ties between America and Marseilles should be better known. I would
recall that our history, especially the history of our Chamber of
Commerce, records the old sympathy of Marseilles for America. It is
as old as your nation herself. At the end of the eighteenth
century, when the stars of young America just appeared on the
Atlantic horizon, French warships fought for your fathers'
independence. Some ships of Admiral d'Estaing's French squadron
bore names such as "LE MARSEILLAIS", "LA PROVENCE". In the year
1782 the French fleet was increased by a new warship of 118 guns,
built and armed at the expense of the Chamber of Commerce of
Marseilles. Her cost was 1,200,000 francs, a very small sum of
money in our days, but rather a large one in those remote times.
She was offered to King Louis XVI for the very purpose of helping
in the American war, and she was named by the King "Le Commerce de
Marseille."
Gentlemen, it is for the successors of the "echevins" of the year
1782 a great joy to meet in Marseilles the sons of the glorious
soldiers of the Independence War, sustained so many years ago with
the assistance of the warship bearing their own name.
Gentlemen, Marseilles may be somewhat ignored, but France was not
forgotten by America. I need not mention the numerous proofs our
country has received of your country's sympathy. But I only fulfill
a duty in emphasizing the very great help we have found in America
in the course of this terrible war, the greatest human cataclysm
which ever stormed the human world. All of us are aware that France
found in America another kind of help than material, steel and
grain. France found amongst you any sort of goods, but also--and
over all--kindness and pity. American ambulances, splendidly
organized, afforded invaluable relief to our wounded on the front.
May I mention not that American airmen rendered to our army the
most useful services, and that American lives were lost for France.
America helps us by sea, on land and in the air. Your country knows
that France is not fighting for power or profit, but that she is
pouring the best of her children's blood for Freedom and Humanity.
Gentlemen, we used to say in France that good accounts, that is good
settlements of business, make good friends. I believe that the words may
be reversed and that good friendship may lead to good business. I trust
that after this war, trade between America and Marseilles will be
largely extended. We have shown you that, notwithstanding the present
worries and difficulties, we are pushing on our harbor improvements and
preparing large accommodation for shipping and industry. We strongly
believe that, in the near future, Marseilles must become the most
important harbor and center of commerce for the whole Mediterranean Sea.
We think that the American trade will find in our city the best center
of distribution for your large exports of commodities such as petroleum,
harvesting machinery, tobacco, and that they should be forwarded through
Marseilles to all the Mediterranean shores. I have no doubt your visit
in our city will allow you to observe that you can find here produce of
our land or of our industry, most convenient for American requirements,
and that in the mutual interest of your and our cities the trade between
Marseilles and American ports will be proportionate to the friendship of
the Nations.
Mr. President, Gentlemen, I propose your good health and the good
health of your friends, and the prosperity of our sister Republic,
The United States of America.
* * *
[Illustration: Shore of Mediterranean near Marseilles. In the Distance
Chateau D'If, Made Famous by Dumas.]
There was greeting by M. Artaud, president of the Chamber of Commerce,
and a response by Mr. Nichols. We were given an ovation by the most
representative people of Marseilles. We met at this dinner, A. Gaulin,
American Consul General, and he was most cordial.
The next day was Sunday. In the afternoon we visited the Marseilles Art
Museum. We saw a bust, recently found, which dates back to the Second
century; it resembles very closely the work of Rodin. In this museum we
saw an old bell, labeled 1840, and an old straw hat, labeled 1820. We
drove all over the city, visited the old docks and noted the
cosmopolitan conglomeration of people in streets.
We were taken to the Chateau D'If, which is a quarter of a mile out at
sea, made world-famous by Dumas in the noted novel "The Count of Monte
Cristo". We all resolved, right then and there, that when we got home we
would re-read "The Count of Monte Cristo". In our drive we saw Longchamp
palace, which resembles very much the court of honor in the National
McKinley Birthplace Memorial at Niles, Ohio. The entrance to the port of
Marseilles resembles the Golden Gate at San Francisco. We gathered
considerable information in our talks with the people we met at
Marseilles, being told among other things, that all the officials of the
French government are to hold over until the war is over, that is to
say, elections are suspended for the time being. The efficiency and
preparedness of the Germans was enlarged upon, it being stated, as is
very well known, that Germany was the only country prepared at the time
the war broke out.
We visited at Marseilles the birthplace of Rouget de l'Isle, the author
of the Marseilles hymn. This hymn was first sung by a lady at an evening
party in Straussburgh, Germany, and it was then called the "Hymn of the
Soldier from Marseilles", but afterwards became known as "The
Marsellaise Hymn". It is the national anthem of France; the words are
inspiring and no one, whether American or French, can listen to the
music of this hymn without being stirred to the depths.
We heard much of the vast stores of zinc and iron ores in Tunisia and
Algeria, and were given much information about French colonies. France,
including its colonies, has nearly one hundred million people. The
Trans-Africa Railroad takes in a population of more than two hundred
million people along the Mediterranean, including France, Spain and
Italy. One of the largest dams in the world, "La Durance Dame," 429 feet
across, is in France, not far from Marseilles.
Before the war Germany marketed a large amount of its coal in France,
three hundred thousand tons annually.
Bauxite or aluminum ore is mined in France, and 60 per cent. of the
output of the world is French product. Algeria contains millions of
acres of virgin forests, ready to be explored. The cork oak is one of
the important trees. Large exports of iron ore are made to England. At
the end of the war the French expect to market ore and coal from the
fields of Lorraine.
In our travels through Marseilles, we did not observe anywhere play
grounds or amusements of any kind for the workmen.
Marseilles has a number of convalescent hospitals. We saw in the streets
on Sunday, soldiers wandering about, English, French, Russian, Tunisian,
Algerian, Hindu-Chinese, Moroccan, Australian, Canadian, Corsican;
natives of Madagascar and Negroes from South Africa--soldiers from
eleven different nations.
There is a plan projected to connect Marseilles with a system of French
canals, so as to afford direct water communication between the
Mediterranean, the North Sea and thus to the English Channel. Marseilles
antedates the Christian era by five hundred years. In 1782 a man-of-war
mounting one hundred and eighteen guns, named "La Commerce de
Marseilles" was built at the expense of the Marseilles Chamber of
Commerce and presented to Louis XVI for the fleet sent by the French
Government to fight for American independence. Marseilles, later on,
became prominent in the French Revolution and gave its name to the
French national hymn.
The largest tunnel in the world is now well under course of
construction in France, its object being to give the city of Marseilles
connection with Paris and the interior in general by rail and water.
This tunnel will provide an ample waterway for barges. The entire
project involves the building of a new harbor and the cutting of a ship
canal, actually tunneled through solid rock for five long miles, joining
the old harbor and the Mediterranean to the River Rhone. The Rhone's
upper stretches are placid and already are used extensively for barge
navigation, but near Marseilles the stream is far too turbulent for
commerce. A range of hills had prevented the construction of a canal in
days gone by. Now, with France energized by the war, and with the
necessity for the canal emphasized thereby, the tunnel is being pushed
and the canal will soon be opened. It will connect Marseilles with the
network of canals which extends throughout the country. There are longer
tunnels in the world, but none so large, for this is seventy-two feet
wide and nearly forty-seven feet high. The work was begun in 1911-12 and
has been continued through the war. The project is being put through by
the Marseilles Chamber of Commerce, which found $8,000,000 of the
$18,280,000 required to do the work. The balance will be paid by vessel
tolls. The canal runs from Arles to the Mediterranean, a distance of
fifty-one miles, making a navigable waterway to the usable portion of
the Rhone and the Saone, opening 337 miles of water capable of bearing
600-ton lighters. By this canal and links already available, barges can
be sent from the Mediterranean to the English Channel.
On Monday, September the 25th, I called upon the Consul General A.
Gaulin. I found him a very agreeable gentleman and quite devoted to his
work, a great deal of which consisted in helping needy Americans
stranded in France.
The Commission was invited to luncheon at the Hotel Reserve, overlooking
the Mediterranean and the Chateau D'If. On my right sat the president of
the Marseilles Chamber of Commerce, Adrien Artaud, and on my left sat
Lucien Estrine, former president of the Marseilles Chamber of Commerce.
At this elevated hotel, tradition has it, the Count of Monte Cristo and
his bride had their wedding breakfast.
In the afternoon an open meeting was held by the Chamber of Commerce at
the Regina Hotel. This meeting was attended by citizens of Marseilles
interested in the import and export business. The question of credits
was pretty thoroughly discussed. It was stated by a number of Frenchmen
present that the coveting of the iron ore and coal deposits of France by
the Germans was the real cause of the war.
IX.
TOWNS IN SOUTHERN FRANCE
We left Marseilles on Tuesday, September 26th, at 6 A. M. for Grenoble.
The sunrise was very beautiful; along the way you can see trees, the
tops of which have been chopped off. We were told that the annual crop
of fire-wood in France is just the same as the annual crop of wheat or
any other product. Fast growing trees are planted and the branches and
twigs are utilized for fuel.
We were met at the Grenoble station by eight entirely new Dodge
automobiles.
At Grenoble, we visited the glove factory of Perrin & Co. This firm is
well known in the United States and we were informed that our country is
its best customer. In normal times the concern employes twenty thousand
men and women, equally divided. The product is twenty million pairs of
gloves annually. Much of the work is taken home for execution. The shop
is well lighted and the sanitary conditions seem to be all of the very
best. We visited the Raymond button factory and the candy factory of
Davin & Company. This was a very interesting experience. At the close,
or rather before leaving the factory, we were permitted to witness the
decoration of a workman who had been in the employment of the company
for thirty-five years. It was really an affecting sight. We were told
that in all that time he had not lost a day from sickness and the time
had arrived when he was entitled to a pension. He was decorated by the
head of the firm. At the close of the ceremonies he was surrounded by
his family, relatives and members of the firm, and greeted in the usual
way of the French with their own countrymen, that is to say, by kissing
and embracing.
On Wednesday, September 27th, at seven in the morning, we left Grenoble
for the French Alps. We had as a guide John Steel, an American who had
been in France for fifteen years and had become a French citizen. He
gave us much valuable information. He said, among other things, that
when the railroads in France take freight they guarantee the time of
delivery, if desired, and include an extra charge in the rate. On this
trip we passed three companies of mounted guns, the technical name being
mountain artillery. This was an interesting sight. A portion consisted
of donkeys with all the paraphernalia of a soldier strapped to their
backs, together with rapid firing mitrailleuses. The soldiers were
unusually fine looking men from the Alpine district, a portion of France
near the Swiss border.
[Illustration: Types from French Provinces.]
We visited a paper mill where the entire product was cardboard. We
passed the "Escole de Garcons," otherwise a school for teaching
waiters. We were told by Mr. Steel that in the valley adjoining that in
which we were driving anthracite coal exists in abundance but has not
been worked to any great extent. We passed mountain villages and noticed
the cultivation of the sides of mountains almost perpendicular. It was a
wonderful ride, amid splendid scenery, with numerous waterfalls, snow
and glaciers in great abundance; in other words, we were going through
the Switzerland of France. We passed a flock of sheep, more than five
thousand in number, cared for by a head shepherdess, with several
assistants and a number of dogs.
We had luncheon at the Grand Hotel Bourg D'Oison and stopped briefly at
the hotel de La Meige.
On our return down the mountain we visited an electric manufacturing
plant, the products being aluminum, magnesium, sodium, peroxide, sodium,
oxolyte, calcium, and hydrated calcium. In this factory one of the
commissioners had a narrow escape from certain injury, if not death, by
attempting to taste the chemicals. He was stopped just in time.
We then visited the Chateau Vizille, built in the seventeenth century
and at one time occupied by Casimer de Perier, President of France.
