The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-02-21
|ChALOS SUFFERING
| IN CLASH Of ARMS
EEELING FULL FURY OF WARS
AWFUL CONFLICT AT
ITS DOOR,

Washington. ID. c.. Feb. 20-Chaios,
rich in history, brave in defense. suf-
fering under the clash OF armies al
Us doors. Is described In statement
sst prepared by the NatiaQa. Geo
graphic Society. which says:
Just back of where the battle line
sweeps In wide curve over the world
famed grape lands OF the Cnampasne
Lies Chaions-sur- Marine. one OF the
principal military training camps In
France. Ii In q brave town: and nc
other community in Europe appears
Through tho pages Of 1900 years OF
Chrtsttan history with more honor or
with fewer memories for regret. A
natural mobilization point for the de-
Tense OF northern France. Chalons has
been the objective OF many inyasions
from the East and North. and is again
the aim OF mighty invading forces
'ChAlons IL small. Of but little COM
mercial importance. ld-fashioned. and
decidedly bourEeoise and common
place. 1t Is remembered by Ameri-
mne. who have tarried there few
days in their eager journey between
he German Rhine country and Paris,
only ~ a quaint. somewhat shambly
place. Nevertheless, II Is able to boast
itself one Of the proudest cities at
whose gates an enemy in the present
war may knock.
It's history reaches back of .soman
Occupation. Caesar found on this site
the chief town Of the Catalauni. On
the plains nearby. Attila. The Scourge
Apf Goa with his wild Huns. whom
fAll Europe had come to fear. was de-
fsatsd In 46l. in what. according TO
ono authority. was one of the fifteen
decisave battles Of the world. 1t was
called The Battle OF Chalons' by the
ancient historians. who reported that
some 500, 1000 dead were left upon the
dsld. II this were So the battle which
wrecked. Attila's dream OF world do
minion was the bloodiest ever fougn,
In Europe. and. probably. in the world.
10 fierce was this battle between the
East and West for supremacy, accord
1ng to tradition, that the myriad em-
hlttercd ghosts Of the slain renewed
the conflict every nig.-t for years after
the event.
"As kind Of Independent State un-
der the leadership of its bishops
sourageous Chalons--as bourgeois then
~ now--mnintained the high honor
which remains It's brightest character
istic today. 1Aer. when the French
armies had been beaten again and
sgain. with the British in possession
Of great part OF the homeland. and
With Encouragement and leltharric
hopelessness bodfng the strangulation
Of all national sentiment In France.
the citizens OF Chalons met the high
standards Of their glorious past. and
twice rolled back he victorious English
from theeir walls--in 1880 and in
44sd.
1.-The Camp OF Chalons. the great
French training center for troops, was
| hftingly established near this CITY In
1856. 1t lies sixteen miles from the
town on he railway line OF Rheims.
Ii occupies an area of 10000 acres.
"Chalons, capital Of the Department
~ Marne. lies 107 mile east OF Paris.
On the main railway lsnr between Paris
and Fra kfort-on- Main. It IL Is
miles southeast of Reims. and is sit
rated on the river Marine in the re-
nowred French wine country. TO
.he visitor from the New World the
houses Of Chalons are picturesque.
many az them are unstable Affairs OF
wood and plaster. and few of them
pnssnss and dNrree ne elegance. There
h. t,t,n outward. anoarant interest IN
Cbalors, and to visit It IN a prone~fv
aYtN~eriativa mood one rrnst p~enare
| Nv leavj-e hahira hts rr,ae books and
ksy reading-up French history"