IN THE FRENCH FIRING LINE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 80, 28 December 1917, Page 2

IN THE FRENCH FIRING LINE

HOW CONSCRIPTS FIGHT

"NOUS LBS AURONS!"

Madamo JUsseraiiJ a lrell-luioivii FreiKili resident of Alolboiirne, recently passed through Sydney on her way from France, via America. When interviewed Madamo told a story that is very inspiriting, and at tlw «amo timo very piilliotic, lor her buHinwm had taken her to I'nris in the early days of 19U- Slio saw tlio inohilisatio'ii, tlion left for the United States, thinking tlio war would soon bo over, then slio returned, to France, doing war work of tlio most arduous and trying kind, mostly at Lα Koohefouraiild, in Charonte, also at Chateaubriand. Madamo was for the latter part of her stay in Paris, which aho left in October. But bel'oro her story if> told. Madame. Jlasseran has a protest to niakoi "Since 1. arrived in Sydney last wnek I have Hoen it reported in your newspapers tlmt spenkers bavo Leon saying that consoripts do not fight well. That, to rao, is liko an insult, a slap in tlio face. If thoy could soo. theso »peakors, ae It liavo seen, tlio soldiers of France, all conscripts, goiiiK to war and how they fight, thoy would not talk about tho unwillingness of conscripts to fight. JSvcn now, after inoro than three.years of it, they go singing. I liavo seen troop train after troop train depart for the front, and tho men loaning out of tho windows and I shouting 'Nous lee aureus' ( 'Wo shall liavo them.'). That i« tlio motto of Franco—'Nous les aurons,' We'll get them ,j;cf' v There is no other thought but Victory in tho minds of tho French. "In America in tlio early days thero was a. swaying to and fro of opinion. But I saw the change, although 1 left in November, 1914. As early as that, tho news pf tlio awful atrocities in Belgium and the North of France, _ tho destruction of our eacred shrines, made a shudder of horror come to 1 those people who had at first said that tho war was not of Germany s making. Theßo cruelties to innocent victims roused. even the Irish Americans, who had a feeling of coldness for England, and .had been told lies hy | Gorman propagandists. But Irish | opinion in tho United States was even j then being welded into a pro-Ally sentiment. I was .there, and I could sen the 'change- that: canio over the. wholo I public opinion about the war. j "In France. I found plenty to do. 11 worked among tho wounded as a 'Damo Benevolo' (a voluntary worker). At first, .with the .wounded pouring in, coming in bateb.es, fivo timee as many ns wore prepared for, perhaps, the hospitals were ' taxed to their utmost, and help was welcomed. It fell to mo to recoive and undress the soldiers as they, came in covered with mud and blood, to take off their hoots, which had not' heen off for weeks, to wash and prepare them for the doctors and nurses. They wero carried in liko limp, dirty bundles, but in a few weeks some of them were well again, and all

! wore ready, eager, to go hack. Ono I man I remember had been wounded six times, and had gone back to the trenches. I said to him tho last time: 'Surely you havo done enough; youI need not go again to fight,' but ho re- ! piied: 'I would have to bo cut to pieces before I would refuse to go back. I must pay thorn out for what they havo done to mo.' "The French and Australian soldiers are. very friendly now. Your own men writing hoVno, do they not bear testimony to tho courage and bravery of tho conscripts P Even the elderly men over 40, married, and with families, tliey have the sanio spirit. A young officer was leading a hatch of such, and he called out: 'Allons, petite peres!' (Como on, papas!), and this has passed now into ajoke. _ In a coucript army there are all kinds, the scum, tho Apaches (larrikins), as well as the heroes. These men of the rough class have heard tho Gcrmau propaganda which agents never ceaso to pour into thoir cars, and they havo said: .'Oh, we won't fight; wo.Bhall go with le croix en l'air (rifles reversed), But theso very Apaches, when they get into the fighting line, cannot be held back; the fighting spirit gets into them, and they rush forward into needless danger. "France is feeling terribly the strain of this long trial. Tho women are nervy and short, the men are abrupt and moody. In Paris, which keeps up its gaiety by day to please the soldiers on furlough, if a man of military age is seen in civilian dress everybody etares, and asks— " 'What is he doing here, that one? How is it he is not at the front?'

"Caillaux is the most detested man in France to-day. I saw liim at Vichy about a year ago; ho was thore taking tho cure. Sitting at table with a ffiond, ho heard a man say:' 'Is tbat Caillaux ?' 'Yes, lam Caillaux. What, then ?' ho answored.

"Immediately the placo was in. an uproar. Everybody hooted and hissed. Yes; I stood on a chair and hooted, tool Wounded soldiers led tho emcute. The sergeant of police protected him, and was leading Mm to the police station for protection. A wounded man took up Ins crutch to strike him, but the policeman got it instead. The windows were smashed, and all was excitement. General Detare (one of the Marne hqroos) ordered all tho men back to hospital, and at dinner tbat night, at a signal, every man smashed his plate. Caillaux was then a deputy only. The impression "that he is a traitor is strong in the Trench Army. 1 "Yes, it is strange to eonio back to peaceful, calm Australia, where the war does not penetrate, and where ono sees so many men about the streets. That is tho most extraordinary sight of all."

There are now over 600 women polico employed in the London Mexropolitan district and in tho provinces, and tho work of training recruits is going on apace. Policowomon employed in Government arsenals now arrest find convey prisoners to the charge station, keep their own documents, loot the prisoner in the cells, kenp guard over her, tako her to trial, and, <f conviowa, convey her to prison. Ileeantiy, fer the first tirao in history, a policewoman armed with handcuffs, onu rail vouchers, brought mi old offender up from a distant town. I'oliVewomcn go about factories armed with spksmb, to cut off all metal buttons, hooks, or eyes on tho clothing of tho girls.