americanization of Edward II'. Bok. Copyright, 1920, by Charles Scribner's Sons. By permission of the publisher. — 250 — constantly with the flashes of the guns, and then fol- World War lowed the booming of a shell as it landed. At Its " Yes, won't you, sir? " asked the boy on the right cot (^umax as he held out his hand. Bok took it, and then the hand ^ of the other boy reached out. * What to say, he did not know. Then, to his surprise, he heard himself repeating extract after extract from a book by Lyman Abbott, called " The Other Room," a message to the bereaved declaring the non-existence of death, but that we merely move from this earth to another: from one room to another, as it were. Bok had not read the book for years, but here was the subcon- scious self supplying the material for him in his moment of greatest need. Then he remembered that just before leaving home he had heard sung at matins, after the prayer for the President, a beautiful song called, " Passing Souls." He had asked the rector for a copy of it; and, wondering why, he had put it in his wallet that he carried with him. He took it out now and holding the hand of the boy at his right, he read to them: For the passing souls we pray. Saviour, meet them on their way ; Let their trust lay hold on Thee Ere they touch eternity. The three other stanzas followed. Absolute stillness reigned in the room save for the half-suppressed sob from the nurse and the distant booming of the cannon. As Bok finished, he heard the boy at his right say slowly: "Saviour — meet — me — on — my — way:" with a little emphasis on the word " my." The hand in his relaxed slowly, and then fell on the cot; and he saw that the soul of another brave American boy had " gone West." Bok glanced at the other boy, reached for his hand, — 257 — World War shook it, and looking deep into his eyes, he left the At Its little hut 5«» s^ Climax ^^^^i^ig t^i^ need of air in order to get hold of himself to after one of the most solemn moments of his visit to ^ the front, Bok strolled out, and soon found himself on what only a few days before had been a field of carnage where the American boys had driven back the Germans. Walking in the trenches and looking out, in the clear moonlight, over the field of desolation and ruin, and thinking of the inferno that had been enacted there only so recently, he suddenly felt his foot rest on what seemed to be a soft object. Taking his " ever-ready " flash from his pocket, he shot a ray at his feet, only to realize that his foot was resting on the face of a dead German! s^ s^ Bok had had enough for one evening! In fact, he had had enough of war in all its aspects; and he felt a sigh of relief when, a few days thereafter he took The Empress of Asia for home, after a ten-weeks' absence. He hoped never again to see, at first hand, what war meant! &^ &^ On the voyage home Edward Bok decided, now that war was over, he would ask his company to release him from the editorship of The Ladies' Home Journal. As Bok was, September 22, 1919, about to leave his desk for the last time, it was announced that a young soldier whom he " had met and befriended in France " was waiting to see him. When the soldier walked into the office he was to Bok only one of the many whom he had met on the other side. But as the boy shook hands with him and said: "I guess you do not remember me, Mr. Bok," there was something in the eyes into which he looked that startled him. And then, in a flash the circumstances under which he had last seen those eyes came to him. — 258 — *' Good heavens, my boy, you are not one of those two World War boys in the Httle hut that I — " At Its " To whom you read the poem, ' Passing Souls,' that Cumax evening. Yes, sir, I 'm the boy who had hold of your ^ left hand. My bunkie, Ben, 'went West' that same even- * ing, you remember." " Yes," replied the editor, *' I remember; I remember only too well," and again Bok felt the hand in his relax, drop from his own, and heard the words: " Sa- viour — meet — me — on — my — way . ' ' The boy's voice brought Bok back to the moment. ^ " It 's wonderful you should remember me; my face was all bound up — I guess you could n't see anything but my eyes." " Just the eyes, that 's right," said Bok. " But they burned into me all right, my boy." " I don't think I get you, sir," said the boy. " No, you would n't," Bok replied. " You could n't, boy, not until you 're older. But, tell me, how in the world did you ever get out of it.'' " " Well, sir," answered the boy, with that shy- ness which we all have come to know in the boys who actually did, " I guess it was a close call, all right. But just as you left us, a hospital corps happened to come along on its way to the back and Miss Nelson — the nurse, you remember? — she asked them to take me along. They took me to a wonderful hospital, gave me fine care, and then after a few weeks they sent me back to the States, and I 've been in a hospital over here ever since. Now, except for the thickness of my voice, that you notice, which Doc. says will be all right soon, I 'm fit again. The government has given me a job, and I came here on leave just to see my parents up-State, and I thought I 'd like you to know that I did n't ' go West' after all." — 259 — ^^'orldWar Fifteen minutes later Bok left his editorial office for At Its the last time. Climax -^^^ ^^ ^^ went home his thoughts were not of his last ^ 'to day at the office, nor of his last acts as editor, but of his * last caller — the soldier boy whom he had left seemingly so surely on his way " West," and whose eyes had burned into his memory on that fearful night a year before ! &^ s^ Strange that this boy should have been his last visitor! ^ As John Drinkwater, in his play, makes Abraham Lincoln say to General Grant: " It 's a queer world!" — 260 CHAPTER XLIII Woman in the War Reflections and Observations of the Stupendous Work which She Did. HE ever fascinating study of woman gathered fresh impetus when the world war began. In America, before we decided to enter European hostihties, women had engaged in every conceiv- able activity to aid the soldiers in training camps, notwithstanding our federal government had given its army and navy the greatest and most efficient attention and care in the world's history of warfare. It was therefore extremely interesting to our Editorial party upon reaching foreign soil to learn whether Allied women were behind the men at the front as we had seen our American women aid, encourage and support our soldiers now actually engaged in the great conflict. Before leaving home we had beheld American women organized societies and auxiliaries at home and in club headquarters to knit socks and sweaters, make bandages and antiseptic dressings. In my own home town, at all hours, day or night, they met railway trains with free, hot cofl'ee and rolls and appetizing foods and words of cheer as well as augmented the nursing staff of local hospitals among the frightful " flu " epidemic in camp and city. Mothers, wives, sisters and sweet- hearts ungrudgingly gave son or husband or brother or fiance and sent them away with a smile and a blessing. It, therefore, was deeply gratifying to find — 261 — World War that women on the other side who had carried on At Its from 1914, when they consecrated their Uves to the Climax Alhed cause, were devoting their talents and energies to in the face of many vicissitudes and great discourage- * ments to end war at the earHest possible moment. Our first real glimpse at woman in war came soon after our arrival in England when Mrs. Humphrey Ward, distinguished author, publicist, and woman of affairs, gave us a complimentary dinner at Hotel Savoy, London. Around the festive board sat the wife of the Archbishop of Canterbury, dignified, kindly, gracious, who put us all quickly at ease: the Duchess of Marlbor- ough, formerly Consuelo Vanderbilt of New York, since separated from the Duke and rewed, gifted and con- cededly among the most beautiful of noble women; the Duchess of Athol, who since Lady Astor, native Virginian, was elected to Parliament as its first woman member, has been asked to become a candidate for the office of member of the House of Commons; the preceptress of one of the great schools for women in England and enough titled and untitled women to make a full dozen. For four years these prominent women had been engaged in all manner of work in hospitals, in training