Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-12-24
. f. f. HEADQUARTERS
 A P|C1UREQUE CITY
Only After Signing oi Armisiicp Was il known That ClanmOnt Was American Army Headquarters.

GeHefal HeadQuarterS American EXpeditionary Force. ChaumOnt, Hautn Malne, France. Nov. 20.-t tCorresp9n- dence of the Associated Press. )-The data line reveals one of the interest," ing secrets of the army in France, the location of the home of the com fnander-inchief and the general staff. | 'ntil few days ago when the cen sorship rules wern modified to meet the new conditions created by the ar
 m1Stice, ChaumOnt has never been permitted to Je mentioned in con- nectiOn with the American forces. The exact whereabouts of the gen eral headquarmters of any force, al lied or enemy, is never revealed dur inc hostilitics. The military reasons fO rthis secrecy are obvious and in this War the airplane made it ever moro necessary, for Chaumont lies but little fliGht from what were long German lines.
 It is an old picturesque city. quiet and conservative beyond even French provncialism. 1t has water and gas and electric lights, but no street rail : i ways and few places of amusement, l even in normal times. It lies in the center of an agricultural and grazin g district. is quite 9 seat of educa- l tion and historically very interest | ing, as indeed is every city of it's age 1 i'll France.
 There are really two Chaumonts, i the ancient town with its narrow, l tortuOus streets, it's typical buildings | with curious towers and buttreesses and arches giving glimpses through half opened gates or iron grills Of 1 quaint gardens and quainter courts. Many of the streets are too narrow to permit the passage of wheeled ve- hicles and the big staff motor cars; find difficulty in navigating the best of the old town streets.
 Extending Outwar:l on the high pla- teau upon which the city is located is a newer and more modern Chau- mont, a region of fine homes with extensive grounds and comfortable residences of the well-to-do and middle classes. Here the wide bOule- vars are treelinad and parked 1 It is ill this eastern part of the pla- teau that General 1Ieaquarters are b. cated, occupying the French military 1 post turned owed to the Americans by the French. It's three great concrete
 barracks and numerous lesser build i ings were renovated by the Ameri- can staff, electric lights installed paint and whitewash called into play and now in rooms where once the poilus barracke the great headquart- I CTS staff works. Every office is con nected by telephone, the central sta tion being operated by American girls. 1a~ y,.., <ly hui fl y1E for mthree sides of a great parade ground In thS center building on the second floor are the offices of General Pershing no soldiers work place could be more severe. His own Of flee and it's reception room are pre- cisely like every barren of ornament except for some Liberty Loan posters A plail flat topped oak desk stands 3etween the two windows and round about few plain yellow chairs. A stove and table against the wall complete the Furnishings.
 Headquarters are situated on a wide. tree-lined boulevard in the cen' ter of which between two more rows
 of f..1e old shade trees. is a spacious
 walkway. Until last Fourth of July this was known as The Avenue di Fort Lambert but on Independence
 day, it was .rechristened Avenue des Etats Unis. General Pershing being the guest of honor and making speech in acknowledgement of ths
 courtesy done his country.
 a At the beginning of the Avenue des Etats Unis. which starts from beau' tiful little park is handsome resi- l danoo in which the Commanders in Chief made his home until last spring
 He then ramoved to a large and at
 tractiye chateau about five miles from
 the city. The fine old castle lies 1T
 the beautiful valley of the Marne. it'
 spacious grounds, parks and walk:
 making an ideal home where he car
 have the seclusion his responslbili ties require yet but few minutes
 by motor to his office at Headquart
 CTS.