PETAIN'S HEADQUARTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11730, 21 June 1916, Page 1

PETAIN'S HEADQUARTERS.

AN ANONYMOUS VILLAGE. SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE. We have eonio by motor from Bar-le-Due to this unknown village, whose name will some day bo historic, although it musi. remain anonymous at the present writing. For here General Petain has his headquarters, and t-o here momentous decisions are being taken daily l'or the checkmating of the German attempts against Vordan. If tho work of the General Staff in the Mairie of this little village continues to give such good results as it lias up to the present moment, X will not be forgotten when the annals of this war are written. lYor will the name of the man who has risen so rapidly a'nd so well deservedly in less than two years from one of thousands to one among thousands be forgotten. Since the last week of February tho whole world has been looking to General Petain with increasing confidence and admiration. 1 hadliardly arrived in X this morning and had just gotten out of the motor to stretch inv legs after a long early morning ride when I was told: ''That house over there with the guard in front is where General Petain lives. He will be coming to his office in a few minutes, for he is always at work promptly at eight o'clock. ' The General came on the very stroke of eight, picking his way along down the muddy road and gravely returning the salute of all whom he met-. Twice later in X—- have I seen him, each' time unaccompanied. There is no blare 1 of trumpets about this man. no ceremony. But no general in the field has graver responsibilities than he. ROAD BARRED TO CIVILIANS. * X is almost as devoid of civilians as is Verdun. The people of the village remain, but the road is barred to others.' Not that there is fear of espionage. Tho coutrol is too strict for that. General Headquarers has to be orotected from the insistent demands of inhabitants of Verdun who want to return home.' A tuousand and one reasons are urged by civilian inhabitants of the city, which is a pivot of tho French defence, for obtaining the magic laissez-passer. iJome reasons are good, others are laughable. But the petitioners are insistent. They think that their business is the most important the world. So to protect General Headquarters from these demands civilians dp not have a chance to get near, whatever bo the reasons they urge. Officers have told me over aud over again one of ihe most curious facts of this war i.s the difficulty they have in persuading civilians to keep out of the range of the enemy's fire. Many of the inhabitants of Verdun had to be forced to leave tlic city. They \hid in their closets aud attics and did everything possible to avoid being caught by patrols. Now they are trying to get back home. One reason alone is considered valid for allowing the people of the country to remain close to the enemy's lines. That is the demand of the bona* fide farmer to continue to till his field. Everywhere' I" have boon on . this trip within the zone of the armies, • tho farmer to continue to 1 iII his field. It is time for 1 the spring ploughing, and nowhere have I seen fields that are being abandoned. SOLDIERS TILLING FIELDS. In many cases one sees Territorial soldiers in uniform at work in the fields. But the bulk of the work falls on men beyond military age. and women and boys. It is not- too much to say that throughout North-eastern France there is no interruption whatever in agricultural pursuits. Going along the road for hundreds of kilobehind the lines I have macle ! uj special point of observing this. What animation there is in the towns is wholly of a military character and due to the presence of soldiers in roposo and the revictualme.nt corps. But when once you pass out of the towns into the country, farmers and farmers' wives and farmers' sons, horses and ploughs, grazing cattle and sheep would make one feel that.war was far away were it not for tho distant thunder of the'cannon. My officer cicerone pointed out to me laughingly, however, one abnormal thing that had escaped my notice. We were not bothered by stupid chickeus flying across the road in front of our automobile. 'Hie barnyards are more or k-ss deserted. We have not. always been able to keep our men from indulging a fondness for fowls, somewhat, similar to that of your Southern negroes." he explained.—H. A. Gibbous, in the "New York Herald."