Vizille was one of the three great marshalls of France, and the chateau
is called the "Cradle of Liberty". The first French Revolutionary
meeting was held here. The castle contained old cannon and splendid old
furniture, while the surrounding grounds were beautiful.
On Thursday, September 28th, we visited the paper manufacturing plant of
Berges at Lancey. There is an immense water-power installation here, the
capacity of the plant being one hundred tons daily of all grades of
paper. There are two plants, one a very old one, dating back nearly two
hundred years, and the other a new one, not quite completed. We saw here
one machine which cost one hundred and sixty thousand dollars, a
remarkable piece of mechanism, almost human in its workings. The
waterfall is six hundred feet in a short distance. Adjoining this paper
mill was a small munition plant. Most of the employes were women,
dressed in the American bloomer costume.
In the afternoon we had a meeting with the citizens and the Chamber of
Commerce of Grenoble. The discussion took a very wide range--from the
tariff question to the latest news from the front.
Next the party visited a plant for the manufacture of sheet steel by
electricity.
In the evening we were banqueted at the Grand Hotel. On my right sat M.
Paisant, Director General; on my left was Mr. Thomas W. Mutton,
Vice-consul of the United States of America at Grenoble; near was was
Mr. Tenot, Prefect of the district.
This part of France is noted for the amount of cement manufactured.
Walnuts are grown in this section in large quantities. I discussed
these things with Mr. Murton.
There was a discussion at the banquet over female suffrage and the
birthrate, and this grew very animated.
On Friday, September 29th, we left Grenoble and stopped at Voiron and
were here treated, at 9:30 A. M., with a "petit dejeuner". We next
visited the monastery Grande. This was founded in the Twelfth century by
St. Bruno. The present building was commenced and completed in the
sixteenth century and the community originally had forty-two monks or
fathers. This monastery is where the celebrated liquor, "Chartreuse",
was manufactured, the basis of which is brandy, distilled flowers, and
herbs. This formula was known only to the monks. While at the monastery
in France each monk had an individual garden and an individual cell.
When an extra penance seemed necessary special silence was given them
and they were compelled to remain in their cells for months at a time.
There were long corridors and in the basement places for servants and
retainers. In the center of the grounds was a very beautiful place where
the fathers were buried. We were told that the order was recruited
mainly from the intellectual class, many of them widowers. Special rooms
were reserved for travelers without money and without price.
[Illustration: Monastery of Chartreuse.]
The Carthusian order of Monks established themselves at Grenoble,
France, in 1132. The original receipe for the famous cordial was given
them in 1602 by Marshall d'Estress. Friar Jerome Maubec arranged the
present formula in 1755, and it remained unchanged until their expulsion
by the French Government, July 2nd, 1901. More than two hundred
ingredients go to make up Chartreuse, and nowhere else in the world can
this cordial be manufactured. Chartreuse is the unsolved enigma of
French compounders of liqueurs. Its manufacture has ceased. It is quite
true that at Tarragona, Spain, the monks still continue to make cordial
under the name of "Peres Chartreux", but it is generally agreed that,
owing to the change of locality and climate, the "Peres Chartreux" now
made there is not equal to the old Chartreuse. There are a number of
people in Grenoble who make imitation Chartreuse, but it is not so good
as the real thing.
The monastery library contained twenty-two thousand volumes. These monks
were also known as the Chartreusers, or Carthusian Monks. This was the
head monastery, but there were branches in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
The fathers lived on a simple diet and no meat was allowed. They were
not allowed to speak to each other except twice a week, on Sunday and
Thursday. This old monastery is now used as a hospital for
convalescents.
After this most interesting visit we were taken to luncheon at the Hotel
du Grand Som, and later for a ride of one hundred miles in the military
automobiles, through a mountainous country.
We arrived at Annecy at 8 P. M. and stopped at the Imperial Palace
Hotel. This is one of the finest watering places in France. A beautiful
lake surrounds the hotel, with mountains in the distance.
The next morning we called upon the Mayor and went through the usual
speeches. We were given a boat ride on the lake. Then we visited an old
castle. The coast looked very much like the coast of Maine between Bath
and Squirrel Island. We were taken by boat from Annecy to Menthon and
had luncheon at the Palace Hotel. Here Mr. Damour made his first speech,
which was received so enthusiastically that he was kissed by nearly all
the Frenchmen present.
We then visited an electric steel plant at Acierils, the French name
being the "Electriques of Ugine". We were greeted by, among other
things, a couple of American flags, but they were upside down.
We left Annecy at 5 P. M. for Lyons and stopped at the Terminus Hotel.
We saw a number of tattooed soldiers, that is tattooed with powder
marks, they having seen service.
On Sunday, October 1st, at 8 A. M. we left Lyons for Le Creusot, where
the great French steel plant is located. A serious discussion was held
on the train about going to the front and the dangers were depicted
quite vividly. We stopped at Chagny, after passing a very old church
dating back to the Tenth century. We saw, as we passed along, droves of
beautiful white cows, with not a speck of color.
X.
THE CREUSOT GUN WORKS
Arriving in Le Creusot we stopped at the Grand Hotel Moderne and had a
most enjoyable Sunday evening. It was discovered that our French
secretary, Emile Garden, had quite a tenor voice. He started in to sing
the Marseilles Hymn, and it was not long until all the Commission
joined, and then the hotel employes. Before we got through scores of
people came in from the street to see what was going on. The incident
was telegraphed by the newspaper correspondents to the Paris papers, and
it aided in the work of the commissioners by showing their patriotism
and sympathy for France.
We were told that there had been no strike at Le Creusot for twenty-five
years. The employes wear a special sleeve decoration which indicates
that they are in the same class as soldiers; that is to say, they are
making cannon and munitions and working for France.
We were given a breakfast at the Schneider club house and then visited
the plant. We were refused admission to the munitions plant. The works
employ about twenty thousand men and two thousand women. The output of
the plant is large projectiles, and for this reason the number of women
employed is relatively small. A number of five hundred and twenty
millimeter shells were shown to us; these shells are more than seven
feet long and weigh a ton and a half. We were also shown the guns from
which they are fired, but these were not quite completed. This plant
contains four blast furnaces of very small capacity, making special
grades of pig iron. The initial heat is not used, the steel being
reheated and repoured. A good deal of Vanadium alloy is used, and this
is made in America. At this plant we met Mr. Edmond Lemaitre, an
engineer who had been in Youngstown employed as an inspector. All the
employes, both men and women, wear wooden shoes. We noticed an absence
of safety devices and safety notices. Armored cars were being
manufactured for the government as well as armor plate, but this armor
plate mill was away behind the mills in our own country.
We had luncheon at the club house, but no speeches were made. None of
the proprietors or directors of the company was present. We then visited
the company hospital, a part of which was occupied by electric devices
for treating the wounded. Then we came to the home where the orphans of
the employes are taken care of.
[Illustration: New 520-mm. Gun, Carrying Projectile Seven Feet in Length
and Weighing 3,100 lbs., seen at Creusot Works.]
A great deal of attention is paid to the sanitary conditions and also to
the uniforms of the men, and a great deal that is done for the workmen
could be copied in our American plants. The history of these works,
the greatest of their kind in France, is interesting. Their former ore
supply, or at least a large part of it, was captured by the Germans near
Verdun.
The name Creusot was first mentioned in an old charter in 1253. In the
year 1502 coal was discovered there, and the year 1793 saw the opening
of the Canal du Centre. During the French Revolution the plant was taken
and exploited by the state and a little before the year 1800 was given
back to its owners. During the Napoleonic wars much work was done here.
In the year 1815, gun making was stopped and only coal mining was
allowed.
The dynasty of the Schneiders continued for four generations; the last
one, Charles Eugene Schneider, was born in 1868.
The first French locomotive was built at this plant and, in 1841, the
first hammer moved by steam power.
In the year 1855 the Crimean war led to much activity at this plant. In
1867 ten thousand workmen were employed. In the year 1870 the first
Bessemer steel produced in France, was made here, although the process
had then been in use in the United States for six years.
Since 1884 these works have been exporting guns to many foreign
countries.
In 1897 a large plant was built near Le Havre for the manufacture of
naval guns. In 1882 they built large naval works near Bordeaux, and
since 1906 they have been building the largest warships at that place.
In 1909, at Hyeres, near Toulon, studying and making of torpedoes was
begun, and this was followed in 1910 by submarines. Five plants are now
scattered through France for this kind of work.
The Creusot works do not employ children under fourteen years of age.
There are often three generations employed in this same kind of work,
and some families have up to twenty members working in one plant. They
have always been spared epidemics of any serious nature. With sanitary
and prosperous homes, few deaths have occurred in the first year of
life. The rate of deaths at Le Creusot is only ten per thousand while
the average in France is 16 per thousand, and in bad industrial centers
25 per thousand. Eighty per cent. of the children are nursed by the
mother. After the seventh month before birth mothers rest, and for a
period after and during this time they receive the usual wages.
The first school was opened here in 1787. At the age of fourteen
children can become apprentices and those of other towns or villages are
often attracted. After they have a school certificate, entrance to the
works is optional. From the age of twelve to sixteen years they must do
military preparation, with flags and musical band. The brightest
children go to high school to become engineers, and they are taught by
the best professors in France. They pay back the cost of their
education only when they have secured a good position. A thorough
medical examination is necessary.
Since the year 1875 savings banks for children have existed.
The first domestic science school was organized in Europe in the year
1865 at Goteborg. At first all the mothers were opposed to these
schools, but they soon favored them. One cannot enter these schools
without a diploma from the common schools. Each teacher is given
twenty-four pupils. The girls are taught to make their own apparel,
gardening, cooking, washing, ironing, mending and keeping home expense
accounts.
There are three classes of workmen. Ten selected, twenty auxiliaries,
thirty uneducated laborers. In January, 1912 there were twenty thousand
men employed. They all sign a full contract, after reading it, before
getting into the works. The contract can be cancelled by either party
with one week's notice. No proprietor of a saloon can work in the plant.
From 1837 to 1911 the salaries have increased 130 per cent. In the year
1911 the total of salaries was nearly thirty-three million francs. The
annual donations amount to three million francs. Delegates are nominated
by the workmen for conference with the employers to suggest better
conditions and improvements in working methods. Sixty-six per cent. of
their suggestions or demands have been adopted and the result is peace
and confidence. The company provides swimming pools, divided into two
parts, one-half for adults and the other half for younger men and boys.
The homes are subject to constant sanitary inspection and all unsanitary
buildings are destroyed. Safety appliances and all protecting apparatus
are painted in brilliant red. There has been a constant study of the
workman's house, since the eighteenth century. In 1840 the company had
one hundred workmen's houses; in 1912 two thousand five hundred, and in
addition to this hundreds of these houses have been bought by the
workmen by slow annual payments added to the rent. The types of houses
vary for one to four families. The rents are low and do not pay regular
interest on the investment. Ground space for gardens is furnished by the
company, with annual competitions and rewards for the best results.
Trees and seeds are furnished at nominal prices. There are two thousand,
two hundred and fifty gardens under cultivation.
The savings bank is managed by the company and safe investments are made
for the workmen, returns of from three to five per cent, on savings
being guaranteed.
In the year 1911, eight thousand workmen's accounts reached thirteen
million francs. The chief use of the savings is to buy homes. The total
amount advanced to workmen for building houses since 1845 was five
million francs, of which only eighty-three thousand, five hundred are
not yet paid back.
Co-operative societies for reducing the cost of living are organized to
enable the workmen to get supplies at cost. They were started and
managed by the Schneider Company and gradually left in the hands of the
workmen themselves.