schools for nurses and women, and in every big, useful way doing their bit to win the war. Just then President Wilson had indicated that America might feed starving women and children in Germany. Mrs. Ward paid a fine tribute to America in a speech that was a classic. She told of the great pleasure it was to Englishwomen to meet representatives of that kindred nation whose aid and comradeship in the vast struggle had been of such vital importance. The New World had come to readjust the balance of the Old. And after four terrible, yet magnificent years, the French were in Alsace, the — 262 — British at Mons, and the Americans at Sedan. After World War beating Germany, after breaking down her miHtary At Its class and insisting on reparation, restitution, guaran- Climax tees, the AlHes and Americans chiefly, for America alone r^ had the power, were at that moment going to feed ^ German women and children. She concluded her address in thanking God that justice and mercy thus met together in consecration of victory. For the great, self- sacrificing help of America, which grudged nothing in winning the great war, English women were thankful from the bottom of their hearts. Several other women spoke of work done to educate women to do all manner of things in every field of endeavor to end war as quickly and as humanely as possible but to end it at all hazards. At Fruges, France, on our way to Lille came our first real encounter with the doleful actualities of w^ar. It was a soldier's funeral. Up hill from the center of the little town came a meager procession. At the head was a French padre bearing aloft a crucifix, followed by boys with flow^ers. Then, on a stretcher, came the body draped with a French flag. Six women bore the stretcher &€^ ^t^ Twenty or more women, all in deepest black, completed the sorrowful procession. Except for the priest there was not a man in the entire company. All were afoot, plod- ] ding on through rain and mud oblivious apparently of I everything except their duty to their dead friend and ' neighbor. From this procession of sombre clad women I we understood that while men fought at the front, I w^omen at home w^ere doing their solemn duty, as in I honoring and burying the dead. As we passed out of the Httle village into the country ' w^e again saw women at work in fields digging potatoes ; and beets or driving on roads with loads of vegetables. — 263 — World War There were a few old men or boys in field or on road but At Its for the most part the workers were women. Climax Listen to an Alsatian mother, five of whose six sons had c, been killed in action. She refused to accept sympathy ^ with this solemn reply: " They died for France. Do not send me letters, I beg of you, with black edges, signs of mourning. They have fallen on the field of honor — my brave children." A French woman, looking a captain, who told her that her husband had been killed in battle, squarely and steadily in the eye, without the sign of a tear, said, " Tell me you '11 save France and I '11 not mourn." Yes, we had misjudged France — glorious France — and her women. We were before war too prone to judge all France by a gay and frivolous few in Paris as we might judge all America by the gay set of New York. It is related that while on an official tour of France, Secretary of War, Baker, in a small village came upon a little procession headed by a minister and a priest. An American of unknown creed was being buried, hence the dual ministration. Following close by the casket a woman walked, weeping bitterly. Secretary Baker left his automobile and afoot went to the little church grave- yard. When burial was complete he spoke consolingly to the woman mourner who had so copiously shed tears and inquired what relationship she bore to the boy just buried. Finding her to be French he repeated his ques- tion to the best of his ability in that tongue, and learned that she was in no way related. She explained thus: " Somewhere in America he perhaps has a mother whose heart is bleeding today and I 'm doing for her just what she would do were she here." A bystander told Secretary Baker that a few days before the woman had buried her husband, killed in action, a captain in the French army. Thereupon Mr. — 264 — Baker asked her if her tears were not really shed for World War him, to which she indignantly and proudly replied: At Its *' No! No! Monsieur! Not one tear for him. Not a tear. Climax He died for France. That 's glory enough. Why should ^ I cry.f^ Vive La France!" In London women did every kind of work. In almost complete male attire she was conductor on tram cars, buses, washed windows in blocks, swept chimneys, and in the outer districts wore a bobby's uniform and did police patrol duty as well as the men. We were told they were chosen for bravery and strength and that it was no exaggeration to say evil-doers feared them more than male officers. At Arras, France, in a Canadian clearing station, as hospitals on the firing line were called, to which a com- panion and I were taken after an automobile crash, were a number of nurses from New Brunswick and other parts of Canada. All were young, nearly all pretty, full of life, and sunshine, yet for four fearful years they had " carried on," often enduring long and exhausting toil and hardships administering to the awful human wreck- age of warfare and smiling through it all while they spoke words of cheer and hope to their unfortunate charges &•» &^ At Paris, Mary Elizabeth Evans, of Mary Elizabeth candy fame, a well known native of Syracuse, then a New York business woman, conducted a great kitchen where delicacies were made for American boys in hospitals s^ s^ All was free. In kitchen, and engaged in the work of distribution to the numerous base hospitals, were prom- inent women, chiefly from New York City. Even chauffeurs of the many cars used one way and another in this philanthropic work were women. While riding in an automobile in Paris on the way to — '265 — World War St. Denis hospital, Mary Elizabeth in an outburst of At Its joy said to me: " Oh, is n't it wonderful to be alive and Climax ^^^^ *^ serve our brave boys at a time like this? No, I I would n't go back to New York until it 's over over here, ' not if they gave me a deed to all Broadway — and I love Broadway, too." Women, American women, as nurses in hospitals and on field as auxiliaries to various organizations rendered invaluable service in caring for sick and wounded and comforting the dying. Women declared the best was none too good for the boy on this or the other side of the Atlantic fighting for peace and the betterment of the W orld 5^ ^^ Thousands of women in America were taking the places of men called to the colors and had war gone on, would in their loyalty and patriotism, as certainly have suc- ceeded men in all lines of work as had her European sisters &^ s^ And mistreatment of women in Belgium by invading German army ofiicers is one of the awful memories of war. At Lille, France, which four days before our party reached Germany was forced to evacuate, after four years of occupancy, women told us of the thralldom of those frightful four years. Five thousand young girls willingly or unwillingly left Lille with German officers. ^ In France at the close of war, one million women were at work in munition plants alone. In Nineteen Hundred Seventeen, France and Great Britain said they must have eighty million bushels of wheat or they would perish. We sent them one hundred eight}' million bushels. Who did it? Women of America. Who would have thought a few years before, that Con- gress would be permitted to tell us what kind of food and how much we were to eat at breakfast? Women voluntarily saved wheat, sugar and other things by the — 266 — cupful until not only Allied armies but our own boys World War were fed real wheat bread while we stay-at-homes ate a At Its mixture known as war bread. Climax In ship, aeroplane and munition plants in England and ^ Scotland, tens of thousands of women were employed • making shells and fuses, a healthy, happy, smiling lot. Upon me it made a most profound impression. To me it was unbelievable that these women realized the full import of what they were doing. They chatted and laughed the livelong daj^ as they worked in the produc- tion of missiles made to destroy life, churches, schools, business places, towns and cities. And when later on I saw the fearful devastation in France, and