New Britain herald., 1917-12-15
HUMASON ANXIOUS 10 TAKE ID AIR
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hours ride from Paris. After Ne0Ak'3 stay at this camp the, New Britain men ware told that thsre wNFN nN ambulances available and there was no telling when thpre would be. Leav- ing Lamb at the |camn Humason re- turned to Paris and A hourx. later went to the base camp of the trans conducted by the American Volunteer association for aeerioa with the French arnay as dTavNrA of intuition trucks, known as camions, MT. Hum ason remained eight days At this camp and was then sent to the permanent hase camp of this 1epartrpeAt, aitu- ated about six miles from the front line trtnches and midway hNtween Soissons and Rheims. It was there that tho local boy had his hOadquar- tera during his entire stay on the bat tie front.
 Brin9Ang Up tho shea,s.
 Tn explaining tho work of the trans port service, MT. Hunason eaid that most of the munitions and other equipment is brought to amm unitlon parks, located at the terminals of the railroads near the front lines. From these parks, or arBenals, the equip ment is Forwarded to the front, or near to it, on narrow gauge railroad cars. However, when there Is . delay or a sudden demand then the motor transports are called into service and it is tn edpty'Of these wORlaoF1 to take the munitions from tho ''pNRka" to . point near the front linoa from where they are conveyed to the tr0McAes by horse and wagon. It was in this Inc of work that MT. Humason was en- gagged and in the course of his duty he was able to see many exciting events, to watch some of the most important moves in tho great wal, and it was also hts privilege to take part in the great October drive made by the French against the Germans in which tho German position, Fort Malmaison, was captured.
 Almeat continually through the night big guns on both the German and French fronts boom, Mir. Huma- son says, and not infrequently did the big shells fly near the various camps He also saw numerous air raids and likewise witnessed several thrilling air duels between French and Ger man aviatoHs.
 2 Visits Ruins ct RheimA
 While in France Mr. Humason visited the famous cathedral at Rheims and says that all storaaa pub ished relative to the devastation Of the place arc true. The wonderful cathedral is a mass of ruine. Only the four walls are standing and tho cupola or steeple is almost battered down: Tho priceless stained glass windows in the old church have been shot out and all of the interior deco rations arc mass of debris. That tho Germans deliberately used this cathedral as a target for their big gun is obvious, the Vine street man says, for during the time of It's bonn bardment the enemy was hurlins from $50 to 300 big shells into the structure each week. In the many other towns and cities near the front that Mr. HumaSon visited he said there was evidence of the same kind of devastation. but it was probably from military necessity rather than from spirit of wanton destruction as at Rheims. Tn one place he saw Q wall, all that remained of one build ing. on which some German soldier had written in 1914: "Gott Strafe England"
 MT. Humason is especially familiar with the famous air raid made re- cently by the Germans near Verdua in which a French Red Cross hospital was bombarded, as he couversed with man stationed there before he came home. According to the story told to MT. Humason by this soldier, three days before the raid q German avia- tor flew high over the hospital and dropped letter advising the authors ties to evacuata tho hospitals imme- diately, as tho buildings were located adjacent to an important munition park and were to be bombarded. No attention was paid to the warning, probably because it may have been impossible to evacuate the hospital 1 and, true to his threat, three daya later the German air foroo arrived and bonbarded tho place. some of the bombs falling on the hospital. killing nurses and patients.
 At the present time the morale ot 1 the French troops seems to be kood MT. Humason states, and all previous ] dissention. due to lack of faith in cer- tain commanders. seems to have been dispelled by the action of General 1 Petain, the great military leader o1 France.
 Took Part in Great Drive.
 The October drive of the French ir
 which Fort Malmaieon was captured
 was one of the most important of the
 entire war. and MT. Humason was ir
 that particular action. Following thu
 capture of the fort by the French h1
 was permitted to walk through the do 1 serted German trenches. The averaR,
 French trench, MT. Humason says, Ii
 only about six feet deep, as the French
 are mostly all short men. Tn,
 trenches being built for the Ameri l cans are much deeper, duo to the diff
 ference in stature of the two races