19133 Break-Up of Empire 



bit tediously — described in Zola's "Le Debacle." 

 In Bazeilles they display a remarkable painting of a 

 dozen or so citizens of that town being led out to be 

 shot for helping French combatants during the battle. 



In a neighboring crypt the skeletons of thousands Ghastly 

 of soldiers have been gathered together, one of them '^''»""^^" 

 noteworthy as upward of six feet five in height, with 

 a strong protruding under jaw — clearly a fellow who 

 would have distinguished himself in the old-fashioned 

 war before "villainous gunpowder" was invented, 

 when men fought hand to hand. Another crypt bears 

 the inscription : " Hier ruhen ein tausend tapfer Baiern" 

 (Here rest a thousand brave Bavarians). 



The easy victory at Sedan over an untrained 

 imperial leader and a discouraged army has ever 

 since been the incentive of German militarism. Some 

 day, perhaps, the wise men of Germany may persuade 

 their nation to celebrate not Sedan but Scapa Flow, 

 "the day" when the German navy vanished from 

 history! 



Leaving Eric and his governess at Arlon, Mrs. Jor- The Hague 

 dan and I now went on to the annual Peace Confer- '^cZference 

 ence at The Hague, where we found gathered rep- 

 resentatives of nearly every nation. All were much 

 alarmed over the outlook — the spread of war scares 

 and the accompanying "preparedness," itself a 

 cause, effect, and symptom of the rising war spirit. 



With La Fontaine in the chair, addresses were 

 made in different languages, to be promptly trans- 

 lated into English by George H. Ferris and J. F. 

 Green, into French by Gaston Moch. I was chosen 



lA97 ] 



