Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-18
AMERICAN CAVE DWELLER SAYS
FAIR WORD FOR TRENCH LIFE"
PAINTING MADE WITH KNIFE AND ARTIST NOW HERE
Not Uncomfortable" Correspondent Is Told-Visits
Gigantic Cavern Under Chemin-des-
Danes Plateau
By HENRI BAZIN
star Correspondent Evening Public Lcdg
Uith the American ArmV IN France


star Correspondent Evenlro Public Ledger
With the American Arfny IN France
with the American Army in the FIeld.
| March g.
! ON OUR way to the Chemln-des-
~ Danes sector, where Yankee troops
are in the line and where they have
earned the cognomen shock troops"
despite an experience Of less than a
month before the Boche, we iourneyed
through historic country. the battlefield
OF the Marne. Past its single and double
| graves and its mounds covering from
| siNty-fve to three hundred French
/ youth entaled journey through seven
/ towns Of fair size, three Of which stand
| out in the history of this war Chalons-
/ sur-Marne. ry-le-Francois and Sois-
/ sons In each we stayed over night at
| hotels as varied in accommodation as
| their names. For one was LHotel de la
/ Grande Mere Dieu, (the Hotel Of Gods
| Great Mother). the second. the Lion dor
| Cthe Golden, Lion) Of which there must
| be fun thousand in France. and the
| third the Elephant Upon the walls
! of the first there were shrapnel scars,
over the window OF the second. where
was given a room, a great crash Of 1914
shell In the thick stone and in the third
a point of interest that will surely be
upon the itinerary Of the after war guide
| TO tourists.
| For It marked where in running fight
| In September, 1914, a Boche rife bullet
pierced thin iron outer night door,
then wall Of plaster four inches thick,
spending itself in a mirror opposite
where the lead is embedded and to be
seen. This hotel bears marks of another
war. when in 1914 small cannon ball
partly pierced the front wall over the
entrance and where II still lies with the
date inscribed under it, These two bat
tie marks are in the city Of Chateau
Thierry.
Roman Road to Soissons
We left this ancient city and Travelled
over Roman road to Scissors. During
the journey we passed vilFge after viii
lage which like thousands Of others
have seen, are only crumbled wrecks
From scissors we took a turn in the
road to General ---'s headquarters in
an eighteenth century chateau that had
been inhabited by German high COM
mand and fortunately had not been de-
stroyed on account Of lack OF time at
the voluntary Boche evacuation Of last
spring.
General is convinced his diVi-
sion Is the best division in the American
army and in conversation before a
wood fire in the salon that was his office
he bluntly said so. And then to prove
ii he called for his aides and went
forth with us, a party of five, including
two correspondents. We drove to an
other village. this one more wrecked
than any | had passed through that
morning.
In wooden shack half hidden behind
a hill. but quite open to shell fire. we
found Brigadier General --, who Is
beloved Of his men, He had been sd-
jutaut general of certain State militia,
had resigned to run for Office and been
defeated AT the polls. Thereupon he
entered civil life, practicing his pro-
fesson Of law. At the outbreak of the
war he enlisted as a private in the
TIL Regiment was shortly after given
the rank Of captain and a few months
back was named one OF ffty-three new
generals by President Wilson.
with both officers ! visited three COM
panies that had just been relieved from
front line work. where they had taken
part in q successful raid with the French
upon the Boche, bringing back twenty
six prisoners. Lieutenant --------, OF
----- Company, to whom ! was intro
duced, was the man who had returned
to enemy wire with eighteen volunteers
upon discovery that -four Of his men
were missing there to overhear an APP
proaching Boche patrol. The officer with
his volunteers every man of whom had
taken part in entering the enemy
trenches an hour before, crouched in
shell holes upon 'Chemin- Danes of
glorious memory and fell upon the Boche
as he. passed. dispensing him in disorder
and leaving a number of his dead upon
the field 1t was Private r---, of this
squad, who brought back the dead Ger
man. ...
Something told me to do it," he said
AS his officer called him. II thought
perhaps he had some papers or maps
upon his person that might be of value
Z to our colonel and our Intelligence. He
was pretty stocky chap and limp as
rag not pleasant sight with his wide
open eyes and blood clot upon his
temple, where we had put him out of
commission. He did not have anything
on his person at all but a knife and a
] few coins . ,.
How did you like it out thers?" l
asked.
':First. rate, sir," he answered. Not
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