THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX. PORTLAND, BIAKCn 54, 1918.
Botreh "The Bard of the Trenches" Sings for France and You
BT
I
EVMA WTKK8 CKIPFIJ AD
FRANKLIN CRISPIN.
(Was a! UUllli4 aad adapted th Himl
a taia Bse.
T WAS a creak pleaaur to receive
recently Utter from M. Theodore
BotreL "The Bard of the Tranches."
He la today one of the national figures
of bia dear Franca, a man beloved by
the polios and honored and respected
by a nation In anna.
This letter was an answer to one
which we wrote asking permlaalon to
g!v to America the picture of war
worn bat ever-coaraceoas France, over
whoa people (till hovers the spirit of
Joan of Arc. which la so beautifully
shown la his -Sons of the Pollus
France."
(. Botrers answer la typical of the
attitude of France toward America
"I will be happy and proud to b pre
sented by you to that dear, noble and
great America which has ranged her
self eo eur aid In the hour when th
fate of the world la at stake. I kna
that she would come to u. that bl
a-enerous one. when I cried to her la
11J:
Offer up tows and prayers. O K
World.
That Call la the Blonde.
tVbom aa and -an barbarian hems la.
T:raps from the handa of th bandit
For the earn Infamous breath
Welch shall tarnish her great Soul
Will Quench, at th earn time, the
brlcM flam
Of th Torch of Bartholdl
M. BotreU singer aa well as poet.
two years ago was ordered by the
French Minister of War. "to presen
tttmsalf la all depots, camps and hoe
pitals. thsr to sins and recite hi
patrlotle poama." Sine then his work
baa been an Inspiration to all classes
In France, but mora especially does be
sine to his dear pollus.
No words can better deaerlb th
work that X- Botral ha a been doln
than) thoe of M. Eugen Tardleu. of
the French Academy, in th preface
which b wrot to Bolrer "Chnsoos
ds Roots":
Treface to "Chansons de
Route."
t BT if. TETOENH TARtITTJ.
Academl Fraacalaa.
"Tunklrk baa received simultane
ously a vtU from th Taabea an
also from th "Ballad Writer of th
Armies. Th latter mad en forget th
former. Th author of th famous son.
La Fatmpola!.' who la also amona th
moat seesltlv and del teat a of th ports
Inspired by Brittany, has accomplished
wtth a steady flight, a convinced sea
th mission Intrusted to him by the
Minister of War to go Into th ton
ef th train to alns his patrlotle
repertolr befor the soldiers who are
going to the front or returning from IL
"To sine now when so many others
ash. I confess that the announce
ment of th programme chilled la
sjbca the popular poet arrived.
"The first tlm was at th hospital
f Pun. hospital Improvised la an
old coll'-, with worm-eaten stairways,
with walls uniformly whitened with
whitewash, with a high plinth of green
paint. A lone room held about bal
a hundred beds. Ther were wounded
ther of all branches of th servlc
tho who bad a limb amputated, con
valrx-enta. beardless faces lighted by
a smll wher a trac of childhood
flickered, ravaged faces of halr terrl
tortals. frownlnx and anxious, a bll
arlous negro with the shoulders of
caryatid, a Kabyl with a clear brown
Via. a short beard and a ahavea bead,
feverish, sulky. 1 In with his knees
drawn up to bla chin. II pulled up
his covers, wishing to sc and hear
othlng.
"The poet arrive, gattrred In mill
La rr dress, without any Insignia but
a bit of trteolored silk. He mounted
on a little stand such aa they put under
th ft of orchestra leaders, lo the
middle aisle, at the end of th room,
he dominate It. Th military Burses
ar ranged along th wall, th bead
doctor stl en cbatra her and th
th ladles ef th Red Cross smll
leaning oa their elbows oa th pillows
f th bds.
"flotrel apeak, la a voir that vi
brates traos-ty In this room, wher
an always speaks low. h explains
what hs has com to do. It Is a little
discourse on th war very stmp'.e and
very wall worded, which recalls that
French soldiers hav always loved
sons. Sad faces turn toward biro.
th patient who can sit up la their
beds. All ayes look wide open at him.
