Evening star., 1918-07-16
BY HERBERT COREY.

Keeping the poche from Parls.l
BY HERBERT COREY.
WITH THE AMERICANS ON THE
MARINE. June 3.-Open order fighting
is not what I had expected it to be.
At least. 1t is not this morning. Per-
haps I had formed my expectations
on the panorama of the battle Of
Waterloo. in which one stands on a
hill with guide and Is shown dense
masses of troops in movement. This
open order fighting is not even noisy
at least, 1t is not tumultuous. Yet
we are near the heart of the greatest
battle in the recent history OF the
world.
asked an American NJ. p. who was
directing the movements of some
American soldiers.
IT don't know exactly. SIR" said he.
"But 1 think 1t Is about a mile up
this road ....-
It was much farther. but this state
ment alarmed us. We had driven
along roads which were bare of move
ment as though they had been paint
ed on a map. There was no noise
ahead. except that now and then a
gun grunted. Suddenly we had come
into o vfilege in which the streets
were flowing with men. Tired French
infantrvmen were plugging through
in small bodies on their way to the
rear. The face of each seemed COW
cred with myriad tiny scratches
scratches were seen to be the dark
channels in which sweat had run and
dried and amalSamatcd with the
country dust
Men were sleeping everywhere. for
1t was barely dawn. French officers
rolled in blankets and strips of can
vas. were sound asleep by the road
Hundreds had lain down upon the
bare ground. rolled only in their over
coats. with their knapsacks under
their heads. Their sleep was that OF
utter exhaustion. 1t seemed. yet when
they woke they seemed bright-eyed
ana cheerful Some were managing
coffee or stew over little fires. their
mess cups being used for cooking pur-
poses Americans were grouped about
their rolling kitchens, eating hard
tack and corn willie and drinking vast
quantities of coffee.
Wen not go too far" said my COM
panion. Remember Col. Boiling"
Americans to the Front.
In the early days Of the May often
sive Col. Boiling had driven along a
quiet road right Into the German lines.
His body was found later, sitting up
right in the car, with a bullet hole
through his head But things have
been somewhat stabilized since then.
We found the American headquarters
in a little village. On ahead were
more American troops camped by the
side of the road. American artillery
and supply trains were moving for
ward and the "empties" were being
shunted back.
This American unit had done rather
well in its manner of getting here.
At o'clock one afternoon 1t was
instructed to get ready and at 10
O'Clock that night to be ready and
four hours later it was on the front
near Chateau Thierry. While we were
talking of this big French car rolled
by, A face that had become familiar
through the illustrated papers was
seen dimly through the uust-covered
windows of the limousine. 1t was
some time before one identified the
THAT'S Gen. Foch." we said to each
other. An hour later
"There's Gen. Pershins." some one
said.
At last, in spite of the comparative.
noiselessnesS one feels that one is
seeing war as it should be--as IL used
TO be. The weary drudgery Of the
be seen in the open Here and there
small bodies OF them deployed across
the living green of the French hills
IN springtime. Columns crept along
the edges of the woodland or marched
boldly along the road
whats the matter with that bat
tery?" my companion asked.