New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-26
U. S. Headquarters
We're i'm Ancient
City of Chaumont
Since September, 1917, 1t
Had Been Home of Cen.
Pershing and Nerve Gem
tire of American Army

CHAUMONT, France, Nov. 20 (Cor-
respondence of The Associated Prcss)
This little city of the Hautc Marine
has been the home Of the general head
quarters of the American expedition
airy forces. Until now it's mention has
been taboo and the whereabouts Of &C.
II. O." enc OF the secrets of the war.
Here lives the commander in chief,
and in the buildings of the French
garrison are housed the offices Of the
general staff and all the auxiliary or
CARNATIONS that 20 With 1.-THE nerve
centre Of the army. A city Of nor
mally about $4,000 inhabitants, Chau-
mont lies on the eastern railway lines,
1853 miles east of Paris. 1t was for
merly the capital of Bassigny and is
now the capital of the Department of
the Haute Marine.
Like most of the older cities OF
France, Chaumont seems to have been
founded on site of strategic defensive
value. 1t crowns a high plateau be
tween the Marine and the Suize, and
from the walls and towers of the old
city is a wonderful view of the Valley
of the Marine, here the river being
hardly as wide as the Marine Canal that
flows beside it between it's poplar Dor
dered banks. Northward over the mar
row vale of the Suize the view takes
in wide sweep of rolling forest
crowned hills.
In Centre of Activities
General Headquarters were removed
from Paris here in September of last
year, Chaumont being selected after q
careful search of available locations. 1t
lies in the centre Of what was the
we'll as the Toul sector, in which the
American forces first saw battle, and
all the lines from Toul eastward, where
we were located, being within reach by
motor
The French post occupied as head
quarters, is typical of French garri-
sons. Three long, four story, red tile
rooted barracks form three sides of a
great quadrangle facing wide avenue.
A group of lesser buildings and the
customary iron fence and ornamental
gates is the remaining boundary. On
either gate post flies the Tricolor and
the Stars and Stripes.
Sentries pace their posts on every
hurrying officers and orderlies and
clerks, hands flash in salute, bugles
give their almost hourly calls for the
various military events and periods of
the day, staff cars and motorcycles roll
in and out, and now and then the sentry
at the gate stiffens even more rigidly
and brings his piece up with more snap
when q great olive drab car, shining
like yacht, slides in, the scarlet tab
on the Windshield with four white stars
signifying the commander in chief
City Americanized
Frequently the generals car ap-
proaches unheralded and so swiftly
that the sentry's cry of "turn out the
guard" is too late, and the commander
in chief is gone before the guard can
tumble from the guard house.
Until last Spring, General Pershng
made his residence in large villa near
Headquarters. He soon found, how
ever, that SO near the workshop of the
army he could not have the quiet and
lack Of intrusion necessary to his grow
ing responsibilities and he moved in
May last, to q beautiful chateau, about
five miles from town. Here, in great
rambling castle, situated in the Marine
Valley, among groves and wide sunlit
lawns, he lived with his personal staff
Connected by telephone with every
divisional, corps and army hearquar-
tiers, his own offices in Chaumont and
with Paris, he did his work there when
not with the army
Chaumont itself has become almost
Americanized by the presence of the
Headquarters. It's little hotels are al
ways crowded with officers. 1t has been
very hospitable to the American occu-
patton. Nearly every home with spare
room is thrown open as billet for
officers, and many of the finest resi-
dences have been taken over entirely
by the hundreds of messes. In many OF
them the officers have installed cleo
tricity and bathrooms and in some
cases central heating plants, and with
French servants, live comfortably. al
most luxuriously, as measured in mill
tary terms. Hundreds less fortunate
or lacking in rank, take their chances
on whatever billet may be found in the
crowded town where bed is always al
premium.