Mexico weekly ledger., 1918-06-06
N INSPECTORS TRIP
N FIGHTING france
CassI slalr 1uAu-u Tea - us
b. - Urf Li-r uruurAu NaA
a. AnanrnnI
HAAS OEDERs TO FIEE
on THE HCHFS
see ncsu Cauuunarud ksd tn
TsHNh~ q - G~rasa fHiaE
U-s ~ Nearhy Vim


tohusna formerly q Benton City. No
has had urnc vcy interesting and
thrilling r1vrnturrs n executing hrs
aufica on ~ American front near
Tool Te f'lowir letter y ~ a
VIVID idea ~ ~lifc under FIRE
H~eadquarcu lrt Army Corps,
Amencan Expcdiuonary Forces
A.. ?. O. T3i.
SUNDAY, Apnl ~ iDis
About rs6n on the 10th, with an au-
r6mobie. chsuGclr. my chief Of
staff. blankets, oyercoats. overshocs.
and oths- belongings. we started for
- probably a three hours ride
from here. in the direction Of Nerdun.
For rome time our car hummed on
over the "mctalcd" roads Of France,
past familiar views. now over undu-
lAting country land; now along annals
where the barges are drawn BY two
horses: now through "villies" with
their stone masonry houses rooted
with red tiles, and stone shingles;
now passing a two-wheeled cart,
probably with a couple Of horses driv-
en- in tandem, or occasionally an OK
and a horse in tandem; now passing
through a forest, maybe homegrown,
maybe natural; now slowing up at a
railroad crossing for a girl or old man
or woman to come out Of a stone sta
tion-house to roll back the long iron
gate on either side Of the traek-and
waiting patiently until they do So
noting that they haven't . Broadway
OF 18th Avenue gait on themselves;
now passing a msdesmoiselle by the
roadside, who smiles and waves "les
Americans" a "bon voyage" as we
whiz by; now having a puneture OF
two, and finally. after our last one,
and no spares" to go on, we hailed a
passing Brigadier General who took
me to -, where l phoned to -
for a tire 10 be sent out to u ma
chine, and then obtained, from the
French authorities, a room in a
French barrack for the night. This
town had been shot up pretty well in
the past, and billets with families
were scarce. The town was very much
deserted.
Being guided to my barrack room
by a French soldier, | gave him a tip
or a "pourboire" literally, "for a
drink'D Of a franc, and went to
French mess, conducted for trans
sients, on the other side Of the town.
Returning, found our automobile
had arrived. and my "aids" lodged and
fed.
he'd myself back to my cold bar
back room, and there being no wood
to warm Il up, ] alternated my work,
with West Point spread eagling" and
other gymnastics and aerobatic
stunts. to keep my blood going.
Finally, examining my bunk, | had
my first encounter with French army
blankets. Being only about 5 feet
long. and ! being 5 feet 8 from tip do
tete TO sole de pieds, ! had TO jugglt
them, the first one up and the next
one down TO cover the whole space
Fortunately had some "couver-
lures" Of my own along with me and
finally made up my mind that, by
dressing for bed instead Of undress-
ing, | could get a good nights sleep
A soldier in the field has to do this
stunt, often once in "a hours; and
when it becomes necessary, it doesn't
phase" me. | therefore slipped a suit
Of wooden pajamas on W my clothes
and crawled in. | lost no time anC
knew nothing until my alarm clocl
awakened me for breakfast the mex
morning, when / found that | had hat
a good, warm, sound sleep.
/ went back to the mess and got
French petit dejeuner" or "smal
breakfast" consisting of war breaI
and coffee. That is all a FrenchmaI
wants at that time of day, but / an
not a good F~renchman, and l get lam
before noon.
Getting u bearings and a sketc
as to how to go, from the Frene
Headquarters, we started on the las
leg of u journey toward the from
Coming to a road, we found
U. S. Military Police, who informe
Ms that we would have 30 go on dow,
a kilomcter further, as passage to tn
front by that road was forbidden. W
continued as directed.
In the offing we could see the blunt
sausage-shaped observation balloon,
belonging TO the Allied forces. Off {
the right was a Boche aeroplane be
ing shelled by the Allied Arches,
with white puffs Of smoke around i
but to our disappointment, the Boehe
man got back safely TO his own lines.
Here and there were stretches {
barbed wire woven and mashed owe
posts and stakes. This ground ha
been the scene Of former fighting. Q
the hills were long ines Of trenche
now abandoned by the Boehe, but he
by the Allies for possible future use
Here and there were graves wi
posts OF crosses painted with {
French tri-colors.
The towns were practically d
serted. Many houses had their roo
torn out, and others were entirely d
molished. In n town the chur
tower, with its old clock, still stoc
but the remainder Of the building W
erumbled in and lying on the floor.
In some Of the towns not so ne
the front, the signs Gave" al
Gave de %secour" were displayed
large letters. These we're at the e
frances Of bomb proof shelters, {
use when the town was bombarded
aeroplanes.
Now and then a large hospital wou
be passed. This would not be a sing
large. brick building, like one is us
to seeing, but rows Of plain, boai
single story barracks, built for TEN
orsry use until the lines should mo
either forward or backward. On I
ground neal by would be huge VIII
crosses to indicate TO aviators that I
buildings were used for hospital pu
poses.
Here and there we would pass lol