Club houses are maintained with tennis courts, fencing bouts, games,
gymnasiums, a children's theatre, gun clubs, rowing clubs and musical
societies. The time spent in rehearsing for orchestras is not deducted
from the pay. Free medical attendance for the workman and his family is
given. Emergency and base hospitals are provided by the company. Modern
and up-to-date mutual benefit societies are managed by the workmen. Old
age pensions have been financed differently during the last century and
are now supported by one per cent. from the workman, two per cent. from
the Schneider Company, and three per cent. from the State.
Houses are provided for men over sixty years of age, and when it is
possible aged couples are kept together.
We reached Dole at 9 o'clock P. M. on Monday, October 2nd.
Dole is the birthplace of Pasteur, the great French scientist who
discovered the antidote for hydrophobia. His name is known throughout
the world.
XI.
APPROACHING THE FRONT
After leaving Dole, the next stop on our itinerary was Besancon, from
which we entered the zone of actual hostilities. For us this town was
the gateway to "The Front" and therefore a point of more than usual
interest. Here we were asked to sign the following paper, which all
members of the commission did on October 4th, we having reached the town
at midnight on October 2nd.
Besancon, October 4, 1916.
The itinerary arranged for the American Industrial Commission
includes several days' sojourn at the "front", which is considered
of importance in the prosecution of its investigation, particularly
as preliminary to a conference in Paris with the "American Centrale
pour la Reprise de l' Activite Industrielle dans Les Regions
Envahies."
The danger of such a trip is fully recognized and hereby admitted,
and although the extraordinary risk inseparably connected with a
trip to Europe at this time has been accepted by us all, yet, in
the present case
Each of the undersigned by this means records for himself his
voluntary assumption by him of all responsibility in connection
therewith, and furthermore, asserts that neither by coercion,
persuasion, nor even by suggestion on the part of the Chairman, or
otherwise, has his course been determined.
M. W. W. Nichols,
M. J. G. Butler, Jr.
M. A. B. Farquhar,
M. G. B. Ford,
M. S. F. Hoggson,
M. J. F. Le Maistre,
M. J. R. Mac Arthur,
M. Le Dr. C. O. Mailloux,
M. C. G. Pfeiffer,
M. J. E. Sague,
M. E. A. Warren,
M. E. V. Douglass,
M. E. Garden.
We were met by the military automobiles at the station, two soldiers in
each auto. I was accosted at the station by a number of wounded English
soldiers. It seemed good to hear a little English spoken. One of the
soldiers reached out his hand as I passed and said, "How are you?" We
were domiciled at the Hotel Europe. The windows were barred with iron
shutters excluding light and fresh air. Early the following morning we
were treated to the sight of more than one thousand German prisoners,
just captured and being taken to the camp at Besancon.
This was the birthplace of Victor Hugo, who was born February 26th,
1802. Old Roman ruins were very much in evidence, among them an old
Roman citadel and a Roman theatre. By tradition, St. John the Baptist
was buried here. We visited the underground water works and the
Cathedral of St. Jean and saw in this church many paintings of the Holy
Family and other religious representations. There were two immense holes
in this cathedral, the result of bombs fired from the German guns in
1914, in the beginning of the war.
[Illustration: German Prisoners Passing Through the Village of St.
Etienne.]
I saw here a girl and a dog hitched to the same cart, hauling a load of
vegetables; they both seemed contented.
Luncheon was served by the Chamber of Commerce at the Resturant De
Besancon. In the evening we were given a banquet at the Besancon Hotel
de Ville. Up to this time I had been with the Commission five weeks, but
on account of my patriotic utterances in private and my quite apparent
sympathy with the French people, was not urged to speak. It had been,
however, arranged that I was to talk at Le Creusot, but there was not a
representative gathering to talk to there, and this Besancon banquet
seemed to be the proper place. After some pressure of other members of
the Commission I was requested to speak. This was really the first note
of human sympathy sounded. I first spoke in English, which not more than
two or three in the audience, outside of the Commissioners, understood,
although there were about one hundred present. At the conclusion of my
talk it was translated into French by Mr. MacArthur. When he got
through I was surrounded by the Frenchmen present and congratulated as
well as embraced by practically the entire audience. This address is
reproduced by special request of some of the members of the Commission
who heard it.
Gentlemen:--
I am afraid my aeroplane French will not be understood by our good
friends present. I tried it on a number of our Franco-American
orators, and they, with one accord, said it was fine and beautiful,
but they could not understand a word I was saying. I will,
therefore, ask my fellow-traveler and sympathizer, Mr. MacArthur,
to read the brief address I have prepared, apologizing through him
for the lamentable fact that I speak English only.
This gives me an opportunity of saying that by special letter of
authorization issued by Dr. Ricketts President of the American
Institute of Mining Engineers, I represent that important
organization during our mission in France. The American Institute
of Mining Engineers is composed of more than six thousand members,
all technical, scientific and practical men. The organization has
been in existence more than a quarter of a century, and has
rendered invaluable service to our mining and manufacturing
interests in the United States. This scientific body of men stand
ready to render such service to France as France may desire and it
is hoped this suggestion may receive serious consideration.
Gentlemen: When our good ship, the Lafayette, passed through the
river entering the port of Bordeaux, we beheld a most beautiful
sunset, such as Cazin would have painted. As we beheld this
glorious vision, it flashed through my mind that France is
fighting for its existence among nations, and my heart went out to
all France in loving sympathy. As we landed and progressed on our
journey, this feeling of reverence and affection for the French
people became intensified. The French spirit insures victory--a
victory which, when gained, will be substantial and enduring,
worthy of the great people who are pouring out their life blood and
treasure to attain this end.
Everywhere we have been impressed with the earnestness of the women
in France. All the thousands we have seen at their employment
impressed me with their desire to help save the country. In a word,
as I looked upon their faces, all seemed to express the thought,
"We are working for France". This slogan goes all over your fair
land and is a mighty factor in the progress of the conflict. Signs
of loss were everywhere from Bordeaux to Paris, and in our
wanderings since, but not a word of complaint have we heard.
Our visit to the birthplace of your countryman, Lafayette, was
looked forward to with intense interest, and the visit was a keen
realization of the expectation. As our worthy President, Mr.
Nichols, raised his glass and asked that we pause for a moment in
silence and think of the great man who was the companion and aide
of Washington, "first in war, first in peace, and first in the
hearts of his countrymen," there was not a dry eye in the room. All
present realized the close relationship between France and the
United States--cemented and welded for all time to come by the
early sympathy of France for our struggling colonies, and the great
assistance rendered by Lafayette to Washington in our time of need,
and which resulted in our independence.
In the present struggle of France, we owe it to the French people
to aid in all possible ways. I believe that a great majority of the
citizens of the United States are in sympathy with France and
their prayers are for your success and freedom.
It may not be out of place in this connection to mention, although
somewhat personal, that when Lafayette, visited the United States
in 1824, my grandfather, whose name I bear, attended a reception
given the great Frenchman in Philadelphia, and has often told me
about it, dwelling upon the enthusiasm with which Lafayette was
everywhere greeted during his triumphant tour through the country.
I have also in my autograph collection a three page patriotic
letter written by Lafayette in 1824 during his visit. I prize this
letter most highly.
Another fact I may mention, and it gives me profound pleasure to do
so. France, in spite of her troubles, carried out her compact, and
sent to the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, a
magnificent collection of paintings and sculpture. Many examples of
both were loaned from the Luxembourgh, and there were a number of
pieces of priceless sculpture by Rodin, your great sculptor, whose
work is famous the world over. The exhibit also contained many
notable examples of work by other French and Belgian artists. After
the exhibition closed we were fortunate enough to have the
collection exhibited at my home, Youngstown, Ohio, for a period of
thirty days, under the auspices of The Mahoning Institute of Art.
We were told that some of the examples were for sale, and if sold,
the proceeds would help the artists, and assist in the great work
being carried on to aid the hospitals of France. We, therefore,
made a common cause, buying a number of paintings and one piece of
sculpture, thus doing our bit to help the good work along, besides
securing for our country some splendid examples of the art of
France. The exhibit was obtained through the courtesy of Monsieur
Jean Guiffrey, Minister of Fine Arts in France, and to whom we are
profoundly grateful. In this connection I may add that the United
States is largely indebted to France for influence upon American
art. Nearly all of our great painters and sculptors received their
initial education in France and the influence upon American art and
artists by French masters is incalculable. This is one of the debts
of the United States to France which can never be fully repaid.
The commission is in France, first, bearing America's good will,
and second, to investigate and render such substantial aid to
France as may be in our power, having in mind always the great
friendship existing between the two republics, and which we hope
our mission will strengthen. We venture to hope that our journey
through France in war time will also result in the increased
exchange of commodities between the two countries, a consummation
devoutly to be wished.
I thank you, gentlemen, from the bottom of my heart and bid you God
speed in the great work of saving France.
At this noted banquet there were several generals present, some of whom
had been in the service but a short time previous, and one of them
famous the world over. We were not permitted to mention the names of any
of the generals we met while in the war zone.
XII.
WITHIN SOUND OF THE GUNS
On Wednesday, October 4th, we left for the front in military
automobiles. We passed through a farming district and through several
small villages. Nearly all who were at work in the fields were women. It
all seemed quite peaceful, considering that the battle fields were so
near. We stopped at Monte Billiard, in the Champagne district, where we
were addressed by the mayor and a response was made by Mr. Pfeiffer.
Cuvier, the great French scientist, was born here in the year 1769, and
died in 1832. We were now, as I should have mentioned before, in that
part of Alsace-Lorraine again in possession of the French. We visited at
Monte Billiard, a Fifteenth century castle and a new hospital. Red Cross
girls were very much in evidence, a number of them American and English.
We were quartered at the Hotel de la Balanie, built in 1790. We visited
the factory of Japy Freres. This concern makes a specialty of steel
helmets, canteens and porcelain ware for the use of the army.
We arrived at Beaucort at midnight, and after settling down to rest,
were awakened by the booming of cannon, which was continuous during the
night. We were aroused the following morning by the town crier, passing
along the street, wearing a peculiar uniform, beating a drum and calling
out the news.
At Beaucort we were shown through a castle now occupied as a hospital.
It was originally a chateau, and at that time a citadel with moat and
draw-bridge.
In company with Mr. Warren, I visited the village blacksmith, being
reminded of my boyhood days. He had old-fashioned bellows and, with an
assistant, was in a small way finishing up some work for the army.
We arrived at Belfort at about noon, and first saw the "Belfort Lion" by
Bartholdi, the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. It
is seventy-three feet long, forty-three feet high and is carved in a
cliff below the citadel. This statue celebrates the stubborn resistance
of the town of Belfort, which has never surrendered, although besieged
on numerous occasions. Belfort has been exposed to German guns, less
than ten miles away, for two years, and it is much shattered from
bombardments. Many of the citizens are still engaged in their ordinary
pursuits, but live in the cellars of their domiciles.
We were quartered at the Le Grande Hotel, and could hear the cannons
roaring as we sat at luncheon. We were warned not to go out of the hotel
without a companion. There was a cave underneath with both an inside and
an outside entrance and we were told that in case the shelling was
resumed we should get into this cave. There had been, however, no
shelling for eight days. The town was shelled immediately after the
departure of the Canadian Industrial Commission, which had recently
visited Belfort.
[Illustration: The Lion of Belfort.]
The shutters of the hotel were closed at six P. M. I was taken to my
room by the chambermaid and handed a candle and a box of matches. With
all the lights of the hotel out, the cannon could be heard booming
during the entire night. Belfort is under martial law, or, as it is
called in France, military control. Just before retiring for the night
we were reminded that the city was frequently shelled and that nearly
all the inhabitants slept in the caves, a pleasant thought to go to bed
with. However, strange to say, I had a most excellent night's rest.
