The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-06
Famous British Publisher
Writes Account of His
Visit to Front
LATER VISITS THE
TRAINING CAMPS
Refers to "Adroit Manage
ment of Paris Council"
By Colonel House
lRv AssocIated Praas.N

mas written the TolIOWlmg impress
sions of his visit to the American
forces in the field for The Associat-
ed Press:
Il saw today the spearhead of the
great American army Of the future.
had the honor OF being invited by
General Pershing to accompany
General Bliss, Colonel and Mrs.
House, Ambassador and Mrs. Sharp,
Admiral Benson. Mr.. Crosby Of the
treasury, Mr.. Colby, Mr.. CraVath and
Mr.. Auchincloss in the long round
journey from Paris to the American
headquarters and the front.
Leaving Paris at o'clock in the
morning, we remained until 10 o'clock
at night which gives some idea of
the distances of the American map
OF France. The journey in an excel
lently appointed special train brought
us to a tiny railway station where
the guard OF honor was waiting to
receive General Pershing, General
Bliss and Colonel House and we
passed through half a mile Of grim,
hardy young Americans in trench
helmets standing at attention. They
are In fine health and spirits.
Eastern France was under frost,
not the dazzling, keen atmosphere
| OF New York. but a sunny, damp
atmosphere to which Americans are
unaccustomed; but which they are
bearing we'll. The air was full Of
tho thudding OF great guns in an
| artillery battle, which, a young West
Point officer told me, had now been
proceeding for three days and nights,
some miles around us.
At Training Camp.
AT the intensive training camp at
| -(deleted) American planes were
circling overhead, indicating our
destination which was also marked
by the violent clangs of bursting
hand grenades at the bombing
school.
Our procession Of American auto
mobiles went straight across the
country ignoring the roads, until we
arrived at the crest of low ravine,
where thousands Of the contingents
of the American expeditionary forces
are being trained. First we went to
an exhibition OF rifle practice, with
| landscape targets. 1t was good
shooting, the high average of rs per
cent of hits being reached.
"Afterward came some very &C
curate work with a certain trench
mortar well known to the British
army. The men have mastered the
principles Of this very handy gun
quickly. Later the spectators, men
and women, were delighted at the
proficiency Of some OF the bomb
throWeTs and noted particularly that
the throw is not the baseball pitch,
but a complete over-arm, semi
circle, somewhat resembling over
arm cricket bowling.
I'VE stood we'll out OF the reach
| Of the decorating bombs and the
| throwers bent low in the trench aft
err the projection Of the missile and
until it's force and defamation threw
up earth and stones in every direc-
| ton.
Accurate Shooting.
Then came an exhibition of
trench fighting, bayonet practice and
a very fine quarter hour Of work with
the French 5s,-three-inch-at a
range Of a mile and half. The
target was a small wood and after
| the first four shots, the gunners got
the range almost every time. The
| spotting was done by an airplane
which lowered overhead and indicat-
ed the hits by wireless.
| Colonel House manifested his
Texan origin by some excellent rifle
practice in the sniping school. Excel
lent wooden models of enemy snipers
are half concealed among rocks and
foliage at a distance of some hundred
yards and 1t Is the object Of the
pupils in this part of the war game
to draw a sudden bead on an enemy
dummy and get It, Many OF the
Americans are already adopts at
sniping.
Our party then returned to the
railroad station, passed the grim
| guard of honor and after q new
| journey arrived at General PERISH
| ing's headquarters, a fine French
| barracks lately occupied by one Of
| the most distinguished of French
regiments which had been refitted,
steam-heated and electric wired and
is in telephone touch with distant
Paris and all the various parts OF
| the American army.
Interesting lectures were given by
leading members Of General PERISH
ing's staff, showing that American
adaptability has quickly assimilat-
ed the best points of the British and
French training, arrived at after three
and a half years Of actual warfare,
to which have been added certain
American ideas and certain altera-
lions necessary for an army whose
home base is thousands of miles on
the other side Of the Atlantic.
Home Touch to Building.
There was a home touch in the
| great military building, which, with
( its courtyard occupies a space four
| or five times as great as that of the
/ White House. There were American
| papers and magazines and Liberty
Loan posters there. French and
British officers both expressed salts
faction to me at the scientific and
up-to-date nature Of the headquar-
| ters organization.
The one topic in the American
army at the moment is that Of ship
ping. Shipping has overwhelmed
/ every other subject of comment with
/ Uncle Sans boys in khaki.
The inter-allied conference will,
Ii is hoped, solve the difficulty.
/ felt some doubts as to the result OF
| the conference on the first day, when
several scores Of representatives OF
various nationalities assembled in
the great hall OF the French foreign
office to try to coordinate mat
/ tiers.
"When the president OF the con-
ference, M. Clemenceau, rose and
indicated in a few sentences that
business and not speech making was
the order Of the day, the adroit
management OF the conference Ny
| Colonel House was made visible. The
i whole Of the initial proceedings oc-
i cupied only q few minutes and with
/ in half an hour the technical COM
mittees dealing with shipping, fine
/ ance, aviation and other matters had
been formed.
The absence Of parades, speeches
/ and banquets was due to the express
/ desires Of Colonel House that no
time should be lost, The success OF
khn Gathering a "a great t1nranTsaH