A Journey Through France in War TimeButler, Joseph G. (Joseph Green)
History
A Journey Through France in War Time
Butler, Joseph G. (Joseph Green)
France -- Description and travel; World War, 1914-1918
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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