Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-05
STORIES OF HE WAR
General NeviITe's Headquarters.

The headquarters of General Neville, in command of the operation at Yer dun, are quite way outside the city, at a little cross road hamlet, which cannot be named for military reasons. The generals offices are in the town courthouse, a twO-Story stone struc- ture. It was in this same building that General Petain, who preceded Neville, and General de Castelhau, quickly made the plans on the first onrush of the Germans which held them until endorsements could be brought up.
 General Neville goes to Verdun and along the trench front frequently. But most of his time is at headquarters, in telegraph and telephone with the whole circle of defenses, and in touch, too, with other army corps and mass es of supplies ready to be moved for ward to fill any gap the Germans may make.
 A visitor in telling of his experience says: "As we were at General Neville's headquarters, a party of German prisoners came by. They marched two and two, their gray uniform and round cap contrasting with the French blue and casque. Already they were being set to work, and instead of a gun each l German carried a spade over his | shoulder At Verdun there Is no ci- william life whatever, but around Gen eral Neville's headquarters there were peasant women and girls mingling l with the pOilus, indicating civilian life stilh existed thus near to the borr- | barded town"
 The roads back of Verdun present the most varied scenes of activity. On one side is a vast aeroplane camp, with some twenty enormous hangars l of basket-steel construction, covered | with canvas. Across the road is a 1 riding-course running for miles, where 1 officers can exercise their mounts, and | cavalry can push forward in emer- gency without blocking the highroad. 1 Every now and then one sees 9 big vehicle shoot by bearing the sign | American Ambulance Corps" | The thousands of horses and mules 1 along the road are in good condition. | Many of the horses came from Amer ica, and were run down by sea voyage.
 but after a months feeding they proved very serviceable. On seeking bthe mules, one of the officers said: The rehabilitation of the Greek army had one very important result l which the Greeks had been using, and now these mules are proving invalu- 1 able to the Allies'
 i While the fields back of Verdun are rich with yellow grain, yet there is
 one melancholy evidence of the war
 very Hfe-blood of the soil. The
 grain can be gathered by the soldiers | and the women who remain, but there
 is no time to distribute the. manure
 over the land, and so it Is burned
 The last glimpse of Verdun came as
 the party passed a detachment of
 French soldiers, just out of the trench | es and going to the rear for rest
 They were tired and heavily laden,
 but happily and cheerful as they swung
 along in irregular ranks, laughing and | smoking as though they came from
 some agreeable occupation. They were all f1ne-looking young fellows, and they typif1ed that calm and invincible l spirit which the young French sol | dieTs are putting into their service
 In the Trenches Near Verdun.
 Just west of Verdun in the forest l of Argonne. there is a remarkable mil