Evening journal., 1918-09-27
BY EDWARD VI. THuERRy.
paris Correspondent Of the Newspaper
Enterprise Association.)


paris Correspondent Of the Newspaper
Enterprise Association.)
CTIATEAU-THIERRl. France, sept. p
American troops have blasted Cen
eral LudendorGs elaborate plan TO use
Chateau Thierry as. base for a seige
OF Paris.
have seen the tower, seven CEN
turies old. which the German com
mander made his personal headquart-
ers It was the hub Of the vast net
work Of lines OF communication. rail-
roads. telephones, telegraphs, ammunl-
tlon dumps and supply depots.
II was the spot where the premier
Roche brain was parting the extinction
~ scores more Of French villages
0iannning the triumphal march into
Paris
This spot-an ancient stone tower
surmounting Chateau le Nesle, ten
kilometers east Of Fere-en-Tardenois
and about 81 klometers northeast OF
Chateau Thierry-"command Paris.
Il was scarcely 90 kilometers (about
: miles, from the French capital. Near
bv. hidden in a woods, was one Of the
giant Berihas that shelled Paris.
OF the Marne were the Hun hordes. In
the tower sat Ludendorff, his ear flgur-
atively TO the ground and literally TO
the wires, scheming the winning Of the
war in 1918.
And now that tower. cleaned OF Ger
mans, Is a barracks for American sol
dlers.
The chateau where Lundendorff
plotted was captured by American
troops. Ludendorff left behind remnants
Of his handiwork and valuable infor-
nation OF his blighted plans.
An American battalion OF Engineer
Pioneers was salvaging in the Chateau
le Nesle and vicinity when l visited II.
Major George Blair, OF Philadelphia,
commanded the battalion.
This Is what the Americans found
In the partly wrecked chateau and the
nearby Forest le Nesle:
TWO million dollars worth Of am
munition.
Hundreds OF thousands OF dollars
worth OF food and supplies.
Twenty thousand bottles OF mineral
water.
Countless empty wine bottles and
cigar boxes.
A fully equipped hospital.
Scores OF newly made wooden crosses
Tor graves.
A well-kept vegetable garden.
staunchly erected outbulldings' win
double windows and walls, as II for
winter occupancy.
A huge telephone switchboard with
f, network OF wires.
Everywhere was evidence that Luz
iendorff had come TO stay.
American artillery partly damaged
he walls OF the chateau buildings. But
he ancient tower-built in the year
1906 with stone walls IL feet thick
vas mscathed,
A rickety wooden bridge led from
Inc chateau courtyard, with its
own smaller towns, eight in num-
Der TO the big tower. Around 1t was
dry moat Within was a high, cir
,iilar room. 90 feet in diameter and 80
'eet hleh. with vaulted ceiling.
Natural light came only through the
iunnel-like door through the twelve
foot wall. In the wall was a steep,
narrow stairway. winding 10 the upper
chamber. The latter was identical with
the lower. with one window. Another
black hole Of a stairway circled TO the
.oof. where was a basin-like spot
yrown with grass and bushes, sprout-
ng through seven centuries.
The lower chamber showed unmis-
taxable traces. including telephone
wires and map tables. OF its use by
Ludendorff as the main war office on
The front. The upper chamber had
been his private sleeping quarters.
Stan officers apparently had been !
quartered in the low stone buildings |
and the smaller towers around the |
courtyard. Outside the great stone |
gate TO the courtyard were a dozen |
buildings. Four Of them formed a |
All had been well built /
especially a larger building near the |
tower. where Ludendorn's personal |
physician lived.