An Onlooker in France 1917 to 1919

W >> William Orpen >> An Onlooker in France 1917 to 1919

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[Illustration: L. _The Rt. Hon. the Earl of Derby, K.G., etc._]

The marble staircase was most imposing, lined on each side by
Municipal Guards, but the Hall of Mirrors was pandemonium, a mass of
little humans, all trying to get to different places. In the end I got
to the centre window. It was empty. I was the first artist to arrive,
and very satisfied I was to have got there safely. Suddenly, up walked
a French Colonel, who told me to get out. I showed him my card and
told him this was the window reserved for artists. He explained that
this had been changed, and that the next window was reserved for them,
and led me off there. There I found all the French and American
artists huddled together. As soon as the Colonel left, I crept back to
the centre window. I was turned back again. This creeping to the
centre window and being turned back continued till I spoke to M. (p. 118)
Arnavon, who advised me to stop in the artists' window till just
before the show started, and then to go to the middle window. Just
before the beginning there was great excitement. A stream of
secretaries came up the Hall, two carrying chairs, and with them two
grubby-looking old men. The chairs were placed in the centre window,
and the old chaps sat themselves down. They were country friends of
Clemenceau's, and he had said that morning that they were to have the
centre window, and that artists could go to--somewhere else. When the
proceedings commenced I slipped in behind their chairs, and, except
for a glare from "Le Tigre," I was left in peace.

Clemenceau rose and said a few words expressing a desire that the
Germans would come forward and sign. Even while he was saying these
few words the whole hall was in movement--nothing but little black
figures rushing about and crushing each other. Then, amidst a mass of
secretaries from the French Foreign Office, the two Germans, Hermann
Mueller and Doctor Bell, came nervously forward, signed, and were led
back to their places. Some guns went off on the terrace--the windows
rattled. Everyone looked rather nervous for a moment, and the show was
over, except for the signatures of the Allies. These were written
without any dignity. People talked and cracked jokes to each other
across tables. Lloyd George found a friend on his way up to sign his
name, and as he had a story to tell him, the whole show was held up
for a bit, but after all, it may have been a good story. All the
"frocks" did all their tricks to perfection. President Wilson showed
his back teeth; Lloyd George waved his Asquithian mane; Clemenceau
whirled his grey-gloved hands about like windmills; Lansing drew his
pictures and Mr. Balfour slept. It was all over. The "frocks" had won (p. 119)
the war. The "frocks" had signed the Peace! The Army was forgotten.
Some dead and forgotten, others maimed and forgotten, others alive and
well--but equally forgotten. Yet the sun shone outside my window and
the fountains played, and the German Army--what was left of it--was a
long, long way from Paris.

[Illustration: LI. _Signing the Peace Treaty._]

After seeing some of the great little black-coated ones leave, amidst
great cheering, George Mair, Colonel Stroud Jackson and I went to the
aerodrome and saw the Press photographs sent off to the waiting crowds
in the British Isles. Then back to Paris. Paris was very calm, not the
least excited. I remember Mair gave some of us dinner at Ciro's that
night. When the band played the Marseillaise, we stood up on our
chairs, held hands and sang and cheered, but no one else moved, so in
the end we got down, feeling damned fools. It was all rather sad!

The next great show was the triumphal march through the Arc de
Triomphe. It was fine! But it must be admitted that the Americans
scored. They had picked men trained for months for this march, and
along they came in close formation, wearing steel helmets. It was a
fine sight!

But there were great moments when Foch passed, and when Haig passed at
the head of his men, and the roars that came from the "Astoria" must
have been heard a long way off. The "Astoria" was the hotel reserved
by the Kaiser for his friends to witness his triumphal entry into
Paris, so we had a good view. He chose well.

I remember during the war, when a "frock" visited some fighting zone,
he was always very well looked after and entertained by whatever H.Q.
he visited, and I was amazed on this day to find Field-Marshal Lord (p. 120)
Haig and General Sir John Davidson lunching alone at the "Majestic."
Lord Allenby was also lunching at another table and General Robertson
at another. To me it was ununderstandable. These representatives of
the dead and the living of the British Army, on the day of its glory,
being allowed to lunch alone, much as they might have wished it.