No one was permitted outside the hotel unless he had with him a card to
show the police of the town.
Belfort contains numerous monuments. One series of statues is of three
generals who defended Belfort during the three sieges successfully
resisted. Two of these sieges occurred during the time of Napoleon and
one during the Franco-Prussian war, 1870-1871. We walked about in a
body, escorted by a military officer and a number of soldiers. We
visited a large part of the city and at nearly every corner there were
signs showing the entrances to caves and stating the number of persons
each cave would hold--all the way from twenty to seventy. Evidence was
all around of bombs dropped from aeroplanes by the Germans and shells
fired by them from many miles away, there being hundreds of shattered
windows and holes in the sidewalks.
We remained in Belfort two nights. The morning after our departure the
city was bombarded and some fifteen or twenty people killed.
On Friday, October 6th, we left Belfort in the military autos, under
sealed orders, and knew not where we were going. We passed several
squads of German prisoners, among them one very large company. We were
frequently challenged by sentinels in passing, for miles, along the
front of Alsace-Lorraine.
Alsace-Lorraine has had forty-five years of German rule. The elder
people are not Germanized, and it is quite evident that France will not
be satisfied until the whole province has been restored.
We stopped for luncheon at Remiremont, in the Vosges mountains, and
while here visited an old church dating back to the Eleventh century.
This church contained, among other things, a statue of the Virgin Mary
carved in cedar, the gift to the church of Charlemagne. There is also at
this place a Thirteenth century arcade, through which we passed. We
bought a few relics and then left Remiremont at 4:30 P. M. for a dash
into Alsace and close up to the battle-front.
We arrived at Bussane at 5 P. M., after being held up several times. We
next reached Thann, a village once in German hands and two miles from
the German lines. This town had been bombarded by the Germans early in
the war. The destruction was fearful to look at; buildings were damaged
beyond repair, and one church nearly ruined. As we passed along in a
dense fog, one of the guides ran past each machine saving; "Shentlemen,
this is a beautiful sight, but you can't see it."
At Thann we were shown the spot where the son of Prime Minister Borthon,
of France, was killed by a bomb.
After an inspection of Thann, we drove to Gerardmere to spend the night.
It was bright moonlight and we were told there was a great deal of
danger from German aeroplanes. This was a long night ride, but
considered much safer than going through this part of the country in
day-light.
We experienced great difficulty in getting back to the French line from
Alsace-Lorraine. In doing so we passed through a tunnel entering
Alsace-Lorraine territory, within a half-mile of the German firing line.
We saw a hill which has been taken and retaken a number of times and was
then in possession of the Germans. We were exposed to the German guns
for half an hour and could hear the roaring constantly. At this point
the soldier chauffeurs put on steel helmets and placed revolvers near
their right hands, taking from boxes in the machine a number of hand
grenades. This was all very cheerful for the occupants of the car to
witness, inasmuch as we did not have any helmets or hand grenades or
anything else which would enable us to help ourselves in case of
conflict.
We reached Gerardmere in time for dinner and stopped over night at the
Hotel de la Providence. This was a most interesting French village. We
were called the advance guard of tourists and were really the first to
have visited the place. Signs of war could be seen everywhere. We saw
here pontoon wagons. We also saw immense loads of bread being hauled
around in army wagons and looking like loads of Bessemer paving block.
During the night of our stay in Gerardmere, we were awakened by the
booming of cannons.
We left Gerardmere, going north and, passing a hill named "Bonhomme",
over which French and Germans have fought back and forward. It is now in
possession of both forces, armies being entrenched on either side of the
hill and within one mile of the summit.
We passed through a number of small villages completely riddled; one
village had but a single house left untouched.
Our next stop was at St. Die. This is the village where the word
"Amerique" was first used in France. A tablet recalls this
circumstance, the wording on it being as follows:
Here the 15th April 1507 has
been printed the "Cosmographic
Introduction" where, for the first
time the New Continent has
been named "America."
Leaving St. Die we began a trip of more than fifty miles along the
battle front. This trip required two days, and we were never beyond the
sound of the guns.
Our first stop was at the battlefield of La Chipotte, where was fought
one of the most sanguinary of the earlier battles of war, resulting in a
great French victory, but entailing terrific losses on both sides. In
the greater part of this region we saw forests which had been stripped
by shells and the trees of which were only beginning to grow again. In
some places they will never grow, having been stripped of every leaf and
limb and finally burned by the awful gunfire.
The battle of La Chipotte was fought in 1914. Sixty thousand French
drove back a larger army of Germans after several days of fighting. The
French loss was thirty thousand, and no one knows what the German loss
amounted to. The woods are filled with crosses marking burial places,
where often as many as fifty bodies were entombed together. The French
buried their dead separately from the German dead, but the community
graves are all marked in the same way--with a simple cross. Some of
these crosses recite the names of the companies engaged, but few of them
give the names of the dead. Most of them simply record the number of
French or Germans buried beneath.
At a central part of the battlefield the French have erected a handsome
monument, with the following inscription:
"They have fallen down silently
like a wall.
May their glorious souls guide
us in the coming battles."
After leaving the battlefield of La Chipotte, we next reached the
village of Roan Estape. It was full of ruins and practically deserted.
Beyond this village we passed for miles along roads lined on either side
with the crosses which indicate burial places of soldiers. The battle
front here extended for a long distance and the fighting was bloody
along the whole line. Much of this righting was done in the old way,
trench warfare having only just begun.
[Illustration: Battlefield of La Chipotte, Showing Monument and Markers
on Graves.]
Next we came to Baccarat, where nearly all the houses and the cathedral
were utterly wrecked. For twenty miles beyond this town we passed along
the battle front of the Marne, within three miles of where the main
struggle had taken place, and saw everywhere graves and signs of
destruction. It was surprising how the country had begun to resume its
normal aspect and green things begun to take hold again. Our next stop
was Rambevillers, where we had luncheon at the Hotel de la Porte.
XIII.
THE STORY OF GERBEVILLER
After luncheon at Rambevillers, we drove to the famous village of
Gerbeviller--or rather to what is left of it. This little town is talked
of more than any other place in France, and is called the "Martyr City".
Its story is one of the most interesting told us, and to me it seemed
one of the most tragic, although the residents of the town all wanted to
talk about it with pride. While on the way to Gerbeviller we had to show
our passes, and it was lucky they were signed by General Joffre, since
nothing else goes so close to the front. We were made to tell where we
were going, how long we meant to stay, and what route we would take
coming back.
Prefect Mirman, of the Department of Meurthe and Moselle, one of the
most noted and most useful men in France, escorted the commission on
this trip.
Gerbeviller is located near the junction of the valleys of Meurthe and
Moselle, and occupied a strategic situation at the beginning of the war.
This and the heroic defense made of the bridge by a little company of
French soldiers, was, the French believe, responsible for its barbarous
treatment by the Germans. In the other ruined towns the destruction was
wrought by shell fire. Here the Germans went from house to house with
torches and burned the buildings after resistance had ceased and they
were in full possession of the town. The French say it was done in
wanton revenge and it looks as if that were true. Here is the story as
it was told to us in eager French and interpreted for us by one of the
party.
A bridge leading from the town crosses the river to a road which goes
straight up a long hill to a main highway leading to Luneville, five
miles away. We passed over this bridge and were asked to note its
width--only enough to permit the passage of one car at a time. Two roads
converge at it and lead to the little town.
During one of the important conflicts an army of 150,000 Germans was
sent around by way of Luneville to cross the river at Gerbeviller and
fall upon the right flank of the French army. The French had been able
to spare but few troops for this point, but they had barricaded the
streets of the town and posted a company of chasseurs, seventy-five in
number, at the bridge with a mitralleuse. This was an excellent
position, as there was a small building there which screened the
chasseurs from view.
[Illustration: Ruins of Gerbeviller.]
At 8 o'clock in the morning the German advance body, twelve thousand
strong, appeared at the intersection of the road near the top of the
hill across the river. They advanced in solid formation, marching in
the goose step and singing, to the music of a band, their war hymn,
"Deutchland Uber Alles." It was a beautiful morning and the sun
glistened on the German helmets as they came down the slope, an
apparently innumerable army. In this form they reached the end of the
bridge opposite to where the chasseurs were located. The captain of that
little band of French ordered them to halt, and they did so, the rear
ranks closing up on those in front before the order could be passed
along by their commander.
In a moment, however, the column began to move again and then the
captain of the chasseurs waved his hand and the mitralleuses opened on
the advancing host. The range was point blank and there was absolutely
no protection. The hail of bullets mowed down the Germans and they broke
ranks, fleeing back up the hill and out of range.
All was quiet for half an hour and then a detachment of cavalry,
evidently ordered to rush the bridge, came down at a gallop, having been
formed in the shelter of a road branching off the main highway a short
distance from the bridge. They were met by a hail of bullets and nearly
all went down before they reached the bridge, while the few who did so
fell on it or tumbled, with their horses, into the river.
The whole German force was delayed until a battery could be brought up
from the rear and trained on the small building sheltering the chasseurs
and their machine guns. For some reason, the gunners could not get the
range on this small building, and after firing a few shots in its
direction, turned their guns on the magnificent chateau, a short
distance down the river. At this point there was a small foot bridge,
and the German commander evidently meant to try to rush it. Before doing
so, however, he was going to make certain that the Chateau, which
commanded it, did not conceal another band of defenders. This seems to
be the only explanation for the bombardment of the Chateau, which was
one of the finest country homes in France and entirely unoccupied. At
any rate, they fired shell after shell at the building. I secured a
picture of this which shows the work of the guns.
But, as the French tell the story, no effort was then made to cross the
foot bridge below the town. A battery was swung down the hill to the end
of the bridge, apparently to shell the defenders from that point. The
machine guns barked again and every man with the battery fell. Scores
more were killed before it could be withdrawn and the way cleared. Owing
to the steep banks it seemed hard for the Germans to locate a battery in
an unexposed position, and they considered again. Finally they shelled
the Chateau some more and then sent a detachment to take that bridge,
expecting to get around in the rear of the chasseurs. A machine gun had
been sent to the footbridge in the meantime, and the Germans did not
get across it until the ammunition ran out and two hundred of them were
killed. When they did cross, the little band at the main bridge, of whom
one had been killed and six wounded, retreated to the main army, and
then the Germans crossed in force and started to burn the town.
The heroes of the bridge had held the German advance guard, numbering
12,000 men, from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, and in the
meantime the great battle they had expected to win had been fought and
lost.
Naturally the Germans were angry, and apparently they vented their
spleen upon the village. The great Chateau, its pride and chief
attraction, had been destroyed, but the conquerors at once begun to burn
the little town, evidently determining to reserve only enough to make a
place for headquarters for their general. They did burn it, but not so
completely as they had intended.
[Illustration: Sister Julie.]
Here is where Sister Julie comes in. Sister Julie is the most popular
woman in France as well as the most famous. We heard of her long before
we got to Gerbeviller and long after we left, but we were not fortunate
enough to meet her, as she was away at the time the Commission reached
the town. Although a member of a religious order, she has been decorated
with the grand cross of the Legion of Honor--the highest decoration
France confers upon her heroes. To pin this on her habit President
Poincaire journeyed all the way from Paris with his suite, and now
Sister Julie will not wear it. She says that religeuse do not wear
decorations--they are doing the work of the Lord.