in London the crowded hospitals for the blind, and in England and France, hospitals with thousands of men in each, many of them horribly torn and disfigured, and saw the burial fields near the ruined towns and cities of the Eastern war front, I marvelled how women especially, could be happy in their work. But, no doubt, the all controlling thought possessed them, that it was the only way to end a diabolical, brutal war which the Hun was waging against the whole civilized world. iVnd so in the greatest of all wars, woman, as never before, bj^ her prodigious work, her trials and self sacrifices, her wonderful optimism and inspiration soothed and sustained America and other allies and infused into allied armies a spirit and a morale that was simply inconquerable. The spirit shown by a widowed mother is typical of the country she represents. Having crossed France, the widow was found prostrate on the battlefield of Verdun, by the military police. " Woman, what are you doing here? " Looking up through her tears, she replied : " Sirs, I have lost five of my sons in this war and have come here to weep over the grave of the sixth, my last." — 267 — World War Hearing this, the soldiers stood before the bereaved At Its mother and gave the military salute; seeing this, she Climax sprang to her feet and cried: ''Vive la France, quand i mhneV (Long live France, all the same!) i68 CHAPTER XLIV Wickedest War of All the Ages Some Outstanding Impressions and Thoughts Upon its Origin, its Wreckage, Wastage and Awjidness — Kaiser Wilhelm When He Found He Had Lost, Said War Was Not of His Making But War Board Was Wholly to Blame. ^^gHILE Germany believed she was win- ning the war. General Hindenburg, Admiral Von Tirpitz, the War Board and the Kaiser disputed with each other, the credit and the glory of it all. When Germany met with reverses and collapse was inevitable, sponsorship for defeat became an anonymous thing. War, ingloriously lost, the Kaiser blamed his war board, declaring he had been grossly deceived by it, while the war board, with the Kaiser an exile in Holland, heaped the blame upon his unprotected head. Every one said the war board was right, that it was the Kaiser's mad ambition to stamp German Kultur upon a civilized world and by conquer- ing it prove himself a greater military genius than Alexander, Hamilton, Caesar, Marlborough, Frederick the Great, Napoleon or Wellington. And the dream of a German Empire, embracing the entire civilized and semi-civilized world, ended when the Armistice in November, Nineteen Hundred Eigh- teen, brought about the debacle. It seems hardly credible that following so closely upon the heels of the peace conference at The Hague in which there was great rejoicing in the belief that war could — 269 — 1 World War never again be declared between nations, accounted At Its highly civilized, there broke a conflict, cruel, diabolical. Climax fiendish, beyond human conception. At once every scientific mind seemed perverted and bent upon a determination to invent some horrible enginery or agency to maim and kill. Air planes dropped bombs on cities, on people and upon soldiers; machine guns, on land, tanks and hand grenades and Big Berthas and every specie of poison gas and walls of fire; on sea, floating or submerged mines, submarines, (which dir- igible balloons, TNT. explosives sought to frustrate and barrages of smoke or camouflaging tried to coun- teract) were a few of the demoniacal forms of destruc- tion employed with deadly efficiency. Frightfulness in the minds of German war lords, was therefore the only way to victory. London and Edin- burgh were bombed from aeroplanes. In Edinburgh, aim was directed at the historic citadel. Missed by about a block, houses at the foot of the great hill were hit and blowTi to pieces. Early in Nineteen Hundred Eighteen, London was terrorized by air raids. Bombs were dropped in the heart of the city, aimed at government buildings. There was much destruction of property and consider- able loss of lives, more than the public was permitted to know at the time. Tens of thousands of people fled from town. Many took to the seashore where a tented city of great proportions arose. On Good Friday, in Paris, a shell from a Big Bertha hit the church de la Madeleine filled with worshippers pray- ing for war to end. We were told the Germans had promised a truce for that holy day in order that it might be peacefully and properly observed. Instead, the fine old edifice was completely wTccked, fifty people were killed and many more wounded. At about the same time in London was another tragic — 270 — f occurrence. It will be remembered that Mrs. Lena World War Guilbert Ford, of New York, wrote that popular song, At Its " Keep the Home Fires Burning," which proved at once Cli^^x an inspiration and a solace to the American heart in the dark days of the war. During an air raid in London the enemy dropped a bomb upon the house in which Mrs. Ford sought to nurse back to health a son ter- ribly hurt in battle, and both mother and son were found dead in the ruins. London and Paris were darkened to prevent night raids. Shutters went up at four thirty P. M., streets were unlighted and it was an offense under an act of Defence of the Realm to display a light of any kind. Even taxi cabs were dark &9^ &^ Nothing was too appalling if only it seemed to ensure victory. A high English official, an American who early volunteered to go out with the Canadians and rose to first rank in aeronautics, told a member of our party, in October, there was a point in Austria, eighty miles from Berlin from which Allies planned to liberate a flock of fifty Handley-Page machines, each carrying five tons of high explosives and capable of staying in the air for five hours and whose speed was one hundred miles an hour. As soon as the machines, then being built, were completed, the expedition would start, fly over and drop their deadly missiles upon Berlin, utterly destroy- ing it. Before the planes were completed, however, war ended s^ s^ In the course of our visit to Sandringham we asked King George what he thought of Kaiser Wilhelm, his uncle. Without a moment's hesitation. His Majesty slowly and with great emphasis said: "/ THINK HE'S THE GREATEST CRIMINAL IN HISTORVr Asked further whether he believed the Kaiser might — 271 — World War commit suicide as was then reported, if he lost his fight, At Its King George rephed: "No, whatever else he may be, Climax ^^il^i^l^^i is ^^ coward and only cowards commit sui- s, cide." &^ &^ ^ And the following extract of a letter from the Kaiser to the Austrian Emperor, which evidently was taken from the Austrian archives, confirms King George's terrific arraignment of his uncle, and best shows Kaiser Wil- helm's intention: " Mv soul is torn asunder, but everything must be put to fiVe and blood. THE THROATS OF MEN, AND WOMEN, CHILDREN AND AGED, MUST BE CUT AND NOT A TREE NOR A HOUSE LEFT STANDING. With such methods of terror, which alone can strike so degenerate a people as the French, the war will finish before two months, while if I use human- itarian methods it may be prolonged for years. Despite all my repugnance I have had to choose the first system." 