A GERMAN "VICTORY"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 225, 11 June 1918, Page 7

A GERMAN "VICTORY"

THli GOOD FRIDAY BOMBARDMENT." The Paris correspondent of "The Times," writing on March 30, gives the following account of the bombardment of Paris on Good Friday:—

Yesterday tho German long-range gun bombarded Paris at moro or less regular intervals. This gun achieved a notable victory, the best account of which is that given in tho moving protest is-i sued by Cardinal Amette, Archbishop of Paris, who says:— Yesterday, Good Friday, at the very hour of the death of our Lord Jeans Christ, whon the faithful gathered in the churches to celebrate this great mystery, tho Germans resumed their bombardment of Paris after several days' interruption. A shell fell on one of our churches and-the vaulted roof collapsed, crushing many of our faithful attending Divine Service. There are at least 75 killed and 90 injured, who for the most part are women and children. Such a crime committed in such circumstances on such a day and at such an hour arouses reprobation in every heart. In an hour of profound grief it is our duty ti echo this reprobation and appeal to the justice of God, while imploring His compassion for the victims. The shell hit one of the historic churches in Paris during a three hours service precisely at the ninth hour of tho agony, of Christ. The nave is filled with a great heap of blood-stained stones, fragments of chairs, broken glass, hats, walking sticks, and umbrellas. Among the killed is M, Henri Stroehhn, First Secretary of tho Swiss Legation in Paris, which is entrusted with German interests during the war. A Deputy for Pans, M. Gaill, writing in the "Liberte" this ovoning, gives the following picture of the scene immediately after the shell burst:Yesterday at 3 o'clock'l represented the town of Paris at the funeral of a poor woman killed in tho .bombardment of the 23rd. The service was- held at Notre Dame. The church at this hour of Christ's • death was filled with the faithful, like all tho other churches in Paris, with women and children praying to the'accompaniment of distant gunfire. A quarter of an hour later 1 was in the great nave of an old church, around which, kept back by lines of police, stood an indignant crowd of men and women, passers-by, or people who had run out from neighbouring vorlt. shops. Tho horror of the acone will never be effaced from my mind. Fire, men and volunteer rescuers, mostly eol. diers on leave, were already at work. The slightly wounded had already fled from the vision of horror. Others, nearlv all dying, were carried off. lament, able human wrecks, battered and torn. On the stem of Ihe church were pools of blood. The cure wan there looking after the wounded and dying. We |™ik part in the work of clearance. • Tho Archbishop of Paris, who arrived at once, stood giving his blessing to the dead as they passed, while we with our tews salute'their passing. That verv morning the German Emperor sent to Krupi) an enthusiastic letter congratulating him upon harm? produced this fresh instrument of death, ."this mehipfement of German seipnee .ini.l labour."