In describing Sister Julie and her work the people of Gerbeviller are
even more enthusiastic than in recounting the manner in which
seventy-five Frenchmen stopped twelve thousand Germans. It seems that
when the German forces crossed the bridge and began to burn the houses
they met with little resistance until they came to the convent where
Sister Julie and her companions had a house filled with wounded,
including the wounded chasseurs. The sister met them at the door and
defied them to burn her convent. She ordered them off and made a such a
show of determination that they went. No, they will tell you, these
French people, Sister Julie is not an Amazon. She is a little woman. Her
voice is usually mild and sweet and she smiles all the time. But when
they tried to burn her temporary hospital, it was different. She scared
them off and they did not come back.
Not only that, but she made the Germans carry water and put out the
fires they had started in the neighborhood, and made them fill wash tubs
with water and leave them in her hall, so they would be handy if more
fires threatened.
Besides that, she organized the men and went to the barns where cattle
had been burned and had these dressed and the meat prepared for use.
Then she made great kettles of soup and fed the people who had no homes
and nothing to eat. In all of this she defied the Germans and told their
commander to mind his own business--she was going to attend to hers.
When some of the German soldiers came and wanted to take the food
prepared for the homeless people, Sister Julie ordered them away and
made them go.
There were five other nuns in this convent. Under the leadership of this
heroine they did a tremendous amount of good in the stricken community.
They used the building next door to the convent for a hospital and there
cared for hundreds of wounded soldiers. They assumed charge of the
demoralized town and kept the people from starving. No one gives them
greater credit than Prefect Mirman, who has also done great work in his
department.
We were shown through the convent and hospital under the care of these
sisters, and saw many places where bullets had penetrated the walls,
these were fired by the Germans after they crossed the bridge. In this
hospital the sisters cared for the German wounded as tenderly as for the
French, and they won the respect of the invaders in this way, otherwise
it would have probably been impossible for them to do the work they did.
We saw the camp chair on which Sister Julie sat all night in front of
the hospital and kept the Germans out.
The Commission spent the greater part of the day in Gerbeviller,
visiting the bridge where the seventy-five chasseurs held up the German
advance, as well as that where one lone chasseur--a regular "Horatio at
the Bridge", kept back the attacking party at the Chateau.
We went through this chateau, which is owned by a resident of Paris and
was one of the sights of the village. It is seven or eight hundred years
old and is a very large building, handsomely finished in the interior.
Before the bombardment, which was a ruthless and unnecessary piece of
vandalism, it contained many fine tapestries and countless precious
heirlooms of the Bourbon times. The great strength of the walls resisted
the effects of artillery, but the interior was entirely ruined by fire.
The grand marble staircase was splintered, but the Bourbon coat of arms
above it was not touched. Strewn about in corners and on the floors were
fragments of vases and art work that must have been priceless. Even
these fragments were valuable. We secured a number of small pieces, some
of which I brought home as relics.
While viewing the ruins of the chateau we could hear the guns booming.
It was while we were still here that we received news that bombs had
been dropped on Belfort that morning, twenty-four hours after we left
that place, and that a number of persons had been killed, among them
some women and children.
Gerbeviller is an almost complete ruin. Beyond the convent and hospital,
and a few buildings saved for headquarters for the commanding general by
the Germans, all the rest of the town was destroyed. The people who
remain there are living in temporary buildings or mere sheds built on
the ruins of their homes, which they do not want to leave under any
circumstances. This little town, which has won its place in history, was
one of the most interesting and melancholy sights we saw in all France.
On the following day, Saturday, October 7th, we visited the villages of
Luneville and Vitrimont. We were now in the "devastated region" for
sure. On every hand was evidence of the ruin wrought by shells, with
long lines of trenches that had once been filled with soldiers. Some of
these were green again, but the trees presented a woeful appearance.
The next stop after leaving Rambevillers was the little town of
Vitrimont. This is a small village in France, almost wholly ruined by
the Germans in 1914, preceding the battle of the Marne. We found there
Miss Daisy Polk, of San Francisco, a wealthy, young and attractive
woman, whose work is being financed largely by the Crockers, of San
Francisco.
She is living in one of the small houses untouched by the Germans. She
has undertaken the rebuilding of the village of Vitrimont as a modern
sanitary proposition and to serve as a model for what may be done in
rebuilding all the destroyed parts of France. She is the
great-granddaughter of President Polk. It is a splendid work and should
receive support.
I have since received the following letter from Miss Polk:
* * *
Vitrimont, par Luneville, Meurthe et
Moselle, France.
October 18th, 1916
Dear Mr. Butler:--
Your note, with the Commission booklet, received and I want to
thank you for remembering me. The visit of the Industrial
Commission was a most delightful surprise to me here in the midst
of my ruins and it is very nice to have a souvenir--especially such
a nice souvenir, with all the names and photographs.
Vitrimont looks very much as it did when you were here except that
the work is a little more advanced in spite of the rain. We are not
hoping any longer that the war will end this winter--so we are sad.
Especially when we have to see our men go back to the front after
their all too short leaves. This has happened three times since you
were here, all three going back to the Somme, too, which they all
say is much worse than Verdun ever was. However, they have the
satisfaction, as one of our men said today, (a fine industrious
farmer) of hoping that if they don't come back, at least their
wives and children will have their homes rebuilt. This is my hope
too. Thanking you again for your letter.
Very sincerely yours,
(Signed) DAISY POLK.
* * *
Miss Polk is a most charming young woman, filled with enthusiasm. She
lives in a small house with but two rooms.
XIV.
ON THE MAIN FRONT
We arrived at Nancy October 7th, at six o'clock P. M. and spent the
evening at a reception given by the Prefect L. Mirman. We met here Madam
Mirman and her two daughters. In the entrance to the prefect's residence
were several large holes which had been blown out by the German shells.
During the reception we were shown an embroidered sheet, filled with
holes. This was taken from the window of a hospital, fired on by the
Germans, July, 1916. The name of the hospital was Point Au Mousson. The
sheet was hanging in a window when the shrapnel was fired into it. This
was considered ample proof that the hospital was fired upon with the
full knowledge that it was a hospital.
This visit to prefect Mirman's home was a red letter event in our trip.
He is one of the important men of France and is devoting much of his
time to the care of refugees and other good work.
As we stopped at the entrance of Nancy, we saw an aeroplane flying over
the town. This aeroplane was intended to convoy us to our destination.
Next day we were driven to the village of Luneville. At this place, as
in nearly all the towns of France, there is a public market house, with
stalls usually presided over by women. Late in September the Germans
dropped from aeroplanes a number of bombs on this market house. The
entire building was destroyed and forty-one women killed, besides a
number of children who were playing about. We saw the ruins of the
market house. This sort of battle waging is called "German terrorism",
otherwise, a "stepping stone to kultur".
There is an immense palace in Luneville called the Palace of Stanislaus,
occupied by a former King of Poland.
Our headquarters were at Nancy, where we remained for two days. We were
shown every possible attention by the prefect and under his guidance
visited various parts of the city. Among other places "The Golden Gates"
of Louis XVI and the gate of the old town erected in 1336. We visited
the park and were shown a hole where a German shell had penetrated, the
hole being fully fifty feet deep. We visited the cathedral of St. Elme
and were shown where the beautiful stained glass had been blown out of
the windows. We visited the Ducal Chapel, which dates back to the Tenth
century, where the princes of the House of Hapsburg are entombed. Sand
bags were piled up everywhere to prevent further ruin to this ancient
place. We were shown the ruins of the cooking school reported by
German aviators as a military building and for that reason destroyed.
[Illustration: Cathedral at Nancy.]
Practically one-half of the town is in ruins. The military barracks are
now used for housing and caring for refugees from all over France and
this is done with great system. The expense is figured down to one franc
per day for each person. We saw there a children's school, playground,
orphanage and Cinema show, and attended church services at which were
present several thousand refugees. We could hear the cannon booming
during the entire services. Many of the refugees were at work making
bags for the trenches and embroidering. We visited the museum and were
shown tombs and urns dating back to the Second century. During a
luncheon at the Cafe Stanislaus an impassioned address was made by the
prefect.
We left Nancy at 2 P. M. for Chalons on the Marne, one of the three
important military supply centers of France. En-route we passed a number
of ruined villages with scarcely a house left and with but few
inhabitants. We passed through Bar Le Duc also, another distributing
center. On this memorable part of the journey we skirted three battle
fronts, Verdun, Somme and the Marne. We noticed numerous trench soldiers
in squads, enroute to and from the trenches.
The discipline of the French army is very much different from that of
the English and Germans. The officers and the French soldiers are
comrades. The German and French soldiers have no tents, they sleep in
their overcoats. I expected that when we got into the war zone we would
see tents everywhere, but there was not a tent in sight.
The distance from Nancy to Chalons on the Marne is 108 miles. All this
distance we travelled close in the rear of the French army and much of
it near the German army. In the early part of the year this ground was
occupied by the Germans, being afterwards retaken by the French. We were
closest to the trenches when passing St. Miheil, where the famous German
salient was still held.
We reached Chalons on the Marne at 10 o'clock on the evening of October
8th, after a busy and most interesting day. We were quartered here for
the night and remained part of the next morning. During our stay we
could hear the booming of guns continuously, and saw many evidences of
military occupation. At this time the Germans had been forced back about
thirty miles from Chalons on the Marne, and their shells were no longer
feared in this immediate vicinity. The cannon we heard along the greater
portion of the route after passing Bar Le Duc must have been French
guns, although the German big guns can be heard for fifty miles under
favorable circumstances.
At Chalons on the Marne an incident occurred which made a deep
impression on me, although it was in itself simple enough. It was my
custom to go about much seeking to see whatever was to be seen at all of
our stops. Usually I had a companion, but sometimes went alone. On this
occasion Mr. Warren, of the Commission, was with me. We had entered the
Cathedral of Notre Dame, to inspect its interior and arrived just as a
funeral service was ending. It was one of those pathetic funerals, now
common enough in France, at which the body is not present, in this case
being that of a young man killed in the army and evidently an only son.
The services ended with a procession around the church and this brought
the mourners to where we were. We fell in with them, this being our
natural impulse and also, we believed, the proper and courteous thing to
do, rather than to rudely retire. When the party reached the main aisle,
the friends gathered around the father and mother and two daughters,
weeping with them and kissing them in the demonstrative way the French
have of showing both grief and affection. Before we knew just what to
do, the mourners melted away, taking with them the mother and daughters.
Mr. Warren also had disappeared and I was left practically alone with
the father of the dead boy. He approached me and extended his hand,
having perhaps read in my face something of my feelings. He knew no
English and I knew no French, but the language of human sympathy is
universal. We grasped hands and the only word uttered was my crude
"Americaine." None other was needed. I could tell by the pressure of the
hand holding mine that my sympathy was appreciated, even though I was
from across the seas and an utter stranger, and any doubts I had felt
about the propriety of remaining were thoroughly dispelled.
[Illustration: German Trenches Captured by the French.]
Funerals such as this are very frequent in France. Scarcely a family but
has suffered its loss, and in some cases several sons have been taken
from one home. Among the hundreds of personal cards brought back with me
from France, an astonishing number are bordered deeply with black. These
are the cards of the most prominent people in the places we visited, the
members of the Commission having met few others, and the mourning border
on so many of them shows that in France as well as in England, the upper
classes have borne their full share of the terrific toll levied by the
war.
Before leaving Chalons on the Marne we visited the canal, the banks of
which were lined with flowers and ivy. We crossed here a bridge built in
the Seventeenth century and still in good condition.
XV.
REIMS AND THE TRENCHES
Some time during the forenoon of the day following our arrival at
Chalons on the Marne we left in the military automobiles for Reims. This
city is on the south branch of the river Aisne, on which the Germans
made their stand after the battle of the Marne, and had been within
reach of their guns constantly since they stopped retreating after that
battle. It is about ninety miles from Paris. The city was at that time
less than two miles from the actual battle line, trenches extending
close up to its edges. The Germans were very busy and there was abundant
evidence of the fact in the sound of cannon. It was here that we were to
be allowed a visit to the trenches.
