Bogalusa enterprise and American. (Bogalusa, La.) 1918-19??, 1919-06-26

used as place of refuge by the per-
secuted Huguenots.
It was Jeanne dare day and there
were professions and other demon
strations in the streets of Paris. We
visited several famous cafes of Paris,
including the Cafe de la Paix, where
most of the important men drink
their champagne or vim blanc.
We then took tramway to the
| outskirts of Paris, which is not in-
viting from either social or sani-
tary viewpoint, it being the habitat
of the poorer classes and apaches. We
saw part of the wall of Paris and
strolled through the Marche aux
Puces (flea market) which is large
square of secondhand dealers in all
sorts of imaginable junk-dirty,
rusty, apparently unserviceable-
anything from an antique piano to a
nail, all spread on the ground. The
market seems to be well patronized.
This completed my sojourn in
Paris, the third largest city in the
world. Paris is just about 1000
years old and has a population of
approximately 100000 There is
much to be seen in this city, and
taken as whole is a very beautiful
place. However, from moral stand
point,I would not give it very high
rating.
Chateau Thierry
The next morning / registered out
and took the train for Chateau Thier-
ry, arriving there at 9 80, and after
visiting the town, or rather what is
left of it, went by automobile to
Belleau, some seven miles away,
where the Yanks made such an i'm
preston on the Huns.
The road to Belleau was very pref
ty, and as one of the fellows re-
marked, "Not a bad place to fight"
Nothing remains in the little village
of Belleau, everything is laid waste,
and / don't think there were four in
habitants in the whole hamlet. Bel
leau Woods is nearby, situated on a
hill, and was the scene of desperate
fighting. There are intrenchments
and dugouts all over the hill, some
containing bones and remnants of
the fight in the nature of ammuni-
ton and equipment. There is an
American cemetery at Belleau con-
tanning some four score graves, dec
Grated with little flags and some with
flowers.
Near the village is a German pris-
oners' camp (French). At most of
the French prison camps the Ger
mans did not seem to do much work,
always going about doing as little as
possible and ofttimes trying to fra
ternize.
Rheims
From Chateau Thierry / went to
Rheims, arriving about p. m.
Rheims was before the war pros
porous city, but is now a desolate
place of ruins. This city suffered
more than Verdun. In the midst of
the ruins looms the majestic Cathe-
dral of Rheims, or rather its shell.
When viewed from afar the cathe-
dral seems intact, but upon close in
spection it is pitiful sight, as moth
ing remains but the outer architec-
tural frame, no roof, and the interior
is in total ruin. This was the most
beautiful cathedral in all France.
Hindenburg Line
/ took a truck operated by the
X. of C. to the Hindenburg Line,
some ten miles away. The road still
showed signs of the fierce struggle
-muniti0n dumps, barbed wire en-
tanglements and trenches, and here
and there a grave.
When we reached the line we made
a tour of the famous '1impregnable"
line. The soil was chaIky and abb
solutely devoid of vegetation or ami
NAL life. For miles the ground had
been plowed by shell fire and mining,
and the whole field was filled with
crooked trenches and shell holes,
barbed wire and dumps. There were
some Boche tanks and ammunition
lying pell-mell and plenty of gren-
AIDES. Some of the fellows exploded
some of the grenades which had been
left in the trenches.
We went back to Rheims and
halted at the Y. IL. G. A. hut and
early next morning / took the train
for Verdun via Epernay.
Verdun
This is an old fortified town sur
rounded by walls and moats. YER
dun seems to be somewhat of a de-
serted city. There were no hotels /
or restaurants accommodations
at all, and / had to do some tall
scouting to find piece of cheese and
bread and some beer. Bread, cheese
Especially goat cheese) and wine are
the staff of life of the peasant, and
they invariable insist that you rest
and partake of some. Verdun is well
shot up, but not so much so as
Rheims. Under Verdun there is
large underground fort which the
Germans tried vainly to destroy.
1t contains everything necessary
kitchens, dorTnitories, recreation
rooms, etc.
It was near Verdun that the fierc-
est fighting took place, at Fort Dou-
aumont. It was at Terdun that the
Poilu said: rs ne passeront pas" !
Troyes and Montargis
From Verdun I went to Chalons