Is It from fever or amusement? A
speech, and songs, for tho who hav
Just looked so closely at death and
o'.lll hav an engagement with him?
"Aa uneastnis cam over m. It
seemed to me that a L-isun Urstandlng
Is being born and growing here. lio
tret, moved but healstron. recites his
verses, lie launches what Is called la
the slang cf the theater ua boa coup
de gueul." And thea he sings. Ills
voir la warm, young, wall-toned. It
carcase and It entrances He alngs
the song of Tloealle.' "Rosalie Is the
bayonet which returns from th battle
all red with the blood ef the foe, and
for that th soldier named her 'lie
oaUe.
1 am eated at th foot ef th bed
ef a marine wounded at I'lxmuJe. His
emaciated face Is framed ta a light
blond beard. With bis strained neck,
bis big frame, bla large blu eyes, the
gravity ef his who! attitude, be re
sembles a Christ coming out of a
dream. His mouth Is half open, be
smiles, red comes to his cheeks, and as
Rosalia Is sung to a march tune, I
saw under his swaddling clothes of
blu wool th body of th marine,
which swung as If to mark the time.
"At th end ef th song be applauded
wl'.a all bis might. In all the beds
they laufhed and applauded. Th Ice
was broken. Now the singer attacks
the 'Kalaerole' to the tune ef the
Carmagnole': then Uu..laum e'en
va-t-ea Guerre' to the tune of 'Marl
borough: 'En Revenant de ""Toe. Dans
la Traachee. "La l'aiinpolaiee." etc All
this Is gay with the frivolity ef youth,
heroic without pomposity. In thes
oogs they kill, they strike, they urge
taemaelves to th aaaaolt. they baffle
th enemy, they cry vengeanc with
simplicity.
Nous avons soif d Vengeanc!
Roealie. vara a la Franc
Vers a boirv
X la glotr a pleln bidons!
i IWvoaa doacl
"What aa error was Bin. Th
heart ef Botrel was closer than mine
te that of eur heroes. Thea brave
Freaebmew lov th songs and th big
word. Tbey ar werds ef their sis.
How the Ballad Writer' of the Armies, "the Idol of a Nation in Arms"
Sings Patriotism to the Poilus on the Firing Line and in the Hospitals
r
art W
fAbwve, T-O4.ro BotreU hiMMM NaV-
f wt BBT C . V w, ( f- -w . ' L . - -r-, 3-ja.eav-T'
fr .i y STrlif; And
K I- -J
J r
t J- - -.
Ther do aot ta them such pro
foundness. These words express well
what they feal. They find them only
as natural aa their owa conduct. Our
fear was wrong and It la eur surplus
f literature which creates In ourselves
these misunderstandings which, w
fear.
Th next day Pot re I sang la an
other hospital. La Martin Hoepltal.
ut that day I did not hear him. 1
wrot In my room, while above my
head reigned a formidable tumult.
Four Taube flew over Dunkirk and
et fall a score of bombs on th city
nd Its environs. From everywhere
tbey fired oa them with cannon and
una. Ther wr a scor of dead and
several dosen wound!. At th first
xploslon th singer was mounting on
is littl stand. Ther waa a stupor
nd som cries of terror, th beginning
of a panic. Th bomb bad fallen four
meters from th hospital, riddling Its
walls with splinters of cast Iron and
breaking all Its window panes. A sec
ond explosion followed clos oa th
first.
"A spent ball, passing through the
anas, rolled to tho feet of th Breton
poet, who picked It up. put It la his
pocket, resumed his walk and snld:
We know this sort or hing. It Is like
n the theater. We rap for the rise of
h curtain. At th third knock I
chief its congratulation for their
splendid conduct.
"I shall always sea them In th great
shed at Grand Port, ranged oa pilea of
sacks and mountains of cases. In th
moat picturesque of amphitheaters. On
a great wooden balcony they were
aligned as at a great barricade, our
boys dressed In whits with, their big
blu collors.
