Tijdschrift 'The BYSTANDER', 12 juni 1918, item 3

• June 16, 2017 18:13:52 C Weddo

  Header 

  The Bystander, June 12, 1918

  Text in scroll illustration 

  BYSTANDER  |  ON THE WORLD WAR-
  

  COMMENTS  |  AND ON THOSE WHO WAGE IT

                           |  WISELY AND OTHERWISELY

  End of illustration 

  Left Column 

  Over the Week=End

  After the first--the Amiens--push the battle

  died down for some weeks; but after the

  second--Soissons-Rheims--push, the cessation

  was much shorter, and on Sunday the attack boiled

  up again from Montdidier to Noyon. The territorial

  gains of the Germans in the previous two pushes were

  intended to clear the present direct thrust at Paris

  from the dangers of a flank attack, and, apparently,

  have succeeded in so doing. But there will be hard

  fighting for the German infantryman before he can

  set his eyes on Paris, for the resolution of the Allies

  is at least equal to his. Paris is defended by her

  forests as well as her troops; and nature helps with

  a defence stronger than any man-made fortification.

  But the men, with their invincible, resolve, would

  be enough.

  The Swaying Line

  That swaying line in France dominates us all.

  One learns from a tiny paragraph in equally

  diminutive type, that there has been a Derby run for

  and won. I trust that a full account

  of the contest will be preserved, so that

  we may read it when we are in a

  mind to value its importance. A Derby

  winner must be content with post-

  humous honours in these times, however

  grand a colt he may be. The onrush

  for Paris and the heroism with which

  it is being withstood--of nothing else

  can we think seriously just now. That

  line of dauntless fellows may sway, but

  we are sure it will never break.

  In Paris To=day

  From the French our Tommies have

  borrowed many a trick of speech and

  amusing gesture. The British reproduction

  of a shrug is delightful. The French,

  however, have not been lacking in imita-

  tion, and from what I hear, it seems as if

  the Parisian folk are monuments of sang-

  froid. The grosse Bertha irritates, but in

  no wise dismays. The little children in

  the streets play pantomime when they

  hear it, tumbling themselves on the ground

  and simulating death or dismemberment--

  springing up the next second to a wild

  dance of screaming defiance. Their faith

  in the swaying line is unshakable; and

  so, I am sure, it should be.

  The Newspaper Habit

  Humorous artists have illustrated

  Gotha Neck-Crick, Dug-out Back,

  Communique Cold Feet, and other alarm-

  ing deformities afflicting the stay-at-

  Right column 

  home student of the war, but I have yet to see any

  pictures illustrating quite as grave a malady--the

  newspaper habit. It is safe to say that at no pre-

  vious period have we bought so many speshuls

  as in the last six months. Canny fellows who before

  the war restricted their paper-purchase to the three

  journals issued from the offices of THE BYSTANDER,

  plus a penny evening paper on the days they came

  to town, are now to be observed avidly buying every

  edition of everything.

  Snowed Under
  One sees them in the train, like languid under-

  studies of the gentleman in the Laocoon arrange-

  ment, all but snowed-under with a mass of news.

  They reach their domestic stations absolutely

  smothered with speshuls, and the servants attached

  to their households have never known such times.

  This, if not sad, is very strange. A more than usually

  staggering disciple of Mr. Hold Schooling has estimated

  that the London-frequenting person's immunity from

  damage by Gothas is due entirely to his being loosely

  Illustration of German Officer sitting in a chair, smoking a cigarette, and looking down. Three open wine bottles and an empty glass are on the table next to him.

  Signature W Edward Wigtull

  THE CROWN PRINCE: "I wonder if I won another victory yesterday"

  
  

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