Passed by the censor : $b The experience of an American newspaper man in FranceWilliams, Wythe
History
Passed by the censor : $b The experience of an American newspaper man in France
Williams, Wythe
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, American
We halted before the headquarters of the Military Governor in the
Boulevard des Invalides; before the war it had been a school for girls.
Although it was late in the evening when we arrived the sidewalk was
crowded, as usual, with civilians. The chauffeur waited while the gates
into the courtyard were opened. The crowd caught sight of the armed
escort and as we moved forward we caught murmurs of "prisoners of war"
and "spies."
We smiled at that--for in a few moments, thought we, this foolishness
would all be over, we would be free again. Our "detention" by the
jolly Colonel was already a memory, listed in among our "interesting
experiences." Speaking in French to pacify our guard, we blithely
planned a belated dinner at a boulevard restaurant. We were ravenous;
we decided upon its menu from hors-d'œuvres to cheese and were settling
the question of wine when some one said:
"We seem to be waiting here a long time. Do you suppose they'd keep us
prisoners until morning?"
Our soldier, who by this time had evidently become a little tired of
his silence, told us curtly that the Captain in charge of the party,
who had preceded us in another car, was conferring as to our fate with
officials inside. We were so surprised at this gratuitous information
that we offered one of our few remaining cigarettes, which was promptly
accepted.
The Captain finally ran down the steps of the building. The other
prisoners, who rode in the car with him, had been given some liberty,
and were walking about the courtyard. He called to them and said
something which seemed to throw them into fits of rage and dismay.
Then he came to our car, and we knew at once that our dinner, like the
Kaiser's, was indefinitely postponed. The Captain did not speak to
us at all. He merely ordered the chauffeur to follow the car ahead,
then retraced his steps. All the other prisoners but one had reseated
themselves.
This one, the amateur journalist who had at one time been an officer
in the American militia and was also the relative of a rich man, was
standing beside the car. The Captain curtly motioned him to enter; he
shook his head vigorously. We could not hear all of the conversation
that followed, but it was brief. Finally the Captain raised his voice:
"So you will not get into the automobile?" "No," replied the American.
"I am an ex-army officer and decline to be treated in such fashion." He
also mentioned his influential relative.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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