As far as I remember, Lord Derby gave a dinner in their honour that
evening, but I am certain the "frocks" did nothing. After all, why
should they fuss themselves? The fighting was over. The Army was
nothing--harmless! Why should they trouble about these men? Why upset
themselves and their pleasures by remembering the little upturned
hands on the duckboards, or the bodies lying in the water in the
shell-holes, or the hell and bloody damnation of the four years and
odd months of war, or the men and their commanders who pulled them
through from a bloodier and worse damnation and set them up to dictate
a peace for the world?

The war was over, the Germans were a long, long way from the coast or
Paris. The whole thing was finished. Why worry now to honour the
representatives of the dead, or the maimed, or the blind, or the
living that remained? _Why?_ In Heaven's name, _why not_?

I remember one day, during the Peace Conference in the "Astoria,"
asking a great English General about the delegates and how things were
getting on, and he said: "I wish the little 'frocks' would leave it to
us--those who fight know best how to make peace. We would not talk so
much, but we would get things settled more quickly and better." Surely
that was the truth!

[Illustration: LII. _End of a Hero and a Tank, Courcelette._]

[Illustration: LIII. _General Birdwood Returning to his
Headquarters--Grevillers._]

[Illustration: LIV. _A Skeleton in a Trench._]

[Illustration: LV. _Flight-Sergeant, R.F.C._]

[Illustration: LVI. _N.C.O. Grenadier Guards._]

[Illustration: LVII. _Stretcher-bearers._]

[Illustration: LVIII. _Man Resting, near Arras._]

[Illustration: LIX. _Going Home to be Married._]

[Illustration: LX. _Household Brigade Passing to the Ypres Salient,
Cassel._]

[Illustration: LXI. _Ready to Start._]

[Illustration: LXII. _German Prisoner with the Iron Cross._]

[Illustration: LXIII. _A Big Gun and its Guardian._]

[Illustration: LXIV. "_Good-bye-ee._"]

[Illustration: LXV. _The Chateau, Thiepval._]

[Illustration: LXVI. _German Wire, Thiepval._]

[Illustration: LXVII. _Thiepval._]

[Illustration: LXVIII. _Highlander Passing a Grave._]

[Illustration: LXIX. _M. R. D. de Maratray._]

[Illustration: LXX. _A Man Thinking, on the Butte de Warlencourt._]

[Illustration: LXXI. _Major-General Sir Henry Burstall, K.C.B., etc._]

[Illustration: LXXII. _Major-General L. J. Lipsett, C.M.G._]

[Illustration: LXXIII. _A Village. Evening. (Monchy)._]

[Illustration: LXXIV. _Christmas Night, Cassel._]

[Illustration: LXXV. _Blown Up. Mad._]

[Illustration: LXXVI. _A Support Trench._]

[Illustration: LXXVII. _Major-General Sir H. J. Elles, K.C.M.G., etc._]

[Illustration: LXXVIII. _Dead Germans in a Trench._]

[Illustration: LXXIX. _A German Prisoner._]

[Illustration: LXXX. _A Highlander Resting._]

[Illustration: LXXXI. _A Man with a Cigarette._]

[Illustration: LXXXII. _Mr. Lloyd George, President Wilson and
M. Clemenceau._]

[Illustration: LXXXIII. _A Meeting of the Peace Conference._]

[Illustration: LXXXIV. _Admiral of the Fleet Lord Wester Wemyss, G.C.B._]

[Illustration: LXXXV. _Colonel Edward M. House._]

[Illustration: LXXXVI. _Mr. Robert Lansing._]

[Illustration: LXXXVII. _The Emir Feisul._]

[Illustration: LXXXVIII. _M. Eleutherios Venezelos._]

[Illustration: LXXXIX. _Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Beatty, Viscount
Borodale of Wexford. O.M., G.C.B., etc._]

[Illustration: XC. _The Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey, P.C._]

[Illustration: XCI. _General the Rt. Hon. J. C. Smuts, P.C., C.H._]

[Illustration: XCII. _The Rt. Hon. G. N. Barnes, P.C._]

[Illustration: XCIII. _The Rt. Hon. W. M. Hughes, P.C., K.G._]

[Illustration: XCIV. _Brigadier-General A. Carton de Wiart, V.C., C.B.,
etc._]

[Illustration: XCV. _M. Paul Hymans._]