5<^ 5^ We saw no women, children nor old person with their throats cut either in Belgium or in France; but as to the second clause of the Kaiser's threat that not a tree nor a house be left standing, we were eye-witnesses to the awful completeness with which it had been carried out. So far as we could learn, practically all acts of atrocity were committed in the first years of the war in Belgium. These we got from speech of the people. In Lille, France, which the Boche left after four years of occupancy, three days before our arrival we were told of a twelve year old school boy who had shouted " Vive la France." He was seized, attached in the form of a cross to a high fence, brush placed under him, burned to death and the body left there for more than a week, a terrorizing warn- ing to passers by. That was in Nineteen Hundred Four- teen. It goes without saying that no other child in — 272 — Lille dared afterward to shout long live France. World War Acts of desecration and vandalism were everywhere in At Its evidence. The French peasantry is devoutly Catholic. Climax Stately poplar trees had bordered the beautiful roads ?, of Eastern France. Every few miles a costly shrine had ' appeared, where for many a century the dutiful wayfarer had paused to kneel in prayer. Practically none of these was left. Many of them were apparently blown up w^ith dynamite or knocked down with shells. ^ Between Noyon and Radinghem in a small town, the name of which is gone from memory, the Boche delib- erately, it is charged, dropped bombs from an airplane on a Red Cross hospital. Three or four doctors, as many nurses and a like number of soldiers on the operating table were killed outright. No doubt w^hatever remains that it was an act of deliberateness, as the hospital roof had a big red cross easily seen from the air and the offending plane flew^ very low when the bomb was dropped ^>«» &^ At St. Quentin, holes were drilled in the interior columns of the beautiful cathedral, built in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries. An order in German directed in detail the kind of high explosives that were to be used to destroy the superb temple. Before orders could be carried out the Germans were driven from the city. As they went they shelled it until it was almost as thoroughly ruined as if the explosives had been let off. ^ In a cemetery in a little town near Perrone the identi- fying numbers on crosses over the graves of two thousand Allied dead were deliberately painted out. Cemeteries were dynamited and graves torn open and their con- tents exposed. At St. Quentin, in a crypt beneath a chapel where nuns were buried, catacombs were opened, and coffins broken in a search for copper with which to make shells. — 273 — World War Bones in caskets were ruthlessly exposed and left upon At Its the stone floor. No one would blame the Hun, as copper Climax ^^^ ^ ^^^" iiecessity, had he, finding these poor devout ^ women were cheaply buried in tin-lined boxes, returned * the coffins to their resting places and sealed them up again. The world would never have known they had been disturbed. In concluding, reference to destruction in Belgium and France an extract is made from correspondence in the Syracuse Herald while the writer was abroad: " Mil- lions of men have given their lives to end it and have died that others might live. But the battle of life has not ended. There lies in the wake of this cruel war, a picture such as one who has not seen, can never realize. If I were the most vivid or graphic word painter in all the world I would not attempt to put that picture into the minds of my readers as its gloomy outlines are for- ever indelibly stamped upon mine. Would to God I had never seen it. With my feeble powers of description, however, a few words may perhaps not be amiss. I 've looked upon that' long stretch of misery, ruined France, from Laon, a city set on the hills, to Vimy Ridge, which Germany was forced to abandon ten days before. Vimy Ridge where France alone suffered two hundred fifteen thousand CASUALTIES AND THEN DID NOT WIN. Do you realize that in our own civil war, not many more men were engaged on either side than France alone lost in battle at Vimy Ridge? Eastern France on the long, long trail over which we travelled, had been a land of beauty. Birds sang in the trees, the earth was green with orchard and field and yellow with golden crops. Tall poplar trees shaded the splendid roads. Flowers were everywhere, especially the lily of France. How great and awful, then, has been the transformation: — 274 — Today in the wake of the Hun are three hundred fifty World War thousand DESTROYED BUILDINGS. More than At Its $25,000,000,000 will be required to restore them. Homes, Cnjyi^x churches, even graveyards, are destroyed and destruc- g tion of city and village is complete. Not one village, not * one city, but all villages and all cities. Piles of red dust and wreckage are all that is left of communities. Now and then the weird shaft of a ruined building points its finger toward heaven. At night neither cawing crow nor shrieking, hungry, circling vulture is seen. It is all too poor for even these rapacious birds of prey. Gone are the once happy men and women from this black, torn, completely devastated area. Where? One million four hundred thousand French are dead, while in French and Belgian soils one million British soldiers also sleep. Once fertile lands are full of shell holes and thick with unexploded shells. For one thousand miles by automo- bile we rode through this black, torn, leafless territory. Trenches, barbed wire entanglements, dugouts (in which men took refuge from an inferno of gas and shrapnel and bomb and shell), stumps of trees, that had once been orchards, cemeteries destroyed by mines planted there until vaults and tombs gaped wide open are some of the startingly vivid horrors that will live with me so long as my memory lasts. Allied dead are in rude cemeteries everywhere &^ &^ " Surely, the Hun has supplanted the Lily of France with the Little White Cross which marks the grave of Allied dead.'* Although not closely pertinent to the tenure of this chapter it may be interesting to recall that the writer was staying in Atlantic City when President Harding was inaugurated. It was his intention to catch a special train from there at three-thirty A. M. Soft living at a luxurious seaside hotel, however, is not conducive to rising at such a zero hour and when he awoke the — 275 — World War special was well on its way to the national capital. Wlien At Its ^^ read accounts of inaugural ceremonies on that day, Climax hissing the train had its decided compensations which ^ consisted of one feature that pulled hard at his heart ' strings. Pathos, especially deep and sad, was written in every line newspapers told of how an attendant accompanying President Wilson when he moved up or down stairs planted his affected leg carefully and firmly upon each step before he was permitted to proceed. ^ Little more than two years before while we were there, Woodrow Wilson in Europe was acclaimed, always excepting Abraham Lincoln, the greatest Amer- ican since Washington, and visiting newspaper pub- lishers were urged to insist that he go to Versailles and settle the peace of the world. Wilson, to this writer's manner of thinking, is as certainly a truly of the World War as any shell-shocked, gassed, or shrapnel- torn hero of our American soldiery. — 276 — Some Famous People I Have Met Being Impressions of a Number of the World's Eminent, With Like- nesses I Discovered in Them to Syracuse Acquaintances. O us democratic Americans England's royal family made an interesting study. I think it was Huck Finn or his negro, Jim, who remarked: " Kings and such aint so much." But then they had never seen a real king. George, the Fifth, of England, is a real king and a very likable human being withal. I should have been glad to meet him even if he were not monarch of Britain. His democratic manner and human side pleased me. He is a larger and handsomer man than his pictures show him to be. He is clean cut, well set up and vigorous. In appearance he strongly resembles the late Horace K. White so» 5«^ Moreover King George is a far abler man than Ameri- cans who have not met him might think. Were he not occupant of a throne I think he might be a great financier or captain of industry. He is alert and keen, with wide knowledge and extraordinary grasp of world affairs. He has a well developed sense of humor, too. You should see his eyes twinkle as he quickly sees the funny side of things, and when he laughs he lets himself go in a manner that is infectious. In his early life he was a lover of nature and spent much time out of doors. Some of our party, who thought themselves experts in hunting and fishing, were sur- prised by his knowledge of wild game, of guns, and fishing tackle and of sports generally; and they had to admit, after talking with their royal host, that in these — 277 — i World War things they were the veriest tyros. In his discussions of At Its nature study and wild life he reminded us of our lamented Clim \x Roosevelt. He told us that , as a prince, he had often visited Canada and spent many happy days there hunting and fishing. It had been his ambition to visit and see America thoroughly, but he said the future must determine wheth- er or not this ambition should ever be realized. Queen Mary is not, as we would say here, so easy to become acquainted with. An air of aloofness gives the impression that the Queen is ever aware of her royal position. This is not to say she is not gracious. She is indeed most gracious, kindly and sympathetic. Throughout