"Th singer was ta no need to give
a good 'coup da guerre' It is they who
carry him away on th enthusiastic
current of their child-Ilk souls. Tbey
hav th simple faith and valiant heart
of Joan of Arc, whoa colors tbey wear.
Th majority of them war Bretons.
Botrel. In many of th accustomed re
frains, sang In their tongue on a
warlike song of their fatherland and
all waa frenxy. Talk not to them of
sacrifice! They gtv their lives to
France at birth, that she may dispose
of them! Ah. Franca must never for-
commence. in intra anocs. cam just i
. ... . i i
nen ana irom a la in dmi iucj ap- u k . v
lauded. Th entertainment began and , " ' " " "
lasted for an hour full of enthualaem
nder the nols of th bombs and the
usilladea.
Mine thea the Taubes and th AvI-
tika bav returned In greater num
ber, but the sang fro id of the people
of Punklrk baa never given away.
The FUa.
"Th second tlm I heard Botrel was
th Kursaal of Malo. Three thou-
and territorial from th north, re
urned aom Um sine from th
rencbeeWor a period of rest, stood
lose together In the vast halL What
sn audience! How desrrib those worn
out greatcoats, all discolored! How
descnb th shapeless caps, weakened
by th showers, the hairy faces, en
veloped la comforters of all colore,
which bora trace of so much suffer
ing, such courageous struggles, such
dangers braved?
"Hut the most beautiful tlm was
when Botrel sang for th sailors of
th ships, who, under th command of
th captain of th frigate Richard,
hav. sines th beginning of the bat
tle of th Tser. bombarded th Belgian
coast up and down on this std and
further on toward Ostend. In 25 or
these perilous sorties our ships have
stopped, with the English, th advance
of th enemy along th seashore. The
Government hag already scut Id tieir
th bast of her children
la writing of his latest volume of
poems, which Is still In preparation.
U. Botrel aays that they "will contain,
let us hope, th T Deum of Victory."
Can you lmagln th grandeur of that
Te Deum of Victory sung by th pollus
of Franca, led by "th Bard of th
Trenches' and echoing throughout the
world In one grand chorus? For the
km
"Oh, France, thine arms shall,
too, unbend,
Thine arms of Flanders and
Alsace,
The fate of Jesus soon shall be
Thine, too a resurrected race.
To Deum of Franco will be also that of
th allied nations. How eagerly we
will listen for it, and how wonderful
that Its first whisperings hav been
sent up by M. Botrel himself!
RESURRECTIONS.
By Theodore BotrsL
Translated from "Chansons de Route."
A ray of sun with rainbow tints,
Aa through the leaded glass it shone,
A halo made about the Christ
That hung on Gothlo wall, alone.
Th splendor of the sunbeam grew,
A smile from God upon his throne.
The anguished look of sorrow fled.
Almost th Christ smiled. 1 atone-
But from th Hun and Vandal loosed.
A shell th ehrieking echoes woke
And crashing through the ancient roof
The Cross of the Redemption broke-
Christ thus freed, seemed to
ascend
To Heaven on that wondrous ray;
The Crucifixion had been made
For Christ the Resurrection Day.
Ob. Francerthlne arms shall, too, un
bend.
Thine arms of Flanders and Alsace,
The fate of Jesus soon shall be
' Thine, too a resurrected race.
The Horde shall spend Itself In vain.
And tho' It seeks thy life to blight.
It but revives the hearts of France
And speeds thee to Immortal flight
To Uncle Sam.
(Poem dedicated to America, to thank
her for Christmas presents sent to the
little children of France.)
Uncle Sam. to too I sins;
The thanks of little children gar.
Whose sadness, by the gifts you brine;,
Is turned to Joy this curisunas nay.
The children all were told. "This year
Dear Santa Claus, whom we adore.
Cannot descend the chimney here
Because, alas! we are at war.
He cannot travel In the night
Across the armed zone, because
A wicked "Taube" poised In flight
Could easily shoot dear Santa Claus.
For even at this Christmaatide,
The Manger must be hid away
There is no place Christ may abide
Safe from the Hun on CarUtmastide.
