The present chronicle stops at the third anniversary of the first bombardment. On September 2, 1914 the French army evacuated Reims. The bombardment actually began on September 3, 1914 by the dropping of two bombs by German aviators. It was an unexpected preface to the formal bombardment of the next day, when the Germans sent 176 shells into Reims, although actually in possession of the city. September 3, 1917 thus completes three full years of the bombardment, which has accomplished nothing save the ruin of the city and the destruction of its great cathedral.

After a city has been besieged for three years; after it has, for that time, been subjected to the agony of modern artillery warfare, it would seem quite time to review such details as are obtainable and survey the results achieved by the besiegers. The daily summary given in the foregoing pages shows exactly what the Germans have done and what they have accomplished. Day after day, particularly in 1917, they have thrown innumerable projectiles into Reims, and wrought the utmost damage they could. But the outstanding fact to the French is that the Germans are still bombarding Reims. The siege did not stop with the end of the third year, but it is still going on as these pages pass through the press. This is the triumph of Reims, that it is still French, bent and broken as it is, bowed as its vast church is with the great trials to which it has been subjected, the city and its cathedral are still French! Before this ruined heap of stones—for Reims is scarce more than that, this may yield small comfort. Yet Reims is still France, knock the barbarian ever so fiercely.

It is, perhaps ominous that while detailed figures of the German missiles thrown in Reims have been published in the local newspapers rather freely, no word as to the destruction they may have accomplished has been uttered. The veil that covers Reims has not yet been lifted, nor can the full measure of her agony yet be reckoned.

THE HÔTEL DE VILLE