the war she toiled early and late in hos- pitals and in other war work. Self denial and retrench- ment were practised by all members of the royal family and Queen Mary led in this spirit. The Queen reminded me of the late Mrs. Evans, daughter of Judge Reigel, many years prominent as County Judge of Onondaga, and mother of Mary Elizabeth Evans of candy fame. Dowager Queen Alexandra, relict of King Edward and mother of George the Fifth, speaks in a soft and low voice and is graciousness personified. Although an octogenarian she appears not more than sixt^^ She is extremely generous and always has been. One of our escorts remarked of her that if she were again on the throne she would give it away if the idea occurred to her. ^ Because of her recent marriage so much has been said of Princess INIary, daughter of the King, that all I can add is that we found her a sweet, wholesome, happy girl. ^ Princess Louise is a brunette; intellectual and pleasing and keenly alive to all matters of the day. To us Viscount Northcliffe probably was the most interesting personage we met. Perhaps this was due in part to the fact that he was one of us and we were — 278 — particularly interested in his career and his work as a World War publisher &^ &^ At Its His personality forced itself upon us. We felt the Climax strength of it. In many respects he reminded us of Theo- ^ dore Roosevelt. All the Colonel's fire and intensiveness ^ without his brusqueness we felt again in Northcliffe. Not excepting Roosevelt himself, have I heard one man talk on so many subjects and with such a complete knowledge of each in an hour's informal chat. The mind of this publisher of the greatest number of newspapers and magazines controlled by any one man, with one possible exception, was a strange complex of ideas. His was one of the most remarkable creative intellects of the times. He brought forth all manner of publications with departments and ramifications never before dreamed of in staid English newspaperdom. That he was one of the most powerful men in Europe can not be gainsaid. It was Northcliffe who brought out Lloyd George. Northclift'e's severest critics admitted he was a man of giant intellect and of patriotic and lofty ideals, but they felt that the government should never permit any one man to have a power so great as his, as his successors might wield it to the detriment of a nation. ^ The story of Northcliffe's generosity in the war will live forever. To the thousands of his employees who went to war he paid salaries, full pay to the married and half pay to the unmarried men. In the four years of conflict, years of depression in business as well as in other things, Northcliffe continued these payments to his men, payments which in four years aggregated an enormous sum. This was onlj^ one of his many great benefactions. What these payments meant to thousands of families can not be computed. Northcliffe had one overweening conceit, a conceit not to his discredit, one of those conceits that many have — 279 — World War with less reason therefor. It was a natural conceit, too. At Its Although he was much taller, he resembled Napoleon Climax ^^^ ^^^ proud of it. There was the same strong face d and the lock of hair that straggled down on his fore- * head. This Napoleonic lock he cultivated and encour- aged. A little human vanity in a man, perhaps, but a very natural one. Northcliffe was a mighty force in the World War, a greater force than has been realized, and when the history of the Allied military and civic forces is written at last I doubt not that Northcliffe will have a bright page therein s^ ^^ Sir Campbell Stuart, Lord Northcliffe's confidential adviser and head of the Daily Mail and London Times, and other Northcliffe publications, is a young man of great energy and ability. Northcliffe had Sir Campbell with him at Versailles and they had much to do with drafting the Armistice which, ten days later, Germany signed. He wrote a book on propaganda in enemy countries entitled " Secrets of Crewe House." Crewe House was one of Lord Northcliffe's homes. Northcliffe had much to do with propaganda and a special price was set on his head by Germany in retalia- tion for his work against them. Since Viscount North- clift'e's death, Sir Campbell has severed his connection with the Daily Mail and other publications to devote himself exclusively to The Times, of which he has been managing director. In a recent letter to this writer he said he had reached England only five days before Lord Northclift'e's death, that he had been staying in a camp in the Adirondacks but did n't know Syracuse was so near. One of his ancestors preached the Gospel to the Mohawk Indians along the Mohawk and when he got a little leisure he proposed to come back to this part of the world and see many of the places with which he is — 280 — familiar by name, hoping in due course, to include World War Syracuse in his itinerary. At Its Sir Campbell is a virile, progressive newspaper man Climax whom you can scarce make yourself believe is not an ^ American. He 's a man of action, brains and force. It ^ goes without saying he must be,orNorthcliffe would n't have exalted him to his present position. Withal he 's a most charming companion, genial and versatile, wise in the ways of the world of European politics as well as being versed in all manner of human endeavor and affairs. In appearance and in speech Mr. Arthur Balfour recalled to me Dr. John B. Howe, chief editorial writer of The Herald. Slow to get under way in speaking, first impres- sions of him are that his efforts will be uninteresting. Balfour thinks admirably on his feet. He speaks extemporaneously, quickly warming to a vigorous, con- vincing style of oratory. Lucid and forceful he never lacks for words in which to clothe a thought. We met him on many occasions and came to regard him highly. Socially he is a prince among men. Night after Armistice at Claridge Hotel, London, Lord Burnham gave a second notable dinner to our party. To me, it brought keen recollections of home. The Rt. Hon. Winston Spencer Churchill, then Secretary for War, was one of the many prominent speakers. A man of commanding presence and real eloquence, he was decidedly insistent that England would never consent to give up her Great Fleet. It was known at the time that that would be President Wilson's demand and a bold and unequivocal assertion from such an eminent authority was a decided shock to the nervous systems of us Americans. It seemed passing strange since I recalled Mr. Churchill, who had a military record before the World War began, on his maternal side is of American descent. Jennie Jerome, Lady — 281 — World \^AR Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston Spencer, was At Its daughter of Leonard Jerome, a prominent New York Climax banker who was a son of Timothy Jerome, of Pompey to Hill, near Syracuse. It seemed to my mind as if Mr. ' Churchill took an attitude dictatorial and strongly anti-American. Mr. Churchill's father. Lord Randolph Churchill, was descended from the Seventh Duke of Marlborough. At a banquet, a few days before, given by Mrs. Humphrey Ward, the Duchess of ^Marlborough, who was formerly Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt of New York City, was one of the guests. By marriage she was closely related to the Churchills. Winston Spencer Churchill, nevertheless, has had a most remarkable career. He was Secretary of State for the Colonies, Home Secretary, First Lord of Admiralty, Rector of Aberdeen University, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister of Munitions, Secretary for War, and is now Secretary of State for the Colonies. His war record is that he was with the Spanish forces in Cuba in Eighteen Hundred Xinety-five, when only twenty-one years old, headed the Punjab Infantry in India in Eighteen Hundred Ninety-seven, distinguished him- self at the Battle of Khartoum, later headed the Light Horse Cavalry in South Africa, where he was taken prisoner and cleverly escaped. While in the South African campaign he was famous as a newspaper correspondent. He is an author of no mean merit, having ^^Titten five or six books, mostly about wars he has seen and served in, and the life of his distinguished parent. Lord Ran- dolph Churchill. Although nuich younger. Lord Beaverbrook, has something about him recalling Governor Nathan L. Miller. Only at his wonderful country seat Cherkeley Court