nning for the vast supplies of ammunition suddenly
demanded, equipping the hospitals--when the war broke out there were
no installations in the hospitals near the Front except
beds--obtaining the necessary amount of surgical supplies, taking care
of the refugees that poured into the larger cities by every train not
only from Belgium but from the French towns invaded or bombarded--to
mention but a few of the problems that beset France suddenly forced to
rally and fight for her life, and, owing to the Socialist majority in
the Chamber of Deputies, criminally unprepared.

There were plenty of able minds in France that knew what was coming;
months before the war broke out (a year, one of the infirmiere majors
told me; but, as I have said, it is difficult to pin a French official
down to exact statements) the Service de Sante (Health Department of
the Ministry of War) asked the Countess d'Haussonville, President of
the Red Cross, to train as many nurses as quickly as possible, for
there was not an extra nurse in a military hospital of France--in many
there was none at all. But these patriotic and far-sighted men were
powerless. The three years' service bill was the utmost result of
their endeavors, and for six months after the war began they had not a
gun larger than the famous Seventy-fives but those captured at the
Battle of the Marne.

As for the poor eclopes, there never was a clearer example of the
weaker going to the wall and the devil taking the hindmost. They had
been turned out to grass mildly afflicted, but in a short time they
were progressing rapidly toward the grave or that detestable status
known as Reformes Numero II. And every man counts in France. Quite
apart from humanity it was a terribly serious question for the Grand
Quartier General, where Joffre and his staff had their minds on the
rack.

IV

The Cure of St. Honore d'Eylau was the first to discover the eclopes,
and not only sent stores to certain of the depots where they were
herded, but persuaded several ladies of Paris to visit and take them
little presents. But practically every energetic and patriotic woman
in France was already mobilized in the service of her country. As I
have explained elsewhere, they had opened ouvroirs, where working
girls suddenly deprived of the means of livelihood could fend off
starvation by making underclothing and other necessaries for the men
at the Front. Upon these devoted women, assisted by nearly all the
A