TRANSLATION OF COPY OF LETTER OF FRENCH
. MINISTER OF WAR
French Republic, Minhlry of War, Office of the Minister.
Paris. August 30. 1914.
M. Theodore Botrel is authorized to present himself in all depots,
camps and hospitals, there to recite and sing his patriotic poems. All
the military authorities are urged to receive him kindly and to make
easy for him the accomplishment of his mission. He is authorized to
tak all trains.
For Millerand. Minister, and by his order, Lieutenant-Colonel, his
Chief of Office. Signed: DUVAL.
Xn trenches, langh when cannon roar.
By childhood be thou ever blest.
Good Uncle Sam I Thy kindly glance
Toward our loved land will ever rest
On toys that thou hast sown In
France.
And may the good Atlantic breeze.
From children of our rave pollus.
Waft kisses thrown across the seas
To children that belong to you.
Maaa la the Camp.
"How shall we do, then, sergeant
To say mass, when no church Is
near?"
"On Sunday, at 8 in the morning.
The mass will be said, do not fear."
"But how is It possible, sergeant?
Who can celebrate the feast?"
"Know you not here in the army.
That I myself am priest?"
"Without cloth and altar, sergeant.
Whatever shall we do?"
"An awning and a supply chest
Will do for them both, my pollu."
"Shall the holy table, sergeant.
Be laid In the open there?"
"Since the boche bombard the churches,
Long live God's pure free air."
"But how to announce It sergeant
How proclaim the good God draws
near?"
"The bugle will sound the grand rally
So all the pollus can hear."
"For the elevation, sergeant
Where can we find a bell?
"The 'seventy-fives' will ring, ring,
ring,
Tho solemn news to telL"
"Then at this moment sergeant
We Incline our heads toward the end."
"We shall rise more ready for war
From bowing our heads before God."
"But we have no organ, sergeant
No organ to play at the mass."
"For organ we have the good wlad,
poilu.
That blows from our Alsace." ,
"Shall we ask the good God. sergeant
That he turn his pitying glance
On the sufferings of his children?"
"Ask nayght but the honor of
France."
In the beginning of the war, evident
ly carried away by his sympathy for
that bereaved country, M. Botrel vol
unteered to serve in the Belgian army.
While, as an alien, his offer was re
fused, he received a beautiful tribute
from the Belgian Ministry of War.
"Kingdom of Belgium. Ministry of
War, Civil Office of the Minister.
"Dear Monsieur Botrel. I regret that
I cannot accept tho offer 'that you make
me, with a generosity that touches me,
to serve in the Belgian army. We can
not accept any but Belgian enlistments,
and this rule has forced us to refuse
the great number of English and
French friends whom wo should have
been happy to accept
"You will return to France, thereforei
but you will not go at once. In our
cities, as in the country, they know
and love your songs, and I am sure
that all along our columns there la
more than one soldier who beguiles
fatigue by making resound your me
lodious appeals to heroism to duty and
to sacrifice.
"We have, too, onr Trlttle Gregory,'
and the Breton bard whose song ex
alts and consoles may even from
afar say to himself that he nobly serves
his Belgian friends in the gigantlo
struggle that they wage with their al
lies against the German might
"I hope, dear M. Botrel, that we shall
see each other again in better times,
and I beg you to believe in my feel
tags of cordial friendship. The Minister
of War . DE3 BRONQTJEVIXJuE.
"Antwerp, August 22, 1814."
So, since the custom Is today.
As Herod did in time of yore,
Tou little Innocents to slay,
Steal off to bed and weep no more.
Fold ud your stockings out of sight
On hearth or fireplace hang them not
For on this sad December night
The toys for yau. will be forgot
But now, behold! kind Uncle Sam,
As Santa Claus, brought to our shores
The good ship "Jason" and did cram
Her full of toys and Christmas stores.
And from each cottage In the land
Resounded suddenly the cries
Of joyous children by his hand
Made happier for the glad surprise.
And mothers, whose maternal hearts
Were heavy, now they laugh once
more:
And fathers, who are playing; their
parts ., , .