at Surrey, outside London, had we an opportun- ity to meet him, as he was in ill health owing to hard- — 282 — ships and exposures encountered in World War World War engagements. Beaverbrook is big brained and his rise At Its was ahnost phenomenal. He had been a resident of Cldjl^x England only eight years, urged to go there from his ^ native New Brunswick by his friend Bonar Law. who ' went out from the same town. Born William Maxwell Aitken. he was law\-er and banker at an early age. Shrewd, with keen business sense and excellent judg- ment he quickly became many times a millionaire. Major Evelyn Wrench, spoken of elsewhere, beside a war record to be en\"ied. was a big figure in ci\"il life. He has recently \*isited America in the interest of the EngHsh-Speaking Union which he founded. At the same time he carried a ven*- important testimonial from the British Government to our State Department in recog- nition of the ser\*ices of some of our American troops in the war. MajorWrench is still a ver^* young man and will no doubt be heard from in English governmental affairs. *' Major Yury Ferguson Montague who had charge of us on battle fronts is a Canadian whose home is at Win- nipeg. He distinguished himself on many a field of battle and was frequently decorated. A barrister he returned in Xineteen Hundred Nineteen, to Winnipeg, and resumed the practice of law. It was my pleasant good fortune to be placed next the wife of the Archbishop of Canterbury- at Mrs. Hum- phrey Ward's dinner. I fell in love with her before she uttered a word. She has the sweetest, most motherly smile it has been my lot to have bestowed upon me. She is of large stature, a lionine head crowned with a wealth of titian hair. Perhaps somewhere near sixty. highly intellectual, she radiates joy. sunshine and hope which seem with her to be a rehgion. World war fur- nished a sombre but fruitful field for her great qualities of head and heart, all of which she gave without stint. — ^S;3 — World War Rt. Hon. Viscount Burnham, a newspaper man of high At Its rank gave a number of dinners in honor of the American Climax editors, is a handsome man who recalls Judge Edgar to S. K. Merrill of the Appellate division of the Court of ' Appeals. He owns the Daily Telegraph, of London, a very prosperous newspaper. The Telegraph has experi- mented with substitutes for pulp wood in the manu- facture of newsprint. For several years The Telegraph was printed on paper made from jute straw grown in India. Again one hundred thousand acres of wild lands in Southwestern Arizona and Southeastern California was bought of the United States and Yucca palm trees were cut off and made up into newspaper pulp. The Yucca has a splendid fibre but only a small supply of the wood is obtainable, standing so sparsely as to make its gathering unprofitable. In a letter back home to The Herald, President Poin- caire was likened to the Music blaster. Like General Joffre, hero of the Marne, we saw but little of him. Each impressed us deeply. Joffre was somewhat ill, showing strain when he received us. In April of this year when I saw him in New York City he seemed in much better health, spirits and vigor. SIR CAMPBELL STUART LORD BURNHAM — 284 — FINAL CHAPTER Memories Thoughts that Please and Bless. [ICH memories flood my brain as this narrative of a memorable and notable jom-ney approaches its end. Were not the reader to remember that opportunity is born, not made, and therefore beyond human creation or control. I might be accused of egotism in pronouncing this narrative easily the crowning glory of a life into which kind fortune has thrust many unusual opportunities &^ &^ For months, newspapers and magazines have teemed with picture and story of a King's daughter who chose to wed a viscount and who, as Princess Mary, had first to solemnly and ceremoniously renounce her right of succession to the throne of England as the price of marrying outside of royalty. An old adage runs; "All the world loves a lover.'' From all accounts this most popular English marriage in many decades was un- doubtedly a love match. Therefore Viscountess Las- celles should live happily henceforth and forever in the love nest, a fine old baronial castle, to which her liege lord has taken her. Be that as it may, her splendid courage and nobility of decision in preferring the castle of a viscount to the marble halls of royalty was at least a seeming sacrifice which commands universal admira- tion. Princess Mary, nineteen, was a central figure in entertaining our editorial party on the occasion of a memorable visit to Sandringham, the country home of — 285 — World War King George. King George and hostesses were Queen At Its Mary, Dowager Queen Alexandra, mother of the King Ptta/tav and widow of King Edward VII and Princess Louise, fe sister or the King. ' Present day pictures of Viscountess Lascelles show her grown decidedly mature or matronly in three and a half years that have elapsed since that eventful day at Sandringham when she was just a vivacious, laughing, merry, English girl, whose alert human interest and sympathy and unassuming, democratic ways won all our hearts. No doubt every member of our party today is wishing her every joy and comfort this world can bestow 54^ 54^ Recalled to my mind also are the names of two American women who acted as bridesmaids to Princess Mary — the former Duchess of Marlborough,who before marriage was Miss Consuelo Vanderbilt of New York City, and Lady Decies, formerly Miss Vivian Gould, also of New York and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George J. Gould &^ &^ ^ The then Duchess of Marlborough was the cynosure of all eyes at a banquet given in our honor in London by Mrs. Humphrey Ward, distinguished English author, while Lady Decies' husband. Lord Decies, a fine, red- blooded, two-fisted fellow gave us a remarkable dinner at Shelburne Hotel, Dublin. My table-mate at the function was Sir Horace Plunkett, one of the principal speakers, who has twice since come to America for rest, recreation and to lecture. During the afternoon pre- ceding the dinner, we had had a five hours' session with eight leading Sinn Feiners in Assembly hall, Shel- burne Hotel. A year or so ago it was announced that Lord Decies — who had been offered the Lieutenant- General's office in Ireland had resolved to expatriate himself from Great Britain and becoming a citizen of the United States, reside in New York. The proposition, World War however has not materiahzed. At Its Arthur J. Balfour, another of England's truly great, Climax has returned to London after a long and active stay at ^ Washington, where he was a commanding figure in the ^ disarmament conference, and has just been made Knight of the Garter in acknowledgment of his ser- vices. At the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, he was given a dinner by the American branch of the English- Speaking Union, of which Ex-President William H. Taft is President. Our entire party was bidden to it. We had been given a wonderful banquet in London by the parent organization, of which Mr. Balfour is presi- dent. The LTnion was founded by Major Evelyn Wrench, acting host of our editorial expedition, which, in a body, became members. It was likewise my very great privilege to meet Marshal Foch at a dinner in New York, given at the Commodore Hotel by New York State, under the auspices of Gover- nor Nathan L. Miller. Marshal Foch had sought to arrange a meeting with us in France but was too busily engaged in smashing the Hindenburg line, which he broke so effectively an armistice was forced a little later. ^ General Haig, commander of British troops, also vainly tried to meet us. He had given up Radinghem castle for our convenience and comfort, leaving in charge of it several of his aides and many servants. But he, too, was actively engaging the enemy and made his headquarters in another castle at the front, whence he was pushing back the German army. Last, but not least. General John J. Pershing was our host at a function in Paris. Happily, one week later the Armistice was signed and hostilities ceased. Having thus recalled the persons whose names re- awaken world war memories it is perhaps apropos that — 287 — World War this narrative should close with a consideration of why At Its Germany lost and the Allies won, with especial emphasis Climax ^^ America's part. Insofar as America's part goes, it is g my unshakable opinion it