army now protecting it. I believe the
spirit of our own troops and their French comrades is so splendid that
with their new strength they will be equal to that formidable attack.

Nothing certainly is being left to chance. For miles all around Paris
trenches are being dug in the roads, and little sectional trenches on
the broad roads of France, first one on this side of the way, and then
one on the other side, so that a motor car traveling along the road has
to drive in a series of sharp curves to avoid pitfalls.

There was feverish activity on the west side of the Paris fortifications
when I passed between St. Germain and St. Denis.

Earthworks are being constantly thrown up between the forts, and the
triple curves of the Seine are being intrenched so that thousands of men
may take cover there and form a terrific defense against any attack.

Gen. Gallieni, the Military Governor of Paris, is a man of energy and
iron resolution, and no doubt under his command Paris, if it has to
undergo a siege, (which God avert!) will defend itself well, now that it
has had these precious days of respite.

After wandering along the westerly and southerly roads I started for
Paris when thousands and scores of thousands were flying from it. At
that time I believed, as all France believed, that in a few hours German
shells would be crashing across the fortifications of the city and that
Paris the beautiful would be Paris the infernal. It needed a good deal
of resolution on my part to go deliberately to a city from which the
population was fleeing, and I confess quite honestly that I had a nasty
sensation in the neighborhood of my waistcoat buttons at the thought.

Along the road from Tours to Paris there were sixty unbroken miles of
people--on my honor, I do not exaggerate, but write the absolute truth.
They were all people who had despaired of breaking through the dense
masses of their fellow-citizens camped around the railway stations, and
had decided to take to the roads as the only way of escape.

The vehicles were taxicabs, for which the rich paid fabulous prices;
motor cars which had escaped military requisition, farmers' carts laden
with several families and piles of household goods, shop carts drawn by
horses already tired to the point of death because of the weight of the
people who crowded behind pony traps and governess carts.

Many persons, well dressed and belonging obviously to well-to-do
bourgeoisie, were wheeling ba