25
GOTHAM BOYS .ON DIET TO ,
PROVE VALUE OF SCHOOL LUNCH
Experiment Is Result of Discovery That Boys and Girls Lack Proper
Foods.
r
N one of four malnutrition clinics
established in New York public
schools, 25 boys between the ages
of 9 and 12, all seriously under weight
are undergoing a feeding experiment
for three months to demonstrate the
value of the school lunch in instilling
a knowledge of food principles. The
experiment came about as the result of
the discovery that 88 per cent of the
boys and 33 per cent of the girls in two
of the public schools were in a serious
condition of malnutrition.
A hot noonday meal Is served to these
boys. The menus are worked out by
Dr. Mary Schwartz Rose, of Columbia
University, and Miss Lucy K. Gillette,
dietitian of the Association for Improv
ing the Condition of the Poor. The
foods selected are those most easily
available In war time, and those which
should be used for purposes of con
servation. The boys volunteered as
"Food Scouts" to eat these meals to
prove what foods children should eat
in war time In order to reach proper
physical development
The menus for the first three days
of the experiment are given below, to
gether with the recipes and "sugges
tions concerning the choice of a menu.
Special attention is called to these sug
gestions. First Day.
'Menu Barley soup and vegetables, spa
ghetti and cheese, rye bread and nut but
terice cream and cookies (calories per boy,
Recipe Barley aoup and vegetables:
lb. lima beans, B os. barley, 2 tablespoons
fat, 1 cup of tomato. 2 qts. water, aoup
greens, salt and pepper.
Suggestions Meat Is high priced: It Is
possible to plan a palatable and nourishing
meal without meat. Cheese and lima beans
have been used to supply the type of food
value which people ordinarily feel must be
supplied by meat. The ice cream supplies
milk: which Is considered essential as a part
of the food of every growing boy and girl.
Bye bread la used in place oi a
conservation measure. Its food value is
lust as great as wheat bread; it males
healthy boys Just aa readily and saves the
wheat for our Army and our allies.
Second Day.
Menu Cream of cabbage soup, carrots and
peas, peanut butter sandwich, rice and datea
(calories per boy. 900).
Recipe Cream of cabbage soup: 2 small
heads of cabbage, H4 qts. of creamed sauce
made of the following: 1 qt. of milk, 1 PC
of water In which the cabbage waa boiled,
5 tablespoons of flour, pt. of oil and salt
and pepper to season.
Suggestions Boys from to 20 years of
age need from 1800 to 2200 calories per
day. They need a great deal of energy for
healthy play as well as for growth. This
nourishing dinner furnishes almost half of
the food needed during the day. Peanut but
ter, rice and bread are very nourishing and
great energy-giving foods.
Iron is necessary for good, healthy blood
and growth this Is supplied In cabbage,
peas, peanut butter, dates and whole wheat
bread.
Dates are not an extravagant food. There
is aa much food value for the money epent
from dates aa from prunes, and more than
from apples.
Peanut butter la a good meat substitute
and takes the place of butter on bread.
Milk, such a necessary food for healthy
boys and girls; Is just as good when eaten
In food. It is introduced In both the cab
baze and rice.
Whole wheat bread is practically the
whole wheat and contains more food valua
for tho money than white bread. It is much
better for boys who want to be strong and
healthy. It Is especially good for consti
pation, which often keeps people from be
ing well.
Third Day.
Menu Creamed fresh codfish, potatoes,
whole wheat bread and nut butter, cocoa,
bananas. (Calories per boy 900).
Suggestions Here we have a war diet
fish, which cannot be shipped abroad, and
potatoes, which are plentiful. Potatoes ara
.excellent food; there is as much food value
in one potato as in two slices of bread.
Note the milk (necessary for every boy
who would be healthy) In sauce served on
the fish and in the cocoa.
Whole wheat bread has more food value
than white bread. It has mineral matter
which is necessary for good, healthy muscles
and strong bones.
One banana furnishes as much nourish
ment as one potato, or one glass of milk, or
two thin slices of bread, or one pat of butter.
These foods are all good, concentrated
forms of nourishment and such as any
mother might serve at home. .
Work of Balloon Observers.
