The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-05-21


ton Route"
In the depths OF Tho mound was Il
huge sub;crrancan chainhrr Of law cell
ing. whore ono entire battalion Of Yam
kcc soldiers wcr" quartcrcd: Elrclr,cal-
ly lit and provided with cots. the cham
Der and adjoining corridors were quit"
as comfortable and safe as tho in
terror OF Gibraltar. French officers
throughout that sector spoke we'll nt
the courage Of the Americans. whom
they had been breaking In ut the stunt
"f raidins German trenches.
On the occasion Ut my last visit 10
scissors tho grand old town WAS UNI
der Il terrific homhardmCnt. Il phase OF
the present German assault upon the
west front. Our train from Paris did
not enter til" town. II WAS held out
side. We walked in. for shells were
falling in clusters around the station.
and found Il deserted city. At the no
tel there were scarce Il dozen guests
aud the proprietor showed mo INTO the
room tina; had been occupied by the
Ci"rmau general, Won kluck. in the car
~ days Of tn" war and SAID. Il pray
ti"d that he does not return"
Troops ar" constantly heinz Shiftrh
from one place u another. AMI what Is
the stat" OF affairs on March 81 may
not apply at all TO conditions sur
rounding tho location nf the same units
on April |. For Instance. | have made
three different excursions IL Luncvilln.
II city nf 5000 on The MCurthc river.
in the ANCIENT province Of Lorraine On
each occasion there were American
troops the front nearby. hut in each
Instance their lines We're differently cH-
tended. Nor are the troops in u certain
sector always 81 the same divisions.
Nothing is permanent; in war; the pic
lurc once the soldIrS TAX" the forward
positions is wholly Kaleidoscope ana
varies with the moments.
only recently | made my way Ivy rail
10 Ear-ir-Duc and from there on ny
moturCar To an American position near
the famous battle-ground ri N"rdun. As
! writ" this. | am not At all sure that
The particular troops | saw ar" wh"r"
l walked through tho trenches in val
lev below Il towering hlufC "f Il region
that closely rcSrmhlcd Westminster
County. New York. | have a lot "f
notes about tho sort Of troops in the
trenches ut this point hut The notes
will have probably grown cold before
their details are released for puhlica-
ton.
In previous series OF articles wrnt"
Of the path through Franco from the
troops. in the forward positions. y
large city near the center Of Franc"
has since become the huh Of this activ-
lty. also the roundup of aviation. Viz
tlally everything in the American "Np"-
dictionary forces that has t" Il" with sup
1IrA. - 4 ~
motor transport. engineering. rtc.--hHS
been moved from Paris To this interior
city.
Joke Tough on Aviators.
They are telling a good j"k" played
upon ;hc aviation boys located 1T TIA"
aerial camps near tn" new center Of
army direction. As most &c tn" N"uni:
fiicrs como from fine families they haI"
plenty of money IL spend ahnv" th"Ir
pay Consequently they soon rarn"r"d
the attentions and interest of tn" entire
unfrttcrcd fair SEX of the district. E"-
Gently the aviators hay" pat whit" cords
around the edges If their overseas caps
10 indicate their branch If The S"rvlr"
and to distinguish item from thr m
fantry and artillery. whose respective
snlors are blue and rcd.
Cut off from i,Inii!u" society. the
enlisted artilcrAr'T and d"uGhhnEs
flanncd 4 Shr"wd and tcrrlhl" revenge.
rhcy circulated Il report about thu city
and through the adjacent Villages thhi
rhc-c had been an outbreak of mnmp%
among American troops. and that whit"
unnn any soldiers cap Was u hospital
mark indicating that its wcar"r WAS IN
n walking uuarantIn". Up |" dH,". The
..,.i,lnrs have not hrrn abb t" down tn"
cauard and win back their former
prestige. They cannot got even within
Speaking distance of pctti""ht. and
any altcmpt is the occasion Of wild
...rrams ami rush of pretty feat mt"
tic far distance.
Hidden in the American character -
an innate love nf fun: our settlers
n,-yrr Insc their sense of hrim"r. In thu
sector north of Tnul Il fcw nights az"
rnc Of the Jnhnnics crawlcd across /"
rho German lines and tackled al alarm
clock set for the midnight hour on one
nf the wooden stakes holding III" 'i"f-
man wires. True To it's m"rhAfiSm lh"
clock went off At the appointed tlln"'
setting up terrible racket
Tbcn Fritz was heard from. II" mt
, yycntv machine guns on tn" location
from which came tn" noise. sent Hr
rnclicls calling for T. h;,rrHE" '!r" IN"
soon had the entire front h"'|E '''
LIGHT and a sheet Of failinG hu'''lS' me
WIS sure tic YankS wore ah"u' l" IAN
uDon his trenches. At Intervals 81 'cn
minutes for half an hour the ialthtui
alarm clock threw anew q three Hlnh'"
scare into the German soul. MI IN"
time our doughhoys were chrkihG WIN
laughter at tie prank one 81 lhrIr num-
Der had ;,laycd upon Fritz
! shoe upnn another foot occurred IN