won through the American ^ boy's sublime faith, love of home and mother. AND THE GREATEST OF ALL THESE WAS MOTHER. ^ President Poincare, at an official reception in Paris, characterized the German army as the most wicked, the most cruel, but the most efficient and powerful fighting machine in all history, remarking that, although in all human probability war would go on for another year and a half, xAllied troops must ultimately win, since it was inconceivable that injustice could triumph over justice or wrong over right. Neither wild men from French colonies nor the Germans were impelled by that splendid morale that stirred the Allies. From some French colonies cannibals were im- pressed into service. These savage people, if allowed, man to man, to use knife or club, fought with all the ferocity of demons but when put up into front firing- lines with gas and bomb and tank and machine-gun they became utterly uncontrollable and had to be taken out of the ranks and sent to the rear. And, too, it was morale and love of home and mother that drove Allies through the gates of hell, as the Hindenburg line was properly called. Adversely, it was as surely the lack of these ideals that lost the war to Germany. Major Furry Ferguson Montague, a Cana- dian soldier, military attache of our Editorial party, again and again decorated for bravery, made me this reply when asked what sent him over the top, " I '11 tell you frankly. I know I 've been honored many times for bravery but I 'm nevertheless a natural coward. In college I excelled at football and hockey and still gradu- — 288 — a ted with fair class honors, studied law and was ad- World War mitted to the bar, then enlisted in Canada in Nineteen At Its Hundred Fourteen. Back in Winnipeg sits a dear old Climax mother who thinks I am the greatest athlete and the g brightest student that was ever graduated from Toronto ^ university, that I was the ablest lawyer in Winnipeg, and now that I am in the war, that I 'm the bravest fighter among all our Canadian troops. Thafs what drove me over the top and kept me over the top. Do you think I could be yellow under those circumstances .^^ No! she 's going to die with that high ideal of me if I must go to my grave to maintain it." Neuilly, Paris's famous racing grounds, had been given over to America by the French government and a number of base hospitals and buildings were put into use as Executive offices of the Red Cross, Knights of Columbus, the Y. M. C. A., the Salvation Army and similar organizations and many statistical departments. There was a very sizeable temporary cemetery within the grounds where from seven to eleven American victims of Spanish influenza, besides those dying in hospitals were buried daily. We were shown through the hospital buildings by a Presbyterian chaplain, a rank- ing American captain. It was the occasion of comment in passing through the wards that while many boys were frightfully torn and maimed, nearly all smiled and spoke lightly of their suffering which, they declared, was " all in the day's work." An exception was one morose lad before whom our ministerial guide stopped to offer words of cheer. " That 's an unusually pathetic case," remarked the chaplain as he rejoined us outside the building. " The boy with whom you saw me speaking is horribly and fatally wounded. It happened this way: Up in the front trenches when mail was being distributed he asked — ^289 — World War regularly for letters from home. None came. During a At Its red hot skirmish a companion noticed he was recklessly Climax exposing himself and reprimanded him for his careless- ^ ness, declaring the Boche would get him if he did n't • watch out. " 'What does it matter anyhow? " came the swift reply. ' No one cares for me. Why, I never even get a letter from home like other boys.' Then a shell came whistling along and burst and the casualty with whom you just saw me talking was carried here to Paris. " Two weeks ago there was brought to him here in one package twenty-nine letters, nearly all written by his mother. They had been mailed at regular intervals but postal service is woefully inefficient in France today, causing many a heartache. However, this case is by far the saddest one coming within my knowledge." The day following I went to St. Denis hospital to have the stitches drawn from my wounds received in an automobile accident heretofore described. A remark- ably handsome chap with a wonderfully winning smile, commiserated me on my injuries and with much solici- tude sought to learn their history. " Oh, I 'm all right, son; It 's only my pride that 's hurt," I said pointing to my disfigured face, " Let 's talk about you." Since May, it was then early November, he had lain on a cot with his right leg in a sling raised two feet higher than his body. Smiles wreathed his face as he said he did n't mind since doctors had told him he could take the leg down in two weeks, assuring him he could use it again. " But," he added slowly, with none of the smiles leaving his young face, " Heinie got me in the side with a piece of shrapnel and the wound pains me all the time. Doctors tell me it may never heal. What 's the difference? " — 290 — he added proudly and resignedly, *' I guess I 've done World War my bit all right." At Its " And yet you lie there and smile and ask about my rjLjjyi^x small hurts. God bless you, son," I said as I shook ^ hands in farewell. " You certainly are a brave lad. • You deserve to get well and I 'm going to pray you Will."s<> 5 And the thought entered my mind how much I had to be thankful for, because with me at the time on leave to visit me in Paris, because of my injuries, was my own son who fought in Belgium and France in that most hazardous of services, the machine gun branch and had come off unhurt. Next, a Major, who escorted me through the building took me into an operating wing to have the stitches drawn from my head and face. It occurred to me that the surgeon was a trifle slow and I besought him to hurry &^ s^ " It will hurt, quite a bit if I do," he replied. " It won't hurt a thousandth part as much as that poor boy's agonizing cries" I told him. " Doctor, please, please, doctor, let me go home to my wife and two kiddies," were the beseeching cries that floated out from an adjoining room. As the surgeon accompanied me to the door a few minutes later and bade me God speed, he turned toward the boy from whom the agonizing appeals came and said: " Poor fellow, he '11 never see his wife and kiddies again. He '11 never see another sundown." Discussing, with my son, that evening at our hotel in Paris, I asked him, from his experience and observation, what he believed was the underlying reason America had won from British and French rulers, war officers and statesmen, the praise she was then receiving. — 291 — ? World War " It 's the wonderful morale of our American expedi- At Its tionary force, Dad," was his reply. Climax Continuing, he said, " The German soldier is trained as a part only of a great unit or machine. He has no initiative. Break up the machine and he 's lost — does n't know what to do. In such circumstances, man to man, one American soldier will whip three German fighters. But with our boys there 's a higher and a firmer morale. It 's the love of home and country. The German is just a cold, bloodless, soulless part of a great fighting machine because that is what his military training has taught him to be." As an example of how thoroughly our American officers understood the benefits of morale and appreciated how inspiring were the boys' constant thoughts of home and mother, he said, in Flanders Field where his machine gun went over the top and received its baptism of fire, so fierce and continuous were hostilities in those miser- able morasses, there was no such thing as stopping to eat and food and hot coffee were sent up to the boys on the front firing line. With the hot meal, if there was mail, it was sent along. " In that event. Dad," was my son's inquiry, " Which do you think was -taken first, coffee or letter from home? " 69^ &^ " Your question answers itself, son. They, no doubt, drank their coffee cold." And so I repeat, war was won, as it ever will be in a civilized world, primarilv by HOME AND MOTHER, AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS MOTHER. ^ Never before in history had a people gone to war with such lofty aspirations or for such high ideals as those for which