Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-07


month axe. 4 Boche uuled me- there
and I'm just golns Iacs 20 Join my
men. Blu; you won't tHd ], interesting
now. All the Germans are GONE
Buy he was wrooC. There are Ter
mans marching through ,hr streets ot
Chateau-Fhierry eNery day-Grrnan
prisoners armed with >uevei> anu
picks who are cleuuiu- uul the wreck
age and deSolation ih,y LETT in their
path when they eNaaaryi the city on
July -; proud pr.~~.auS who are
welding ScytheS 10 harvest the crops
in the fields that ,lsy called "UuSer-
land month ago; mli-t4ctd boys
from the south OF Germany Who seem
10 prefer jobs us eLu.tVomen with
mopS and scrub brushes TO carrying
guns for the kaiser.
And rs for the interest Of Chateau
Thierry, the curious huye visited the
field of Napoleon's Waterloo for SEW
eral centuries. They v.ll visit the Wa
terlo0 of the Roche march on Paris in
1918 for several mora centuries and
thrill with every century at the story
Of the battle on the outskirts of that
city where American marines, artillery
and infantrymen stared the Huns On
their run for Berlin--aud gave them
such good start that the goal Is get
ting hotter each day.
War Activity Everywhere.
Ii takes just an hour and a half by
rail from Paris to reach the outpoStS
Of the hattlefeldS If yesterday; an
hour and a half thai runs by like the
fast reels of cinema with hurried
glimpSeS Of passing trains loaded with
horses, with cattle. with biz guns and
men: of Cami0nS crowded with sol
dlerS wearing dusteolared uniforms;
Of hospital trains marked with red
crosses and groups of civilians hurry
ine back To see what is left OF their
homes in the reconqUgrgd districts. Al
one of the stations jhe marine officer
swung of to join Il knot Of men whose
backs We're loaded with marching
equipment. showing that they We're
going up the line. War was written
in large letters over every human ac-
tivity, but off to my right was ire
Marne, sleepy and peaceful, flowing
quietly through valley fields, hiding
behind gentle slopes covered with
wheat and splashed with vivid peoples,
ana emerging again from clump of
thick trees aud heavy underbruSh.
AT La Ferte there Is a great cash
In the station where a Boche plane,
SWooping down within a few hundred
yards of tho marx dropped n half
dozen bombs JUST few nights ago.
And from there an auto road, peck
marked by shell holes. runs through
fertile country and pink-roofed vii
lagos, lifeless and deserted, to Lucy
le-Bocage and Belleau woods, where
the American marines showed the
world just what fighting stuff the
United States army is made of.
Lucy keeps open house for all
corners. There are a few doors left
In the village, but they sag heavily on
rusted hinges Windows are open
spaces through which the winds and
rains drive at will, leaving facetlous
puddles about the little heaps OF
broken glass that strew the ground
The few roofs left look apologize in
the midst of the ruin about them.
The village mddles about little
church that has been pitilessly bat
tered to ruin. Only'bits Of the walls
are left but in the midst Of the
wreckage rises tall crucitix I'M
scratched. The altar Of the small
chapel on the right side had beer
cleared off and the old able, toilina
alone. was searching among the de-
bris for precious relics A prayer
hook and IA few pathetic little orna
nents Of glass were all that he haC
/ found TO restore in his temple.
Guarded by the Dead.
! From T.ucy.le- Bocage to Belleat
/ wood the road literally is guarded by
! .he dead. whose bodies were covered
\ where they fell and marked by simple
wooden crosses on many of which th'
soldiers trench helmet has been hung
II was the way of the cross for th'
/ American boys who journeyed 1t those
/ July days when they started forward
I'm the face Of murderons machine Gun
FIRE to smoke the Boches out OF tn
stronghold that assured their footing
in ChatcauThierry.
| climbed over graves and shel
holes, through underbrush and pas
isolated bits Of barbed wire entan
elements into the heart Of the woods
where the Boches had their dugoutN
And at every step of the way dim
cult TO traverse even now when II hi
been trampled over and cleared on
since the battle, | wondered at tn
courage of the boys who had face
hidden machine guns and unknown
horrors lurking in the shadows,
human iawhone lay at the doorway o
q hunting lodge which had been DIES
perately contested for and from IN
underbrush near by protruded the boot
of an unburied Hun.
A group Of dugouts off to the righ
WAS well concealed by rocks ana III
derbrush and | peered down into seN
eral Of them. The openings wer