HARDLY a train moves within five
miles back of the German trenches,
or a squadron of men como up xor
relief, or dlerxinsr begun on a new
series of emplacements but a pair of
keen eyes, steadily watching from
great observation balloons Just behind
the allied front takes notice of it
Every movement, every activity. Is
retriste'red until a schedule of the
usual enemy routine Is built up and
the average amount of motion known.
The departure from this schedule is
suspicious. A train running late or
with more cars than usual, men in the
trenches beingr relieved too frequently,
new roads or emplacements being
built too earnestly, give the first hint
that "Fritz" across the line, is up to
something.
A keen balloonist notes any of these
changes, and at once telephones down
to the ground, "An extra train of six
cars passed at 10:40." Half a
mile farther down the line another
Dair of eyes reports, "Large convoy
moving up to front range so and so."
Still a little farther down another
suspicious circumstance is noted, until
the General Staff down below, assem
bling all these straws, foresees the De-
ginning of a big offensive across the
line. Counter measures are taken.
batteries directed, convoys and trenches
smashed up and the enemy's plans
thrown askew. .
Possibly, however, the offensive is to
come from the balloonist's own side.
Tfie observer ascends with full knowl
edge of all the details of action, em
boldened probably to move up mucn
nearer the German lines than usual.
In the belief that the enemy's artillery
will be driven off. The opening bom
bardment Is a time of ceaseless and
vital work, spotting shot by shot
watching for new enemy batteries to
open up, moving the barrage fire back
and forth with the advance of the
troops. Any error here may send the
ateel wall into the observers' own
troops or cost scores of lives later by
failure to make a complete aemoiiuuu
of the enemy's defense.
"Hostile airplane overhead is apt
to break in through the telephone wire
at uv moment A German aviator.
more adventurous than his fellows, is
swooping down, perhaps under a pro
tecting cloud, in an attempt to put out
tho ever-watchful eyes. The observer
makes ready his parachute, the ma
chine cruns on the ground below click
off a rain of lead at the invader, and
the windlass men start bringing the
big envelope to ground with all pos-
ible speed- remaps wb muer a
driven off, perhaps the Danoon is
stricken into flames and the balloonist
forced to parachute to the ground. In
either case it la all A pare ox ue aays i
work which adds adventure and ro-
manes to the responsible work done by
the balloonist
Such is briefly very briefly the)
duty and work of the balloon observer.
Calm, patient ever watchful, he rides
far above the ground as the great en
velope sways on its long cable. Hours
pass, perhaps, but finally, as inevitably
as fate, the reward comes. A single
flash, a slight movement across tha
line and another tiny claw of the Ger
man eagle reveals itself for the allied
artillerymen beneath.
WHEAT GROWING IS URGED
Canadians Told to Increase Held
250,000,000 Bushels In 1918.
WINNIPEG, March 14. Canada must
produce 250,000,000 more bushels of
wheat this year than last In order to
feed the allied armies, according to
Thomas Johnson, Attorney-General for
Manitoba. Mr. Johnson has Just re
turned from a conference of provincial
representatives with Federal authori
ties at Ottawa.
Mr. Johnson says that owing to di
minished production the quarter billion
bushels of wheat can be raised only In.
Canada Argentina and Australia. Lack
of ships, however, makes it imperative
that the wheat be secured from the
nearest point to the fighting armies,
which is Canada.
Unless Canada supplies the greater
portion of the wheat crop, it will be
necessary to send ships to the more re
mote points with the result that trans
portation of soldiers and munitions will
decrease.
Freckle-Face
Now Ishe Time to Get Rid of These!
Ugly Spots.
f
Do yon know how easy It is to ren
move those ugly spots so that no ona
will call you freckle-face?
Simply get an ounce of othlne, aom
ble Btrength, from your druggist and ai
few applications should show you how;
easy It is to rid yourBelf of freckles
and get a beautiful complexion. The
sun and winds of March have a strong
tendency to bring out freckles, and as a
result more othine is sold in this month-
Be sure to ask for the double strength,
othlne, as this is sold under guarantee
of money back if it fails to remove the,
freckles. Adv.