New-York tribune., 1918-05-19
BY Wilbur Forrest
Special Cable to The Tr1bnne)

character, shows the makeup of some
OF our fighting forces in France, ter
minated at dusk tonight. 1t took place
in what was once a prosperous village
in Picardy, but which is now the scene
of wreckage above and the home OF
North American cave-dwellers below.
The dead man was Gino Roberti, an
Italian-born American citizen, who en-
listed in Ne> -da and was the first SOL
der in a certain machine gun battalion
to fall in action in France.
All day long the members Of his
battalion worked in preparation for the
obseques. His comrades, including a
bugler and corporal. gathered the
wild flowers which an Irish doctor from
Holyoke, Mass, wovc into an artistic
floral wreath.
A Jewish corporal from Manhattan
Snapped the wooden cross. A full
blooded American sergeant major from
Indiana painted the neat lettering on
the cross, which was carved in wood
by q Menominee Indian from Mime
sofa. He learned carving in his three
years at Carlyle, where he was the
crack runner.
Letter Sent to Roberts Family
A letter signed by all the officers Of
Italy was composed by The Tribune
correspondent.
1t was necessary to wait until dusk
before the funeral cortege, composed
of two young lieutenants from ia
maica, L. l., and Bingham, Mass, Jo-
seph W. Grigg, The New York World"
correspondent, and myself, carrying the
full funeral equipment in Ford au-
tomobilc, was able to negotiate the
shell-ptted road to the village, which
was close to the spot where this Ital-
ian-American fell, the victim of Ger
man shell.
With the sun still poking its faint
rays above the horizon through the
evening haze, which obscured us from
enemy aerial observation, we were soon
in the main, narrow street of the viii
lage. with the car dipping in and out
of the shell holes like small boat
bobbing on q choppy sea.
The enemy has thrown thousands of
heavy shells into and around this viii
lage since the Americans entered it
and the destruction has been complete.
He hasn't tried to save ammunition.
Eight and ten-;nch shells almost con-
stantly rain from the sky, sending the
cavemen scurrying to the deepest dug
outs if they have ventured to the sur
face in the line of duty.
No House in Village Intact
If you can imagine any character of
destruction. multiply the picture in
your mind by ten. No house in the
village retains four walls intact. Great
jagged holes in what were once sub
stantial dwellings allow the eye to
roam inside and see what remains of
the domestic tranquility.
Family photographs and bright lth-
ographs of Christ on the Cross and
of the Virgin Mary, still hanging
miraculously on the walls at rakish
angles, disclose something of the life
of these devoutly religious Picardy
peasant villagers who fed.
There is q simple tragedy in such
think that war could bring such de-
struction to any peaceful community,
no matter which side of the Atlantic
it was on
Darkness was coming down as the
car stopped in front of the wreckage
of house where a Red Cross flag
hung Imply from a stick tackled to the
door. A soldier with a cross arm band
peeked out and saw the floral wreath
and grave cross, but he didn't appear
curious.
There was a peculiar preoccupied
look IN his eye as he answered our
ground. He spoke softly Suddenly
the air was filled with a sound like the
bqzzing of angry bees. Ten seconds
later our suspicious were confirmed
that the Germans were getting nasty
Party Flees to Dugout
Crashing booms sounded near by in
the wreckage heaps. The soldier
dashed out Of the house and over the
wrecked courtyard in the rear. Need
less to say, we followed. This soldier
had been in this city three weeks and
knew his business.
His trail led to deep dugout where
we found an American surgeon who
spoke in whispers to the Red Cross
orderlies. who tiptoed about even far
below the ground and conversed in
awcd tones. '''
Human cars get longer after three
weeks in village which has been
shc!lod to the earth before human
eyes. This constant strain makes peo-
rie talk low end listen loud for the
angry buzz announcing the arrival Of
enemy steel.
1t was just behind the surgeons
dugout that we found the body of the
Italian American citizen who came
pack to this continent where he was
porn. and died for America, Through
the she'll holes in the wall we looked
Into wheat field SO pockmarked by
smells that one cverlapped another.
Crucifix Placed on Cross
A three-inch pine stake. on which
was tackled metal identification disk,
ooid US that this was the funeral scene
wreath. f~NSo VIC
Tho ceremony was then over. exeept
Tor the be.ated inspiration of the man
rom Jamaica. AS we began to pick
our way back over the crater's rims he
went back. took a small cruelty from
mas pocket which he had picked m
earlier from The debris. and hunp I; +
on Roberts cross. ""s ~
lire Costs Reduced