On the way we passed a large number of Hindu-Chinese and Russian
soldiers. We saw two captive balloons, used by the French to direct
artillery fire on their enemies. Thousands of soldiers were coming and
going between the trenches and the encampments behind.
On this trip we passed through and stopped briefly at an aviation camp,
where the aviators were tending their machines and waiting to be called
for duty in the air. A short stop was also made at a large encampment,
where there must have been at least twenty thousand French soldiers.
This was the largest number we saw at any one time. Here we were shown
concealed trenches and batteries so skillfully hidden that they could
not be seen until you were right upon the guns. We also saw on this ride
several illustrations of how bridges and other military works can be
hidden from aviators by painted scenery and the use of trees. By 11 A.M.
of this day we had come within five miles of the German trenches, behind
which, we were told, were more two million German soldiers and across
from them at least an equal number of French. Of this vast number of
warriors we saw at no time more than twenty thousand. Many were in the
trenches and others in encampments on both sides, within easy reach of
the lines but secure from gun fire.
We came to the top of a ridge near Reims, and just before reaching the
summit orders were given by the sentinels to separate the automobiles
and run them half a mile apart, as they would be within range of German
guns and might draw the fire if seen in a company. At this point two
members of the Commission suddenly lost their interest in the scenes
ahead and refused to go any further. From this time until we entered
Reims, batteries, many of them concealed, with other signs of real war,
became more numerous.
[Illustration: The Reims Cathedral Before Its Destruction.]
At 11:30 A. M. we entered the famous Champagne district, known all over
the world as the locality where grapes for making champagne can be
raised better than anywhere else. We saw here farmers and women working
in the fields and vineyards within a mile of the actual front. They were
within range of German guns and in great danger, but they worked on,
seemingly careless of the fact.
We passed many "dugouts" occupied by soldiers, and saw soldiers digging
trenches. All the time the guns were roaring, apparently just beyond the
city of Reims. This ground had all been at one time in the hands of the
Germans.
We reached Reims at noon and were taken direct to the City Club. Here
the Commission was entertained by Robert Lewthwaite, the head of the
great wine firm of Heidsick & Company. At this luncheon we met Col.
Tautot, chief of staff under General Lanquelot, commander in the Reims
sector. Col. Tautot represented his superior, who could not be present,
probably because of more important engagements with the Germans. We also
met Captain Talamon, a staff officer, and Jacques Regnier, sub-prefect
of the Reims district. Col. Tautot had been invested with the ribbon of
the Legion of Honor and within a week of our visit had been in active
service. Out of fifteen members originally on the staff, he alone
survived, all the others having been killed in action or died of wounds.
In the room where luncheon was served at the City Club was a great hole,
made through the wall by a shell and not yet closed. We were told that
this shell had arrived a few days before our visit. This was quite
appetizing information, but our hosts assured us that we were
comparatively safe, as there had been no firing for some time. I took
their word for it and enjoyed the luncheon after the long and keenly
interesting ride. At this luncheon a curious toast was offered by the
host--"I looks toward you." The proper response was--"I likewise bows."
After the luncheon Colonel Tautot and the sub-prefect led the Commission
to inspect the ruined cathedral. This was a pitiful and fascinating
sight. This once famous cathedral is practically a wreck. I doubt very
much if it can ever be restored. We were taken into the interior and
were shown how wonderful stained glass windows had been blown out. We
picked up a number of the pieces of fine glass from the ground. The
making of this glass is a lost art and the coloring is most beautiful. I
brought home some of the glass and had it used as settings for a number
of rings which I presented to friends. The sub-prefect presented me, as
a relic, a bone--the front part of a forearm. This cathedral was the
burying place of number of archbishops and ancient royal personages,
and all these tombs were blown up.
[Illustration: Ruins at Reims. Upper and Lower Plates--The Cathedral.
Middle Plate--The Archbishop's Palace.]
Adjoining the cathedral was the archbishop's palace, famous the world
over, and its contents priceless. This was utterly destroyed. One of our
party, in looking about the ruins, picked up a large sized key, which
proved afterwards to be the key to the archbishop's residence. He was
given permission by the sub-prefect to retain this, and I subsequently
acquired it.
We also visited the market place and the old Notre Dame church built in
1149 by Charlemagne. This was a most beautiful church, the windows
almost equalling those of the Cathedral of St. Elme at Nancy, but
inferior to those in the Reims cathedral, said to have been the most
beautiful in the world. In this church we saw a statue of Jeanne D'Arc,
and a very fine painting of the "Ascension".
We were taken to the city hospital at Reims, which had been fired upon
and almost completely destroyed by the Germans while occupied by French
wounded. The range was obtained by the aviators, and then incendiary
bombs were fired. These bombs set fire to the buildings with which they
came in contact. We were told that hundreds of French soldiers were
killed with this mode of warfare. We could hear the bombs on the Aisne
front exploding while we were visiting the ruins of the hospital. We
were next shown around to view the ruins of the town. Twenty-five
hundred acres of houses were almost blown to pieces. We were told that
thousands of bodies of men, women and children were still under the
ruins. In an isolated part of these ruins, absolutely alone, we found
and talked to an old French woman, still occupying her house. She had
refused to move and insisted upon staying in her little home, one or two
rooms having been left.
Following this visit to the ruins we were permitted to enter the
trenches. A number of the party did not go to the end of the trenches.
However, I concluded to see all there was to be seen, and with Deputy
Damour and Mr. MacArthur, went, escorted by a staff officer detailed for
that duty, to the extreme limit. We went through the trenches to within
one thousand feet of the German firing lines. We could see the German
sentinels through periscopes, and were told to be careful and not show
our heads, which admonition was religiously obeyed.
This visit to the trenches was one of the most interesting parts of the
trip, and in spite of the danger, I was very glad that I had gone and
had nerve enough to go to the limit. We entered what is known as a
"communication" trench, leading from the edge of the city toward the
front. This was necessary, as the terrain was open and under range of
the German guns. Going down through this long trench we encountered a
network of others, apparently leading in all directions. Our guide knew
them well and led us forward until we could, by means of a contrivance
for that purpose, look over the top and see the German trenches, less
than one thousand yards away. We saw few German soldiers, although
occasionally we were shown where a sentinel was on duty, carefully
concealed to save himself from French bullets.
The trenches in this section are irregular in width and depth. As a
general thing they are not more than three feet wide at the bottom and
about five feet deep. The earth is thrown up at the side next to the
enemy. At short intervals along the trench holes are scooped out, into
which the soldiers can go when fighting is not actually in progress.
Some of these caves were quite large and had in them straw and sometimes
a bench. There were cooking utensils and buckets for water. The bottoms
of the trenches are generally dry, or were when we saw them. In some
places they have boards on the bottom. The sides are steep and are
constantly crumbling.
Some of the trenches we entered had been made by the Germans, others by
the French. Those close up to the front seemed to have been dug but a
short time, but farther back they were already beginning to look
ancient. In some places grass was growing in the sides and here and
there flowers. Some of these trenches had not been used to any extent
during the summer. They are so arranged that each line is connected with
the one in its front and rear by cross trenches, and it is through these
that the soldiers enter and leave the actual fighting zone.
[Illustration: Key of Archbishop's Palace at Reims and Bone from Twelfth
Century Tombs Opened by German Shells.]
We saw many French soldiers in the trenches. They seemed to be well fed
and comfortable. At the time we were there there was no actual fighting,
of course, but an occasional shot rang out across "no man's land," when
sentries on either side thought they saw a chance to do execution. The
ground between Reims and the battle line is a complete network of these
trenches, and years will be required to level it again after the war is
over.
From the advanced trench toward the German lines, at the points where we
looked, there was no sign of war except an occasional shell hole and the
barbed wire entanglements. The country was green and seemed to be at
peace, except for the sound of the guns. It was hard to believe that we
were looking across a narrow strip, on the other side of which were
millions of armed men and every form of death and destruction that has
been invented. Yet all this was there.
Upon coming out of the trenches we were unable to find our automobiles,
the military authorities having ordered them to separate, so that they
would not prove an attraction to the German aeroplanes, otherwise they
would undoubtedly have been fired upon.
[Illustration: Trenches Visited by the Commission]
Following this visit to the trenches, we were taken to the famous wine
cellars of Heidsick & Co., containing twelve miles of underground
vaults. A few days previous to our visit a German bomb had struck the
Heidsick wine cellar and destroyed forty thousand bottles of champagne,
believed to be the largest number of bottles opened at any one time in
the history of the world. These vaults, during the bombardments, which
were numerous, are a safety place for the inhabitants and thousands take
refuge in the wine cellars. We were told that there was not a single
bottle of champagne missed, a testimony to the honesty of the French
people. This visit to the wine cellars was intensely interesting.
While driving about the ruined town, the automobile in which I happened
to be was guided by a chauffeur unfamiliar with the location, and he
drove us across the German lines within three minutes ride of the German
headquarters. The major in charge of the automobile squad discovered the
error. We were told afterwards that we had a narrow escape from being
made prisoners. While at Reims we were at all times within twenty-five
minutes walk of the Germans and within ten minutes ride in the motor.
The population at Reims before the war was one hundred and eighteen
thousand. It is now reduced to eighteen thousand, the other hundred
thousand having become refugees, soldiers and "missing". We visited a
Twelfth century cathedral which, strange to say, had not been touched.
While in this cathedral we could hear the guns booming.
We returned to Chalons on the Marne the same evening, arriving there at
8:30 P.M., it being considered unsafe to remain at Reims. After our
dinner at Chalons on the Marne, Dr. Mailloux timed the firing of the
cannon and announced that for a space of half an hour there was one
fired every two seconds.
We left Chalons on the Marne at 11:30 A.M. on the following day by
railroad. The train was filled with officers returning from the front.
We saw a number of Red Cross girls on this train. One had a double
decoration. As we passed along we saw thousands of soldiers enroute to
the front, among them one full regiment. We also saw a large detachment
of German prisoners being transferred, with the letters "P. G." quite
large on the back of each prisoner. "P. G." means prison garb.
In the railroad trains in both England and France appears the
following:--
Be Silent!
Be watchful!
Hostile ears are listening to you!
Issued by the Minister of War.
XVI.
BACK TO PARIS
We arrived at Paris at three o'clock P.M., October 17th, and here
received our first news of the submarine work off Nantucket. In the
evening we met Antoine Borrel, deputy from Savoy, on six days' leave of
absence from the Alsace Lorraine district. He entered the war a common
soldier and now has the Legion of Honor on his breast.
On Wednesday, October 11th, we visited Consul Thackara and arranged
about our passports.
I succeeded in securing some fine war relics and a partial line of
French war posters which I brought home with me.
On Thursday, October 12th, with Mr. Weare, of the United States Steel
Corporation, I called upon Consul Thackara, Charge d'Affairs Bliss, and
other friends at the Embassy. We also visited the general offices of the
Schneider Company.
On Friday, October 13th, a meeting of the Commissioners was held and,
although our passage had been engaged on the Rochambeau of the French
line, it was decided to cancel the passage and return to America by way
of the American line. This was a disappointment to some of the
Commissioners, although the change appeared to be inevitable. The
secretary of the Commission then set about to get us safely across the
Channel. We were told we would be convoyed by a British vessel, usually
used in carrying soldiers. We were fed on this information for three
days, telegrams were sent to the American Embassy in London and a lot of
valuable time wasted. The whole scheme proved to be a myth, and we were
obliged to content ourselves with getting to England the same as
ordinary mortals.
