Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-12-20
LOCATION OF .
HEADQUARTERS
IS ANNOUNCED
General Headquarters of the
American Army Moved to
chaumont in September.

Correspondence of the Associated
Press)-This little city of the 4Iaute
Marine is the home Of the general
headquarters OF the American expedi-
tionary forces. Until now its mem
ton has been tabooed and the where
abouts Of "G. H. O." one Of the Sc
crets of the war.
Here lives the commandments
and n the, buildings of the French
garrison is housed the offices Of the
general staff INC all the auxiliary or
CARNATIONS that go with 1.-THE nerve
center of the army. A city of nor
mally about fifteen thousand inhabi-
tants, Chaumont lies on the eastern
railway lines, 1853 miles east Of Paris.
1t was formerly the capital Of Bas-
signy and Is now the capital Of the
department of the Haute-Marne
Like most of the older cities of
France, Chaumont seems to have been
founded on a site of strategic defen-
sive value. II crowns a high plateau
between the Marine and the Suize and
from the walls and towers of the old
city is a wonderful view Of the val
ley OF the Marine. here the river be-
ing hardly as wide as the Marine ca
nal that flows beside it between it's
popular bordered banks. Northward
over the narrow vale of the Suize
the view takes in a wide sweep of
rolling forest crowned hills.
GENERAL headquarters were re-
moved from Paris here in September
Of last year, Chaumont being selected
after a careful search Of available To-
cations. 1t lies in the center of what
was h American training area, ev-
cry camp as 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 offices is typical of French
g%arrisons. Three long, four-story, red
tile rooted barracks form three sides
of a great quadrangle facing a wide
avenue. A group Of lesser buildings
and the customary fence and orna-
mental gates is the remaining bound
airy. On either gate post flies the
Tricolor and h Stars and Stripes.
Sentries pace their posts on every
hand; the quadrangle is, filled with
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 motor
then the sentry at the gate stiffens
even more rigidly and brings his
piece up with more snap when a
great olive drab car shining like a
yacht, slides in, the scarlet tab on
the windshield with four white stars
signifying the commander-in-chief.:
Frequently the generals a ap-
proaches u~nheralded n so swiftly
that the sentry's cry of, Turn out the
guard is too late and the comman-
der-in-chief is gone before the guard
can tumble from the guard house.
Until last spring General Pershing
made his residence in a large villa
near headquarters. He soon found,
however, that so lear the workshop
Of the army he could not have the
quiet and lack of intrusion necessary
to his growing responsibilities and he
removed in May last to a beautiful
chateau about five miles from the
town. Here, in a great rambling
castle situated in the Marine valley
among groves and wide sunlit lawns,
he lived with his personal staff. Con-
nected by telephone with every divi-
sional, corps and army headquarters,
his W 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
always crowded with officers. 1t has
been very hospitable to the American
occupation. Nearly every home with
a spare room is thrown open as a bill
let for officers and many of the finest
residences have been taken over en-
tirely by the hundreds Of masses. In
many of them the officers fuave in
stalled electricity and baths7. rooms
and in some cases centralIheating
plants and with French servants live
comfortably, almost luxuriously rs
measured in military TERMS Hun