Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-03-26

From Stan Corres ponden OF the Associated Press
T'BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, March %, via London, Mafch
ce-The shattered French towns eVac-
uated by the Germans celebrated today
their first Sunday of liberty in two
and a half wears 1t was brave show
ing they made Countless French flags
futtered in the sunshine from both
ruined and half-ruined homes. and the
women, old men and children who had
passed through such long ordeal or
captivity strolled through the uptorn
streets dressed in the best clothes they
could muster. The unconuuera bic
French genius for dress revealed itself
even in such pathetic bits of fnery as
the women could find.
Here and there groups of the "Poilus"
gathered to listen to the graphic stores
of the natives concerning their expert
ences under German rule The WI
layers dwelt particularly on the time
of terror which Immediately preceded
The departure of their enemies.
Germans Herded Civilians.
All civilians were herded in certain
buildings, from which they heard ex-
pIosions and saw the fires which testi-
fed that their little homes were being
destroyed. The towns where the in
habtants of the region We're concen-
traJed by the Germans We're only half
razed. while the outlying villages We're
completely burned down. In this way
about half of a town was spared to
about ten villages completely destroyed.
Despite the evastation and ruin many
French peasants returned today to the
sites of their former homes, seeking
temporary shelters and bringing bits of
furniture with which to begin life anew.
They were not downcast. but cheerful
and almost gay in the enjoyment of their
new liberty. In Roye trtumphal arch
was constructed of eVergreens and law
ishIy decorated with tricoIors well
come to the homecomers. In the distance
could be heard the reverberatlng echoes
of the big guns. but the ceaseiess boom
Ing was ignored by the people in the
liberated zone, who seemed 10 thinh
that the war must be over.
War Again Spectacular.
The open fighting of the last ten
days during the German retreat has
presented war pictures fascinatingly
spectacular and closely approximating
the older ideals of modern martial
splendor. The roads. or. more exactly,
the remnants of rods in some of the
stricken districts of France nave peen
fairly choked with troops on the move.
From an eminence on a recently evac-
uated German stronghold could be seen
today a seemingly endless column of
cavalry coming over distant hill
dipping down into a beautiful valley
and rising again by a winding road to
a broad, open field, where camp was
pitched for the night. At times the
brown-hued horses and brown-elad
men were almost invisible against the
brown winter landscape. At points
further forward. infantry detachments
could be seen disappearing in the dis
lance. skirmishing, lodging. one unit
covering another, until 1t seemed al
most as if the days of Indian hshtlng
had returned.
This open movement is striking
change from the deadly staleness, the
depression of fixed trench fighting. On
the other hand, it is wonderful how the
men long Injured to trench life nave
come TO love holes in the ground. Dur
ing the rest period on long marches
many of them can be seen sitting IN
deep shell craters in preference to the
paved roadside. There is warmth De
low the surface and protection from
the wind which tommy" has learned TO
appreciate.