On Friday, October 13th, Charge d'Affairs Bliss gave a luncheon to some
of the members of the Commission, and this was an enjoyable affair.
We were informed in the evening that accommodations had been secured on
the steamer "Philadelphia", of the American line, sailing October 21st,
from Liverpool. Deputy Damour was greatly disappointed, as he had
planned a farewell dinner at Bordeaux and great preparations had been
made by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce for this event.
An informal supper was given Deputy Damour at the Hotel de Crillon at
which some of the members of the Commission were present.
[Illustration: King Albert's address to the Belgians when he took
command of the army
A neighbour haughty in its strength without the slightest provocation
has torn up the treaty bearing its signature and has violated the
territory of our fathers because we refused to forfeit our honor. It has
attacked us. Seeing its independence threatened the nation trembled and
its children sprang to the frontier, valiant soldiers in a sacred cause.
I have confidence in your tenacious courage. I greet you in the name of
Belgium a fellow citizen who is proud of you.
King Albert's Address to the Belgians.]
Notwithstanding the war, we noticed some signs of gaiety in Paris. On
Saturday evening I visited the Follies Bergere, where there was fine
music and some dancing. The audience contained principally soldiers on
six days' leave of absence from the front.
On Sunday, October 15th, we had a joint meeting with the American
Chamber of Commerce and discussed the tariff question, credits and other
things too numerous to mention.
On Sunday afternoon I visited the American Ambulance for the third time.
I paid particular attention to the pathological department. I was shown
a piece of spine with an imbedded bullet visible, and other specimens
entirely too realistic for me to look at. I was shown an electric
apparatus for locating bullets and shells, without X-ray treatment, I
saw a badly wounded soldier undergoing the Carrel treatment. Dr.
Sherman, chief surgeon of the Carnegie Steel Company, had spent two
months in France investigating this treatment. He was most thoroughly
imbued with its usefulness and enthusiastic about introducing it in the
hospitals of the Steel Corporation in the United States. My own belief
is that this is an advanced stage in surgery and, in fact, is an epochal
discovery. It will no doubt be adopted, not only in the military
hospitals of the world, but in other hospitals. A description of the
treatment was furnished me by Dr. Lee, of the University of
Pennsylvania, who had spent several months in Paris hospitals, and also
by Mr. Bennet, who was the superintendent of the American ambulance.
These descriptions follow in later pages, the subject being of vast
importance to those interested in the cause of humanity.
On Monday, October 16th, we met, at the Hotel de Crilion, the Belgian
Chamber of Commerce. This was a notable gathering. The president of the
Chamber of Commerce, Rene Nagelmackers, made a passionate and forceful
address, thanking all the United States for the aid and assistance
rendered the Belgians and setting forth their needs. He said a line of
vessels had already been arranged for and financed, and that it was the
intention of the Belgian Government to bring to France and deposit where
they could be quickly reached, machinery, tools and everything needed to
immediately rehabilitate Belgium. The intention was to have these in
readiness so that restoration can be promptly effected and all Belgians
returned to their native soil. The president and other members of the
Chamber expressed a belief that all Belgium will again be restored to
its rightful owners. On materials and machinery they will want fair
prices, but they will be in need of large quantities of these and the
United States will, on equal terms, be given the preference. A number of
other members of the Belgian Chamber of Commerce spoke, some of them in
English and some in French. Victor Haardt, a member residing temporarily
in Paris, suggested that the meeting was important and should be brought
to the attention of the Belgian Government. When it became known that
I was a personal acquaintance of King Albert, a number of the delegates
suggested that I write to him and give an account of the conference and
they would in turn write an official account of it. This I proceeded to
do, the King's military address having been furnished me by one of the
members. I gave the King in my letter full particulars of the meeting
and in response received the following letter from his secretary soon
after my arrival home:
[Illustration: Photograph of King Albert of Belgium, with the Royal
Autograph.]
* * *
La Cambre, Belgium, October 29th, 1916.
Office of the Secretary to the King and Queen.
Mr. J. G. Butler, Jr.
Youngstown, Ohio.
Dear Sir:--
I was particularly pleased to read to his Majesty your good letter,
and to receive the pamphlet.
I am charged by the King to thank you for the sentiments which you
have expressed and for your sympathy for Belgium.
Our Sovereign wishes you to know that he recalls with pleasure the
meeting with the Directors of the American Iron and Steel Institute
at Brussels.
I beg you to accept, dear sir, the assurance of my highest regards,
J. INGENBLECK, Secretary.
* * *
I spent a good part of the following day in buying war relics, many of
them made by the soldiers in the trenches out of such material as
exploded shells, buttons from the uniforms of dead soldiers, etc. I
purchased some unique postal cards, painted by hand in the trenches by
soldiers who were artists. Other relics consisted of hat pins, napkin
rings, bracelets and finger rings, all made as before stated, from war
material.
A copy of an English publication was brought to my attention during the
Belgian conference, and I was struck by a paragraph which is quoted:--
SUBMARINING AMERICA
What Germany is Doing now is Submarining
the Monroe Doctrine and that is Submarining America.
In this connection there was some discussion and I was surprised to
learn that the French, even those who are at the head of things, have a
very hazy idea of what the Monroe Doctrine is. I explained to them that
it was a statement made in a message to Congress by President Monroe in
1823, in which he laid down in a few words the principle that America,
because of her history and the form of government established in the
western world, was not a proper place for the exploitation of despotic
governments, and that any attempt on the part of European nations to
gain a foothold or to extend their territorial interests on the American
continent would be regarded as an act unfriendly to the United States. I
explained that this statement was never questioned and had become an
accepted principle. The explanation seemed to please the French and
Belgians to whom it was translated, and they apparently approve of the
idea.
Coming back to America, by the way, I found that there was no occasion
to be surprised at lack of understanding of the Monroe Doctrine abroad,
as few of us understand just what it is at home.
On October 17th, I visited the American Embassy and met there, among
others, Captain Eugene Rosetti, a captain in the Foreign Legion. This
Legion was recruited from friends of France who were not Frenchmen, but
largely Americans. When the war broke out this body was thirty-six
thousand strong, and on the date I talked with Captain Rosetti there
were but thirteen hundred survivors. The Foreign Legion was largely in
evidence at the early part of the war and stories of its bravery were
heard everywhere.
In the evening Dr. Veditz made an address before the Commissioners,
telling of the work he was engaged in and what he had accomplished.
On October 18th, the Commission gave a luncheon to Wilbur J. Carr,
Consul in Europe with headquarters in Washington. Some very plain talk
was in evidence as to the inefficiency of some of the American consuls.
Consul Carr delivered a very forceful address. He had been in the
consular service for nearly a quarter of a century and is working, with
much success, to better the service.
XVII.
ON THE WAY HOME--ENGLAND
On this date, October 18th, the commission left Paris for Havre at 4:50
P.M., its destination being London, by way of Southampton. We boarded
the boat at Havre after a very rigid inspection of passports, baggage,
etc. It was a rough night and many were seasick. The boat was crowded to
repletion and the trip was a very uncomfortable experience. We had been
escorted from Paris to Havre by Captain Sayles, of the American Embassy.
This was one of the many courtesies shown us by the American Embassy in
Paris under the direction of Robert Bliss, Charge d'Affaires, in the
absence of Ambassador Sharp. I had a very interesting talk with Captain
Sayles. His first question came out quickly and rather abruptly. "What
most impressed you on your trip?" I replied, without hesitation: "The
spirit of France and the morale of the French soldier and the French
people. All France is thinking and working and trying to do what they
can to help save France." Captain Sayles said it was a tradition that
when events required it, France always rose to the occasion and passed
the crisis successfully. He said also that the battle of the Marne, as
has been said previously by many others, settled the war. That the
Kaiser and the Prussian militants knew then they were beaten and have
been trying for a year and a half to find a way out. There is no doubt
in the opinion of Captain Sayles, that the German people are deceived
and still think that Germany will win the war. They are fed upon false
information.
In this connection I had a talk with Allyn B. Carrick, an American who
had spent several months in Germany during the past year and had
recently returned from there. He was an American and understood German,
and was a good listener. He said the people in Germany are talking among
themselves, criticising the government, especially the Kaiser and the
Crown Prince, and he felt that some day something would happen which
would bring trouble. He said there was great distress all over Germany.
Mr. Carrick got his information by keeping his ears open in cafes,
railroad stations, hotels and passenger trains.
When the conflict is over it is my judgment that international law will
be overhauled and some of the German methods of war on innocent women
and children will be eliminated, such as the shelling of non-combatants
and bomb-throwing. Terrorism in ghastly forms is now a part of the
German method of fighting the enemy.
The Kaiser has for many years considered himself a Charlemagne,
Frederick the Great and Napoleon the First rolled into one. Results are
developing which put him in the class of Napoleon the Third, or even
below that monarch in ability.
We arrived at Southampton on Thursday, October 19th, at 9 A.M. There was
much red tape in evidence and many questions asked the commissioners. We
were warned that no letters could be carried for delivery, and that a
violation of this order would result in arrest of anyone guilty.
After some little delay and much needed assistance from friends of
America, our baggage was registered and incidentally "greased" through
to London. We arrived in London at 1 P.M. Considerable evidence was here
apparent of the recent visit of the Zeppelins. One had been captured and
partially destroyed, and I was fortunate in securing some pieces as
relics. I met here Dr. Sherman, who has been in close touch with and
assisted Alexander Carrel with reference to the Carrel technique, the
recent antiseptic discovered for wounds and injuries, used so
successfully for the prevention of blood poisoning. The fluid is a
solution of bleaching lime with bi-carbonate of soda, filtered or poured
through the wounds. Thousands of lives have been saved by this
discovery. The method has been adopted by the Italian, French and
Belgian governments, and is being considered by the English government.
On the day following our arrival in London, I called upon Consul General
Skinner and found him busy at work. Inquiries resulted in receiving a
most excellent account of his stewardship. He is very much alive to
American interests.
I also met H. W. Thornton, formerly a high official in the Pennsylvania
Railroad system, but now in charge of the Great Eastern Railroad in
England. He is an important personage, and, from information obtained,
has made good. He is one of the counsellors in close touch with the war
department.
While in London we were at the Savoy hotel. I was struck by a notice
posted on the bedroom-door.
DEFENCE OF THE REALM ACT.
Important notice.
Visitors occupying rooms are now held responsible by the
Authorities for the proper control of the lights in the rooms they
occupy.
It is absolutely necessary that they should see that the blinds and
curtains of the rooms they occupy are closely drawn so that no
light can leak through.
It is imperative also to switch off all lights before attempting to
open or close a window, if this necessitates drawing the blinds.
These regulations apply to all rooms occupied, including bathrooms.
I attended the Hippodrome in London, walking through the darkness
escorted by a friend. The show was pretty much with reference to the
war. I was attracted by the notice at the bottom of the program, which
is copied below.
[Illustration: French Marines Operating 75-mm Gun on Shipboard.]
Arrangements have been made that warning of a threatened air raid
will be communicated by the Military Authorities to this theatre.
On receipt of any such warning the audience will be informed, with
a view to enable persons who may wish to proceed home, to do so.
The warning will be communicated, so far as possible, at least 20
minutes before any actual attack can take place. There will,
therefore, be no cause for alarm or undue haste.
Those who decide to leave are warned not to loiter about the
streets, and if bombardment or gunfire commences before they reach
home, they should at once take cover.
By order of The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
New Scotland Yard, S. W.
The anniversary of Trafalgar Day was celebrated while we were in London.
This was one of the most decisive battles in the history of the world.
As an English view of the battle of Trafalgar I copy below the editorial
from the Daily-Graphic, and might add, in my own words, that but for the
British navy our sea-coast cities, both on the Atlantic and Pacific,
might easily have been wiped out before this time.
