New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-12-31
Simple LIFE SUITS
PERSHING BETTER
American Headquarters in France
Busy But transformations Place

Chaumont, Haute Marine, France
Nov. %, Correspondence of the AS
ISOLATED PresS9-When he is here at
general headquarters General Perish
ing leads q very busy but very simple
life. There is little ceremony of all
ostentatious kind either at his cha
teau or around his Offices. There is
nothing to distinguish his Office ooOms
in "a" building of the headquarters
group from those of airy other Off
Ger. One orderly sits at his door,
there is no sentry and the visitor
walks urannounced into the adjoin-
ing reception rooma to be received by
one of his staff.
General Pershing's trips to and
from, his chateau in the country are
made In his motor car. distinguished
only by its red four starred insignia
on the windshield and where would
be the number plate, which slips I'M
noticed along the road and through
the city, Ordinarily he is accom-
panied only by his personal aide, his
staff following at a distance great
enough not to mark the big cars as
one squadron.
In fine weather he som etin1es walk
ed the two or three miles from the.
outskirts of Chaum ont to his coun-
ry home. and that, with quiet horse
back rides through the beautiful
country hereabouts, gave him his
needed exercise.
Much Of his time since last Spring
when the American forces began real
participation in strength in the fight
ing, has been spent at advanced
army headquarters. These have been
,N1o inc 2
distance to entail long, hard automo-
bile rides from them to Chaumont
when circumstances demanded his
presence here often after a hard
dav at advanced headquarters the
general has made the three or four
hour drive late at night, only to de-
part early the next day His power
full closed car with double rear wheels
usually travels at high speed and IN
it's comfortable cushions he obtains
the rest denied him in bed.
Life at General Pershing's chateau
is plain to, the point of simplicity
Except for the beautiful old castle
and it's picturesque setting IN the
Valley of the Marne, it might be the
home life of any fairly well-to-do
American business man. Only uni
forms Of his military household set 1t
apart His personal staff lives with
him and his servants are negro SOL
diers detailed And they are good
cooks as his few guests can testify,
placing on his table simple, we'll
cooked American dishes usually three
or at most four courses, including
coffee and cheese and served Am eri-
can style.
No Centres are In evidence, moth
ing to mark the Chateau as the resi-
dence of the commander chief.
The visitors car drives through a
plain uE guarded gateway i'll closely
set grove, along a curVing roadway
for q few hundred yards, and then
only is had the first glimpse of the
old castle, lying in its parks and
lawns bordered on one side by a long,
sweeping curve of the River Marine
and IFS canal, lined on either bank
with tall poplars set equidistant and
lending an added touch of Formally
to the always formal French land
scape.
Often General Pcrshing, himself
rises from a seat on the terrace to
greet a, guest and, if not, one of his
staff The meal is very informal, con-
versatton being general and the COM
mander-iu chief apparently does not
like to 1inger at table. Afterward
ca9ea and cigars in the big lounge