Americans fought. Against all the enginery of hell — every fiendish weapon perverted science could invent — bombing plane in air, sneaking — 292 — submarine in sea, and on land, poison gas and shrapnel World War and bomb and tank and Big Bertha — America had At Its hurried overseas from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 of the Climax flower of her young manhood, sons alike of the million- ,;, aire and the laborer, college athletes and professional ^ men in all ranks, sons of former Presidents, in short, boys gathered from all walks of life. And it was offici- ally asserted that between 10,000,000 and 14,000,000 would have gone over were they needed. In addition, while America had expended billions of dollars to equip and man her own army, she had mean- time fed ruined and starving Belgium and loaned billions in treasure to Russia, Italy, France and England. For all this, when the day of reckoning and division of spoils came, America through President Wilson, protested that she wanted nothing, emphasizing that she had gone to war, not for conquest, not for territorial expansion, not for national aggrandizement, but in order that all nations, great and small, be treated equally and the world made safe for democracy. Abundant proof of America's sincerity in entering war are events following cessation of hostilities. She has given, by Congressional enactment, 25,000,000 bushels of wheat to starving Russia, has gone to the relief of the downtrodden Jew in Ukrania and other Central European countries and has given most generously to famishing hordes in China. America, of all countries, had resources ample to afford these reliefs. In Russia's case the gratuity was an unparalleled example of mag- nanimity, since Russia owes the United States millions upon milhons of borrowed money, which in all human probability she will never pay. As a finality it will probably be repudiated upon the self satisfying ground that there was no Constitutional authority for the borrowing and that as they at the time were co-allies — 293 — World War with America it was simply a contribution on her part At Its to the cause of the AUies. Climax ^^^ what of the American boy? Patriotism alone ^ prompted him. He was inspired by that beautiful ^ poem, entitled " Your Flag and My Flag," written by Wilbur B. Nesbit, and published by Volland & Com- pany of New York City, both of whom have given per- mission for it's reproduction here : Your flag and my flag And how it flies today, In your land and my land And half a world away! Rose-red and blood-red The stripes forever gleam, Snow-white and soul white — The good forefathers' dream; Sky-blue and true blue, with stars to gleam aright — The gloried guidon of the day; a shelter through the night. Your flag and my flag! To every star and stripe The drums beat as hearts beat And fifers shrilly pipe ! Your flag and my flag — A blessing in the sky; Your hope and my hope — It never hid a lie ! Home land and far land and half the world around. Old glory hears our glad salute and ripples to the sound! Your flag and my flag. And, oh, how much it holds — Your land and my land — Secure within its folds! Your heart and my heart Beat quicker at the sight: Sun-kissed and wind-tossed — Red and blue and white. The one flag — the great flag — the flag for me and you — Glorified all else beside — the red and white and blue. — 294 — Primarily, I repeat, it was the boy's love of home and World War mother &^ 5«» At Its AN THE GREATEST OF THESE IS MOTHER. Climax ^ From every conceivable angle it has been my proud ^ privilege to get a close up view of our American boy. • / SAW HIM AND WAS WITH HIM in training camp and witnessed his untiring application to drill and discipline and then his unbounded zeal and eager- ness to cross the seas and get into action. / SAW HIM AND WAS WITH HIM next in a con- voy of 30,000 men which crossed the Atlantic in one of its angriest moods, a convoy which holds the lamentable distinction that in transporting 3,000,000 or 4,000,000 American soldiers across it was the only one to lose a vessel in a storm when five hundred brave boys went down to death in the deep oft* the north coast of Ireland. / SAW HIM AND WAS WITH HIM in training camps over there. / SAW HIM AND WAS WITH HIM at battle- fronts in Belgium and France while war was in its awful, agonizing throes of death. I SAW HIM AND WAS WITH HIM in twenty different hospitals in France and England whither I went to have my wounds looked after. / SAW HIM AND WAS WITH HIM when the mighty machine of the Hun, which the President of France only three weeks before had thought could carry on a year and a half longer, trembled convulsively, crumpled and utterly collapsed. / SAW HIM AND WAS WITH HIM in London on November 11, 1918, when Armistice was announced. / SAW HIM AND WAS WITH HIM (at least as many of him as returned) when as the Twenty-seventh New York division he triumphantly marched up Fifth — 295 — World War Avenue inspired by plaudits from a million throats; At Its and finally : Climax ^ ^^^ ^f ^ ^^^ A^ WITH HIM now in the peace- to ful pursuits to which he has returned, typifying the ' age-old adage, "Peace hath her victories, no less re- nowned than war." HONOR MOTHER OF AMERICAN BOY WHO WENT TO WAR! HONOR AND REVERE MOTHER OF AMERICAN BOY WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE! Although hostilities ceased four years ago, many nations are still actually at war with one another. International perplexities exist. Great problems are unsolved. Happily some progress toward a solution of them has been made. In conclusion, never again do I expect to seek my pillow in sleep that there shall not pass through my excited brain a kaleidoscopic, depressing moving picture of stark ruin in Belgium and France, of the cemeteries I saw on the hillsides with row upon row of little white crosses which mark the grave of the American boy " gone West." And from out that forever ineffaceable mental picture there arises unbidden the pathetic, still unanswered question : HAS HE DIED IN VAIN? GOD GRANT IT SHALL NOT BE. BUT TIME ALONE WILL TELL. 291 Those Who Have Passed On INCE events chronicled in the foregoing pages occurred, two distinguished enter- tainers of our editorial group and one member of it have joined "the innumer- able caravan." Strangely enough, too, all died of heart disease, two, suddenly. Mrs. Humphrey Ward, whose writings fascinate and charm an army of readers the world 'round, was a gracious hostess at a memorable dinner in London, to which she had bidden twelve of England's most prom- inent women, and at which she delivered a speech that was a classic. Mrs. Ward died suddenly, in London, on March 24, 1920. Edward Ware Barrett, owner of the Birmingham, Ala- bama, Age-Herald, died in a swimming pool at Birming- ham July 9, 1922. Alfred Harmsworth, otherwise Viscount Northcliffe, gave numerous dinners at which were statesmen, diplomats and great men in different walks of life, besides being an associate and companion of our party. He died August 14, 1922. In the world's opinion, Northcliffe and Ward have earned pedestals in the niches of its Hall of Fame. To us, Mrs. Ward is a sweet memory, a kindly, radiant, gracious hostess, whose classic address, near the end of war, upon America's magnanimity toward Germany, still sounds in our ears; Northcliffe, strenuous, brilliant, courtly, versatile, powerful, yet kind and whole-souled, who, notwithstanding the overwhelming cares and turmoils of war, seemed to find his greatest delight in being regarded as one of us, a good, all-around man of the newspaper world. Edward W. Barrett, of our own party, was an able, affable, big-souled, lovable and manly man. Vale and farewell ! = 00^ ^V x^ \v^^'^ ^\ ' ^ %<>' ■^r-^' ^L'' , '^0^ ^^^V^-'-'"% ; x^" ^^ x« ^.. '^ '' ^"^ "^/- %# ^' .^ >cw ■^ /■ C , -^ "*.. ' x^'\ •^ '1; 1, ,\ "- ''y"" ' s ■" \0 " *. ■■^^ .■^^ >"\'v> • cP"", ^ •-^. C^^ •x (>^ r c>0 %^' ^ % %./ '<*^1.3<, '' f^,. ^ ^. a'^ - Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide ; 00^ -' ^ : Treatment Date: JUN ^U"' ^5 ^>. "^-^ ; PreservatlonTechnologi^ '^'o A WORLD LEADER IH PAPER PRESEHVATIOI^ ---. ' N " N ^ ^. f, -/. Ill Thomson PaA Drive \ -' ^^ '^ . ' <; ^ CranberryTownship. PA 16066 I .i> ^'V ^-■''', '" ' (724)779-2111 ] 'P. V? x^' .•^^ ^-° >■ •/>. ■ S^ -^ ■0 N .0 ^. -S-^c^ 'V 7 '- 'V S]'' iiii LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ™WM//||ii _^OO7 69136O2