TRAFALGAR DAY
To-day is the anniversary of one of the most decisive battles in
the history of the world. Our minds rest naturally enough on
Waterloo as the battle which finally destroyed Napoleon's power in
1815, to the great relief of France, as well as of all the rest of
Europe. But it was the battle of Trafalgar, ten years previously,
which secured to Great Britain the command of the sea and so
prepared the way for Napoleon's downfall. The same factors that
operated a century ago are operating today. There has been no
Trafalgar to wipe the enemy's ships off the sea, but our sea
supremacy was so well secured before the war began that the enemy
has only once ventured to challenge it, with disastrous results to
himself off the Jutland coast. The effect of British sea supremacy
has been felt from the first day of the war. We were able by our
intervention at once to prevent Germany from carrying out her
scheme of a naval descent on the French coast. The same sea-power
has since enabled us to transport in safety armies probably
aggregating over two million men to France, the Dardanelles, Egypt,
Mesopotamia, Salonica, the Cameroons and German East Africa. The
larger portion of these armies has naturally been drawn from the
United Kingdom, but large contingents have come from Canada,
Australia, India, South Africa and the West Indies. None of these
movements of troops would have been possible unless we had secured
the command of the sea. In addition, our sea supremacy has enabled
us to maintain our commerce with the whole of the world, while
blocking German commerce wherever we chose to use our power. The
British Navy is the force which has determined the final defeat of
Germany, and so long as we maintain that force at adequate strength
we can face without flinching any danger that may threaten us from
any part of the world.
Saturday, October 21st, was the day of sailing from Liverpool. We left
London at 10:20 A.M. on the London & Northwestern Railroad for Liverpool
and arrived at the latter place at 2:30 P.M. We boarded the steamer
Philadelphia, of the American line, and noticed on the side of the boat
an immense American flag painted in colors, as well as the words
"American Line". There was also a row of electric lights, visible
several miles distant, surrounding the flag and the name of the boat.
There were five lights on each side of the boat and each light had five
incandescent bulbs, making fifty lights in all. The flag painted on the
side of the steamer was 8 x 15 feet.
The Philadelphia left the dock at Liverpool at 4 P.M. on a rough sea.
Mr. E. A. Warren, a member of the Commission, stopped over a day in
Manchester and was in close communication with friends in that city.
Manchester has a population of half a million people. It is the center
of the cotton manufacture of the world. Mr. Warren is a manufacturer of
textile machinery and represented the textile industry on the
Commission. He reported that all the manufacturers of textile machinery
in England are running on war munitions. The entire steel industry in
England is under the control of the government, and the sale of steel
for any purpose cannot be made without governmental consent. Mr. Warren
reported also, as coming from friends, that England was at that time
growing uneasy over the fact that the United States government requested
that British war vessels keep away from our coast and then allowed the
U-boat 53 to land at Newport and obtain information in regard to the
sailing of vessels, which it then proceeded to torpedo. This occurred
about the time of the blowing up of vessels off Nantucket.
The Manchester stock exchange has a membership of ten thousand and is
open every day except Sunday. There are no auction sales, no excitement
or loud talk, no gesticulating, as is the case in New York, particularly
on the curb. The business is all done in a quiet, conversational tone.
Cotton is the principal commodity traded in.
A feeling is growing in England that the United States should have
entered the war, which the English believe they are fighting for the
cause of civilization and for the preservation of the liberty of the
United States as well as of England. The feeling is also somewhat
prevalent that the United States is only interested so far as making
money is concerned. This feeling was apparently very bitter.
England today is an armed camp. From end to end of the country there is
hardly a man, woman or half-grown child who is not working, making
ammunition, guarding the coast, doing police duty, watching for
Zeppelins, making uniforms or shoes, or moving provisions or supplies of
all kinds for an army of five million men, with the British navy thrown
in. There are two thousand munition factories in England and more under
construction. I was told of one plant being built in units extending for
eight miles. These munition factories employ one million men and women.
There are other works being built to make aeroplanes, cannons, machine
guns and hand grenades. All this since the war opened. Great Britain has
mobilized the ship yards and they are working overtime to build vessels.
This has more than offset the loss of vessels destroyed by the Germans.
America is doing a great deal in the way of Red Cross and relief work,
but it is a mere bagatelle compared with the activities of England in
this direction. The women of England are as fully awake as are the women
of France. Thousands are at work in hospitals and caring for the
refugees. Girls are at work making horse-shoes for the army horses.
These girls are cultivated, aristocratic women, members of golf and
hockey clubs. Others are working on farms, handling teams, pitching hay,
or driving cattle to market. Thousands of women are occupied as
chauffeurs at the various fronts. Hundreds of English women are living
through all kinds of weather in tents just behind the firing lines,
acting as stretcher bearers and driving ambulances.
[Illustration: Nancy--Place Stanislas]
While in London I met a number of old friends, many of them incidentally
connected with the government and very much alive to the situation. The
concensus of opinion of these friends is that failure of the Allies to
win the war means the death-warrant of France and the British Empire;
that there is no middle course; that the war will be fought to a finish
and the Allies will be victorious; that the Kaiser and the Prussian
military system will be annihilated, the German people will arise, and
the Republic of Germany will be the result.
Among other things spoken of there was the incident of Dewey at Manila
and the near clash over Samoa. It will be remembered that Dewey fired a
shot across the bows of a German vessel. To people in London the
Venezuelan embroglio proved that the Kaiser had in mind smashing the
Monroe Doctrine. Germany yielded to us in both cases. President
Cleveland was at the helm when the Venezuelan controversy came and the
immortal McKinley was in the chair when Manila was taken. Cleveland,
Harrison and McKinley all stood up for our rights and Germany backed
clear down, facts which the English have not overlooked.
XVIII.
ON THE BROAD ATLANTIC
During Sunday following our sailing we passed through the Irish Sea,
which was very rough. The davits were taken down and the passengers
ordered below. On Monday the sea was somewhat calmer. During the day I
met Dr. Lee, who had been in the service of the American Ambulance for a
year and a half. He is quite familiar with and believes in the Carrel
treatment. He said that nearly two million British soldiers had been
innoculated against typhoid fever and only twenty-five had died out of
this vast number during a period of eighteen months.
On Tuesday, October 24th, we encountered another very rough sea. Old
ocean travelers said it was the roughest day they had ever experienced
in crossing the ocean. I was loath to admit seasickness, but when I
found the dining room vacant and everyone on board, including some of
the crew, unable to be about, I was forced to recognize myself among the
number so affected. On this day the ocean was a sight to behold. I could
see the dashing waves break high, not on a rock-bound coast, but on top
of the ship, inundating my cabin. The waves were at times fully fifty
feet high; stanchions on deck were crushed and the passengers were
ordered to their cabins.
Thursday, October 26th, found the ocean calm and the sun shining. On
this date I was expected in St. Louis at the semi-annual meeting of the
American Iron & Steel Institute, and was booked for an address. All I
could do was to send a Marconigram: "Gary, American Steel Institute, St.
Louis: Absence regretted. Kind wishes for all members."
Friday, October 27th, was a bright, clear morning and the boat was
making good time, with prospects of landing early Sunday morning. With
the aid of Mr. Roche I completed the translation of the Le Creusot
welfare book.
I had the pleasure of meeting on the boat Mr. H. P. Davison, a member of
the firm of J. P. Morgan & Co. He is a plain-spoken gentleman with a
strong personality. He is one of the leading partners in the firm of J.
P. Morgan & Co. and talks and thinks in millions.
On the boat I talked with an Englishman who saw the last Zeppelin come
down near London. He said the English aviators have solved the problem
of destroying Zeppelins. The Zeppelin contains a large amount of liquid
explosives and firing with incendiary bombs it takes but a few minutes
to destroy the huge air vessel.
We reached the dock in New York on Saturday evening and remained on
board over night. Early Sunday morning the quarantine officer appeared.
The good old Philadelphia docked at 9 A.M. and after the inspection of
baggage, which was more rigid than usual, the journey was over. We were
met on the boat by numerous reporters. I gave an interview of which the
following is a copy:--
ALLIES WILL WIN WAR, SAYS MR. BUTLER
"Kitchener Right Predicting Three-Year Conflict."
That the Entente Allies, by the greatness and efficiency of their
military preparations and by their wonderful financial strength,
will push the European war to a complete victory regardless of the
cost in life and treasure, is the opinion expressed by Joseph G.
Butler, President of the American Pig Iron Association, on his
arrival here today on board the steamship Philadelphia' of the
American line, from Liverpool.
Mr. Butler was a member of the American Industrial Commission which
went abroad late in August to study economic conditions in France,
and hence had excellent opportunities to see the great military
preparations being made by France. He was one out of the twelve
members of the commission who returned today by the Philadelphia.
A Vast Military Camp
"All France is a vast military camp," he said, "and her people from
the President down are deadly in earnest and determined to continue
their victories regardless of the cost in life and treasure.
England is fully as much in earnest as France and has buckled down
to the task of winning the fight for civilization, as Mr. Lloyd
George phrased it in an interview I had with him in Paris.
"I firmly believe that the Allies will win. I feel certain that
the Kaiser and the Prussian military authorities realize that they
have lost and are casting about for some means of bringing the war
to a close, hoping that better terms can be obtained now than later
on. The German people must sooner or later learn the real condition
of affairs, and then I believe they will make themselves heard in
no uncertain manner.
Will Never Let Up
"The battle of the Marne settled the controversy in favor of France
and her allies," he continued. "Earl Kitchener predicted a
three-year war, and I believe he did not underestimate it.
"The Allies will never let up until they have won a complete and
final victory.
"I am more convinced of this now than I have been on the ground and
learned first hand not only of their complete equipment of men and
munitions, but also of their wonderful financial strength. We in
America know altogether too little of the astonishing richness of
both England and France, and the sooner we wake up to our
opportunities and encourage in every way the increasing of our
trade with them the better off we will be."
I reached home early Monday morning glad to be again in my native town.
Before landing I had written an account of the French steel industry in
war-time and had obtained permission from Mr. Nichols, as Chairman, to
make an advance publication of this document in the Iron Age and the
Iron Trade Review. I had in mind that something of this kind would be
expected by my fellow steel manufacturers, and if we waited until the
full report of the Commission was made, the information would be stale.
This article appeared in many of the trade journals and is republished
in the chapter following.
XIX.
THE FRENCH STEEL INDUSTRY IN WAR TIME
The individual report on the condition of the iron and steel industries
in France, referred to in the proceeding chapter, together with the
comments of The Iron Age thereon, were as follows: Joseph G. Butler,
Jr., Youngstown, Ohio, who represented the steel trade of the country on
the American Industrial Commission to France, arrived in New York on the
return journey of the commission on Oct. 29. While the general report of
the commission, which went out under the auspices of the American
Manufacturers' Export Association, will not be published until late in
the year, The Iron Age is able to give its readers below Mr. Butler's
report of his investigations into the war status of the iron and steel
industry of France.
* * *
W. W. Nichols,
Chairman American Industrial Commission to France.
My dear Sir:--
In accordance with your request, I beg to submit the following
report, which is the result of observations and information
obtained, regarding the particular industry represented by me.
Quite unfortunately, there were only a few visits to steel plants
of any importance and the information gained is rather superficial.
I noticed a dearth of labor-saving devices, and quite prominently
the absence of safety appliances. I also observed that notices to
the employees calling attention to probable dangers were not as
plentiful as in any model plant in the United States. It is quite
probable that there are many plants in France that are more
up-to-date than those we visited.
I have information in regard to the condition of the iron and steel
business in France at the outbreak of the war, but we are only
concerned with its present condition and its probable condition
when the war is ended.