[Illustration: XCVI. _The Rt. Hon. Sir R. L. Borden, G.C.M.G., etc._]

INDEX (p. 121)

_(The Arabic figures refer to the pages of the Text;
the Roman figures to the Plates.)_

Adam, George, 100, 108, 112, 113, 116.
Aikman, Captain T. T., 12, 55.
_Albert_, 20, 37, 40, 79, 80, 86; XXXVII.
Allenby, General Lord, 120
_Amiens_, 16 ff., 40 ff., 59, 70, 71, 76, 79, 82, 92, 96; XXXV, XL.
_Ancre, Valley of the_, 38.
Antoine of Bourbon (Prince), 65.
_Armentieres_, 31.
Arnavon, M., 118.
_Aveluy_, 39.

_Bailleul_, 33, 95.
Balfour, A. J., 100, 105, 119; XLV.
_Bapaume_, 20, 70.
_Bapaume Road_, 18, 48; II.
Baring, Maurice, 19, 29 ff., 50, 69.
Barnes, G. N., 109; XCII.
_Bazentin-le-Grand_, 20.
_Bazentin-le-Petit_, 20.
Beatty, Admiral Lord, 107; LXXXIX.
_Beaumont-Hamel_, 20, 23, 48.
Beaverbrook, Lord, 42, 67, 70, 95.
Bedelo, Signor, 56.
Belfield, Colonel, 45, 56.
Bell, Dr., 118.
_Bertangles_, 80, 81.
Birdwood, General, 19; LIII.
Bloomfield, Major, 50 ff., 86.
Borden, Sir Robert, 106; XCVI.
Botha, General Louis, 102; XLIV.
_Boulogne_, 12, 31, 42, 57, 67, 71.
Brickman, Captain, 56.
Brooks, Lieutenant, 99.
Buchan, Colonel John, 20.
Burstall, General, 49; LXXI.

_Cambrai_, 61.
Carstairs, Carroll, 46, 61, 87.
Carton de Wiart, General, 110; XCIV.
_Cassel_, 31 ff., 42 ff., 51 ff., 93; XI, XII, LX, LXXIV.
_Caudry_, 90.
Charteris, General, 14.
_Chateau Thierry_, 70, 76.
Clark, Lieutenant, 38.
Clemenceau, M., 76, 100, 103, 110, 118; LI, LXXXII, LXXXIII.
_Clermont_, 55.
_Corbie_, 37.
_Cough-drop, the_, 20, 48.
Courage, Ernest, 45, 56, 64.
_Courcelette_, 20; LII.
Cowans, General Sir J. S., 99; XLII.
Currie, General, 49, 67.

Da Costa, Senhor, 106.
Dark, Sidney, 100.
Davids, Lieutenant A. P. Rhys, 50; XX.
Davidson, General Sir John, 63, 72, 120.
Derby, Lord, 109, 112, 120; L.
_Dieppe_, 35.
Dillon, Dr. E. J., 105.
_Douai_, 91; XXXVIII.
Douglas, Captain, 75.
_Doullens_, 96.
Du Cane, General Sir J., 77.
Dunraven, Lord, 116.

Elles, General, 62; LXXVII.
Ellis, Admiral Heaton, 108.
_Estre Blanche_, 50.

Fane, Major F., 17, 25.
Feisul, Emir, 105; LXXXVII.
Fletcher, Colonel, 28, 63, 72.
Foch, Marshal, 76 ff.; XXXIII.
Forsyth, Dudley, 75.
Freeman, Colonel, 29.
French, Field-Marshal Lord, 31.

George, Mr. D. Lloyd, 100, 101, 103, 118; LI, LXXXII, LXXXIII.
Gibbs, Sir Philip, 32.
Glyn, Mrs., 115.
_Grandcourt_, 20.
Grant, General, 77, 79.
Gregory, Robert, 30.
_Grevillers_, 19; LIII.

Haig, Field-Marshal Earl, 27, 50, 64, 72, 97, 120; I.
Hale, Captain, 18, 56, 64; XXVI.
Hankey, Sir Maurice, 113.
_Hesdin_, 13, 42, 63.
_Highwood_, 20.
Hogg, Major, 56.
Hoidge, Captain, 50, 51, 86; XXI.
Holland, Captain, 76.
Hotblack, Major, 62.
House, Colonel, 104; LXXXV.
Hughes, W. M., 110; XCIII.
Hymans, M. Paul, 110; XCV.

