Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-26
AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS
LOCATED At CHAUM.0NT
Nerve Center OF General Pcrshing's
Army in Capital of Hautc
Marine.
COMMANDER is IN CHATEAU
Lived With Numbers Of Personal
Staff at Pleasant Estate Five Miles
From City-TOwn Is Almost Amer
icaniZcd.

CHAUMONT. FRANCE. December %
(SpeciaD.-This little city OF tho
Haute NIarnc Is tho homo OF the gen
eral headquarters of tho American OK
peditionarH forces. Until now its men
tion has been taboo and the where
abouts OF &c. ii. c." one of tho secrets
Of the war.
Here lives the commander in chief.
and In tho buildings of thei French
garrison is housed the Offices OF tho
general staff and all the auxiliary or
center OF the army. a city of nor
mally about $4,000 inhabitants. Chau-
mont les OH the eastern railway lines.
16a miles cas-, Of Paris. Ii was for
mcrly tho capital OF Bassigny, and la
now the capital OF the Department of
the lIautc Marine
France. Chaumont seems TO have been
founded on sitc of strategic dcfcn-
sivc value. crowns a high plateau
between tho Marine and the SuiZc, and
from the walls and towers OF the old
city is a wonderful Wow of the val
ley of the Marine. hero the river being
hardly as wide as tho Marnc Canal that
flows beside IT between its poplar
bordcrcd banks. Northward over tho
narrow vale OF the Suizc the view
takes In wide sweep of rolling for
cSt-crowncd hills.
General headquarters were removed
from Paris here in September Of last
year, I nhuHOnt bcinS selected after
careful search OF available locations
IT lies in the center of what was tho
American training area. every camp az
we'll as tho Toul sector in which tho
American forces first saw battle and
all tho lines from Toul eastward. where
VIC were located. being within reach
by motor.
The French post occupied as head
quarters offices IL typical of French
garrisons. Three long four story rcd
tilc-roofed barracks form three sides
= II ri 10 fnn,
avenue. \ group OF lesser buildings
and the Gust omary iron fence and Orig
mental gates is the remaining boun-
darS On either gate post dies the
Tricoior and the Stars and Stripes.
Scntr'cs pace their posts OH every
hand. the quadrangle Is filled with hur-
rying officers and ordcrlicS and clerks
hands Hash in salute. buglcs give their
almost hourly calls for tho various
military events and periods OF the day
stan cars and motorcycles roll in and
out and now and then the sentry at
the gate stifrcns svcn more rigidly and
brings his piece. up with moro snap
like yacht. slides in, tho scarlet tab
on the wind shield with four white
stars siGnifying the commander in
chief.
Frequently tho generals car APP
proaches unhcralded and so swiftly
that the scntry's cry OF turn out
mander- in chief is gone before tho
guord can tumble fr3m the guard
house.
Until, last sprins General PershinE
made his residence IN large villa
near headquarters lie soon found.
however. that so near the workshop
of the army he could not have the
quiet and lack OF intrusion ncccssar ~
to his growing responsibiitief, and he
removed in May last TO a 'beautitul
chateau about five miles from the
town. Here, IN great rambling castle
situated In the Marine Valley amont:
groves and wide sunlt lawns. he lived
with his personal staff Connected by
telephone with every divisional. corps
and army headquarters, his own Offices
in Chaumont and with Paris, Ia, d!d his
work there when not with the army.
Chaumont itself has become almos,
Americanized by the presence OF the
headquarters. It's little hotels are al
ways crowded with officers. II has
been very hosu!:Gble 10 the American
occupation. Nearly every home with
spare room IL thrown open as "a
billet for officers and many of the
finest residences have been taken over
entirely by the hundreds OF mcsscs. In
mahy OF them the officers have installed
electricity and bathrooms and In some
cases central heating plants. and with
French servants live comfortably, al
most luSuriously. as measured in mill
tary terms. Hundreds less fortunate
or lacking in rank take their chances
on whatever billet may he found in
the crowded town, where bed is al
WAYS at Il pre- nliIim