_Saturday, August 29th._ Paris feels the oppression of war more and
more each day. There have been so many "morts pour la patrie" that
everywhere there are families who have been stricken by the loss of a
member. This leaven of sorrow gives to the population as a whole a
somber tone.

Perfectly frightful stories of German barbarities are circulating.
They are almost unbelievable, but seem to have some confirmation.

Many of the wounded Frenchmen when returning from the front bring
trophies of battle, such as German swords, bayonets, and buttons. The
most prized possession of all is the German spiked helmet. Barring
only the scalp of the American Indian, a more significant trophy could
not be imagined. It is not only significant but gorgeously handsome.
Moreover, it is everywhere on earth accepted as the symbol of the
Prussian militarism.

Today Mr. Herrick sent an Attache with a fast automobile out toward
Compiegne, which is thirty-eight miles from the Porte St. Denis. The
man was not permitted to approach the town, but from hills on this
side he could hear the constant rumble of heavy guns. He returned to
Paris giving it as his opinion that a battle was being fought at
Compiegne. This, however, is so improbable that he can find no one to
credit his report. The idea is really too preposterous! The truth
might be that manoeuvres of the French army were in progress, or
that the forts around Paris were practising. We have been warned that
this might occur. The war was not declared four weeks ago; how then
would it be possible for the Germans already to be at Compiegne?
Before they could reach a point so near Paris they must first reduce
the triple line of the French frontier fortifications, which are the
product of more than forty years of study and labor and form a greater
barrier than any ocean. Even were these reduced, the Germans would
have to beat back the French active army numbering one and a half
million men. Compiegne is no farther from Paris than Peekskill is from
New York.

* * * * *

_Sunday, August 30th._ The rumors of evil which yesterday all refused
to believe as absolutely incredible are today accepted as facts. No
bad news has yet appeared in print, the censor having suppressed even
the slightest hint of misfortune. This lack of any definite
information has had a disintegrating effect upon the public morale.
Since all official news is denied them, the people add to