Inge, Captain, 56, 64.
Inverforth, Lord, 55.

Jackson, Lieut.-Colonel Stroud, 100, 119.
Joffroy, M., 39.

Knox, Gordon, 100.

_La Boisselle_, 20, 40, 48, 70; III, XIV, XVIII.
Laboreur, M., 26.
Lansing, Mr. R., 104, 118; LXXXVI.
Lee, Major A. N., 67, 69, 72, 75; XXXII.
_Le Havre_, 35, 47.
_Le Sars_, 19, 49.
Lipsett, Major-General, 49; LXXII.
Little, Captain, 30.
_Locre_, 95.
Lucas, Lord, 29.

MacColl, Captain, 62.
McCudden, Major, 53, 69; XXX.
McDonnell, Colonel Angus, 90, 98.
MacDonough, General, 69.
MacDowell, Colonel, 56.
Macintosh, Mr., 64.
Mahon, Major-General Sir Bryan, 93.
Mair, George, 100, 112, 116, 119.
Maratray, M. R. D. de, 18, 44; LXIX.
Masefield, John, 40, 41.
Massey, W. F., 108; XC.
Maude, Captain F., 44 ff., 56, 61, 66, 80, 84, 96, 98; XXXV.
_Menin Road_, 95.
_Miraumont_, 20.
_Monchy_, LXXIII.
_Montdidier_, 70.
_Mont St. Eloy_, 29.
Mueller, Herr, 118.
Munnings, A. J., 65.

_Nieuport_, 31.

O'Connor, Major, 49.
Orlando, Signor, 103.
Orpen, Captain, 57.

Paderewski, 101.
_Paris_, 49, 55, 70, 98.
Peace Conference, 98 ff.; LXXXIII.
Peace Treaty, 116 ff.; LI.
_Peronne_, 20, 37, 70; V, XV.
Phillips, Percival, 32.
Plumer, General Lord, 93 ff.; XXXIX.
_Pozieres_, 19, 70; IV.

Rawlinson, General Lord, 80, 81; XXXVI.
Read, Mrs., 113.
Reading, Lord, 105.
Riddell, Lord, 100, 112, 115; XLIX.
Riviere, Captain, 98.
Robertson, General Sir William, 120.
_Roeux_, 28.
Rogers, General, 80.
_Rollencourt_, 13, 21.
_Rouen_, 35.

Sackville-West, General, 107.
_St. Denis_, 79; XXXIV.
_St. Omer_, 31, 57.
_St. Pol_, 26, 67.
_St. Quentin_, 90.
_St. Valery-sur-Somme_, 72, 75.
Sargent, John, 16.
Sassoon, Sir Philip, 27, 35, 51, 63.
Seely, General, 65, 67; XXVIII.
Siongi, Marquis, 100, 108; XLVII.
Smuts, General J. C., 108; XCI.
_Soissons_, 70, 76.
_Somme, the_, 16 ff.
Stevens, Captain, 98.
Strang, Ian, 67.
Stuart, General, 90.
Sykes, General, 106.

_Thiepval_, 20, 36 ff.; LXV, LXVI, LXVII.
Thomas, Beach, 32.
Trafford, Captain Rudolf de, 64, 72.
Trenchard, Air-Marshal Sir H. M., 29, 50, 52; IX.
Tyl, Colonel du, 80; XXXV.

_Vaux_, 79.
Venezelos, M. E., 105; LXXXVIII.
_Villers-Bretonneux_, 70, 76.
_Villers-Carbonelle_, 81.

_Warlencourt, Butte de_, 19, 49; XIX, LXX.
Watson, General, 49.
Wester Wemyss, Admiral Lord, 104; LXXXIV.
Weygand, General, 77.
Williams, Brigadier-General Dame Vaughan, 82.
Wilson, Field-Marshal Sir Henry, 102, 112; XLIII.
Wilson, President, 100, 103, 104, 106, 107, 118; XLVI, LI, LXXXII, LXXXIII.
Woodcock, Colonel, 45, 56.

_Ypres Salient_, 31 ff., 95.

_Zillebeke_, 89.
_Zonnebeke_, 95.

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