The White Road to Verdun

Part 1

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THE WHITE ROAD TO VERDUN

KATHLEEN BURKE

Hodder and Stoughton London New York Toronto Printed in Great Britain by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury

MCMXVI

DR. C.O. MAILLOUX

(NEW YORK)

MR. AND MRS. L.B. FRANKLIN

AND

JEANNETTE FRANKLIN

AND TO MY

MOTHER

WHO BY THEIR AFFECTION AND PRACTICAL

SYMPATHY HELPED ME IN ALL THE

WORK I HAVE UNDERTAKEN.

10th August, 1916.

We left Paris determined to undertake the journey to the front in the true spirit of the French poilu, and, no matter what happened, "de ne pas s'en faire."

This famous "motto" of the French Army is probably derived from one of two slang sentences: "De ne pas se faire des cheveux" ("To keep one's hair on"), or "De ne pas se faire de la bile" (or, in other words, not to upset one's digestion by unnecessary worrying). The phrase is typical of the mentality of the poilu, who accepts anything and everything that may happen, whether it be merely slight physical discomfort or intense suffering, as part of the willing sacrifice which he made on the day that, leaving his homestead and his daily occupation, he took up arms "offering his body as a shield to defend the Heart of France."

Everything might be worse than it is, says the poilu, and so he has composed a litany. Every regiment has a different version, but always with the same fundamental basis:

"Of two things one is certain: either you're mobilised or you're not mobilised. If you're not mobilised, there is no need to worry; if you are mobilised, of two things one is certain: either you're behind the lines or you're on the front. If you're behind the lines, there is no need to worry; if you're on the front, of two things one is certain: either you're resting in a safe place or you're exposed to danger. If you're resting in a safe place, there is no need to worry; if you're exposed to danger, of two things one is certain: either you're wounded or you're not wounded. If you're not wounded, there is no need to worry; if you are wounded, of two things one is certain: either you're wounded seriously or you're wounded slightly. If you're wounded slightly, there is no need to worry; if you're wounded seriously, of two things one is certain: either you recover or you die. If you recover, there is no need to worry; if you die, you can't worry."

When once past the "Wall of China," as the French authorities call the difficult approaches of the war zone, Meaux was the first town of importance at which we stopped.

We had an opportunity to sample the army bread, as the driver of a passing bread-wagon flung a large round loaf into our motor.

According to all accounts received from the French soldiers who are in the prison-camps of Germany, one of the greatest hardships is the lack of white bread, and they have employed various subterfuges in the endeavour to let their relatives know that they wish to have bread sent to them. Some of the Bretons writing home nicknamed bread "Monsieur Barras," and when there was a very great shortage they would write to their families: "Ce pauvre Monsieur Barras ne se porte pas tres bien a present." Finally, the Germans discovered the real significance of M. Barras, and they added to one of the letters: "Si M. Barras ne se porte pas tres bien a present, c'est bien la faute de vos amis les Anglais" ("If M. Barras is not very fit, it is the fault of your friends the English"), and from then all the letters referring to M. Barras were strictly suppressed.

While the German Press may not be above admitting a shortage of food in Germany, it seriously annoys the Army that the French prisoners or the French in the invaded regions should hear of it. I heard one story of the wife of a French officer in Lille who was obliged to offer unwilling hospitality to a German captain, who, in a somewhat clumsy endeavour to be amiable, offered to try to get news of her husband and to convey it to her. Appreciating the seeming friendliness of the captain, she confided to him that she had means of communicating with her husband who was on the French front. The captain informed against her, and the next day she was sent for by the Kommandantur, who imposed a fine of 50 frs. upon her for having received a letter from the enemy lines. Taking a 100-fr. note from her bag, she placed it on the desk, saying, "M. le Kommandantur, here is the 50 frs. fine, and also another 50 frs. which I am glad to subscribe for the starving women and children in Berlin."

"No one starves in Berlin," replied the Kommandantur.

"Oh, yes, they do," replied Madame X. "I know, because the captain who so kindly informed you that I had received a letter from my husband showed me a letter the other day from his wife, in which she spoke of the sad condition of the women and children of Germany, who, whilst not starving, were far from happy." Thus she not only had the pleasure of seriously annoying the Kommandantur, but also a chance to get even with the captain who had informed against her, and who is no longer in soft quarters in Lille, but paying the penalty of his indiscretion by a sojourn on the Yser.

The bridge at Meaux, destroyed in the course of the German retreat, has not yet been entirely repaired. Beneath it rushes the Marne, and the river sings in triumph, as it passes, that it is carrying away the soil that has been desecrated by the steps of the invader and that day by day it is washing clean the land of France.

In the fields where the corn is standing, the tiny crosses marking the last resting-places of the men are entirely hidden; but where the grain has been gathered, the graves stand out distinctly, marked not only by a cross, but also by the tall bunches of corn which have been left growing on these small patches of holy ground. It has always been said that France has two harvests each year. Certainly in the fields of the Marne there is not only the harvest of bread--there is also springing up the harvest of security and peace.

Part 2

The peasants as they point out the graves always add: "We of the people know that those men sacrificed their lives that our children might live. Those who have died in vain for an unjust cause may well envy the men of France who have poured out their blood for the benefit of humanity."

Looking on the crosses on the battlefield of the Marne, I realised to the fullest extent the sacrifices, borne with such bravery, of the women of France. I thought of the picture I had seen in Paris of a group of mothers standing at the foot of Calvary, looking out over the fields of small black crosses, lifting their hands to Heaven, with the words--"We also, God, have given our sons for the peace of the world."

At Montmirail the real activity of the war zone first became apparent. We drew the car to the side of the road and waited whilst a long procession of empty munition-wagons passed on the way back from the munition-parks near the fighting-line. There was a smile on the face of every one of the drivers. Each of them had the satisfaction of knowing that there was no chance of his returning with an empty wagon, as there is no lack of provisions to feed the hungriest of the "75's" or any of her larger sisters.

The fact that it is known that there is an ample supply of munitions plays an important part in the "moral" of the troops. The average poilu has no sympathy with the man who grumbles at the number of hours he may have to work. We heard the tale of a munition-worker who was complaining in a cafe at having to work so hard. A poilu who was en permission and who was sitting at the next table, turned to him, saying, "You have no right to grumble: you receive 10 to 12 francs a day for making shells, and we poor devils get 5 sous a day for stopping them!"

We lunched in the small but hospitable village of Sezanne, in company with a most charming invalided officer who informed us that he was the principal in that district of the S.D.R.D.R. (Service de Recherche des Rattiers) (the Principal Recruiting Officer for Rat-catchers). In other words, he is spending his time endeavouring to persuade suitable "bow-wows" to enlist in the service of their country. Likely dogs are trained until they do not bark, and become entirely accustomed to the sound of firing; they are then pronounced "Aptes a faire campagne," or "Fit for service," receive their livret militaire, or certificates--for not every chance dog is allowed in the trenches--and are dispatched to the trenches on a rat-hunting campaign.

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