The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-02-25
FRENCH CHALONS
HAS A HISTORY
Emerges Through 1900 Years of
Christian History With More
Honor and Fewer Regrets
Than Other Cities.
IT IS A TRAINING CAMP
History Reaches Back to Roman o.
cupatIon-Was Scene of Worries
BIoodiest Battle-In Prog
ress for Years.
IT IS A TRAINING CAMP

WASHINGTON, d. c.. Feb. 2b.-
Chalons, rich In history, brave In de-
Tense. suffering under the clash OF
armies at its doors, is described In
statement Just prepared by the Ma
tional Geographical society. which
says:
"Just back Of where the battle line
sweeps In a wide curve over the
world-famed grape lands of the Cham.
payne, lies Chalons-sur-Marne, one OF
the principal military training camps
in France. 1t Is brave town; and
no other community in Europe ap-
pears through the pages OF 1900 years
CT christian history with more hon
or or with fewer memories for regret.
A natural mobilization point for the
defense of northern France, Chalons
has beenrthe objective point of many
invasions from the east and north,
and is again the aim of mighty invad-
ing forces.
"Chalons is small, Of but little
commercial Importance. old-fashioned
and decidedly bourgeois and common
place. 1t is remembered by Ameri-
cans, who have tarried there a few
days in their eager journey between
the German Rhine country and Paris,
only as quaint, somewhat shambly
place. Nevertheless it is able to boast
itself one Of the proudest cities at
whose gates an enemy in the present
war may knock.
Its history reaches back of Ro-
man occupation. Caeser found on this
site the chief town of the Catalauni
On the plains nearby. Attila, The
.Scourge of God with his wild Huns,
whom all Europe had come to fear,
was defeated in 451, in what, accord
ing to one authority, was one of the
fifteen decisive battles of the world.
1T was called The Battle of Chalons'
by the ancient historians, who re-
ported that some 100000 dead were
left on the field. If this were so. the
battle which wrecked Attila's dream
Of world dominion, was the bloodiest
ever fought in Europe, and. probably,
in the world. So fierce was this bat
tie between the east and west for SUI
Notwithstanding to tradition-that
the myriad, embittered ghosts of the
slain renewed the conflict every night
for years after the event.
"As kind Of Independent state I'M
der the leadership Ct it's bishops,
coura geous Chalons-as bourgeois
then as now-maintained the high
honor which remains its brightest
characteristic today. Later, when the
French armies had been beaten again
and again, with the British in posses
sion Of a great part of the homeland,
and with encouragement and letl-
argic hCpelessness boding the strang,I-
iation Of all national sentiment in
France, the citizens of Chalons met
the high standards of their glorious
past, and twice rolled back the vic
torious English from their walls-in
1870 and in 1884.
1.-THE camp of Chalons, the great
French training center for troops, was
fittingly established near this city in
1856. 1t lies sixteen miles from the
town on the railway line to Reims. 1t
occupies IN area Of about 10000 acres
'Chalo,s', capital of the department.
of Marine, lies 107 miles east of Paris.
on the main railway line between
Paris and Frankfort-am-Main 1t is
twenty-five miles southeast CT Reims,
and is situated on the river Marine in
the renowned French wine country.
To the visitor from. the new world,
the houses Of Chalons are picturesque
many Of them are unstable affairs of
wood and plaster, and few of them
possess any degree Of elegance. There
is little of outward, apparent interest
in Chalons, and to visit it in a proper
ly appreciative mood. one must pre-
pare by leaving behind his guide
books and by reading up French his
tory"