The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-01-02
CHAUMONT SHOWN
AS HEADQUARTERS
Of YANK FORCES

GENERAL HEADQUARTERS OF
AMERICAN ENPEDlTIoNARY
FORCE, CHAuMONT, Haute Marine,
France. Ian. 2. correspondence OF the
Associated Press The date line re-
veals one Of the interesting secrets OF
the army In France, the location OF
the home of the commander In chief OF
The general staff. U'ntil a few days ago
when the censorship rules were modi,
fled TO meet the new conditions created
by the armistiCe, Chaumont has never
been permitted to be mentioned In con-
nection with the American forces,
The exact whereabouts Of the general
headquarters OF any toTce, alileu vi
enemy, In never revealed during nos
%tilities, The military reasons for THIS
secrecy are obvious and in this war
the nlrplan made II ever more neces-
sary, for Lnaumont lies but q little
flight from what were long German
lines.
Ii Is an old and picturesque city.
quiet and conservative beyond even
French provincialism. 1t has water
and gas and electric lights, but no
street railways and few places OF
amusement even in normal times. IL
lies in the center OF an agricultural
and grazing district, Is quite u seat OF
education and historically very inter-
esting, as indeed is every 'l'S VI NC
age In France,
There are really two Chaumonts, the
| ancient town with its narrow, ortuous
| streets, its typical buildings with Gu
| rious towers and buttresscs ana arches
| giving gllmpses through half opened
gates or iron grills of quaint gardens
And uuatnter courts. Many of the
| streets are too narrw to permit the
MASSAGE of wheeled vehicles and the
big staff motor cars find difficulty IN
| navigating the best OF the old town
streets.
Extending outward ON the high pa
tcau upon which the city IL located Is
"A newer and more mordcrn thaumoht'
a region Of fine homes with extensive
| urounds and comfortable residences OF
the wcll-tu~do, and middle classes
Here the wide boulcvardS are tree
| lined and parked.
Il Is In this eastern part OF the
! plateau that general headquarters are
| located, occupying the French military
| post turned over to the Americans by
The French. Its three great coucrete
| barracks and numerous lesser buildings
we're renovated by the American staff
electric lights installed, paint and
WhiteWash called into play, and now
rncked the great headquarters Stnfi
works. Every office is connected by
telephone, the central station being OPP
Grated by American girls.
The three large harrack buildings
form three sides of a great parade
ground. In the center OF the building
on the second floor the the offices o.
Gen. Pershing and no soldiers wort
place could be more severe, His owl
office and its reception room are pre-
risely like every other office In tn
three buildings, The walls are white
washed and practically barren OF or
nament except for some Liberty LOAF
posters, A plain flat-topped desi
stands between the two windows an'
round about a few plain yellow chairs
A stove and u table against the wa
complete the furnishings.
= Headquarters are situated on a wide
tree-lined boulevard in the center o
which between two more rows OF fin
old shade trees, is a spacious walkway
Until last Fourth Of July this wa
known as the Avenue de Fort Lam
bert, but on independence day, u wa
reehristened Avenue dos Etats Uni'
Cen. Pershing being the guest OF hon
or and making Il speech In acknow
edgement Of the courtesy done h
country,
kt the beginning OF the Avenue de
Ftsts Unis, which starts from a beau
tiful little park Is a handsome reEidenc
In which the commander In chief mad
mis- home until last spring, He the
removed to a large and attractive chs
teau about five miles from the cit,
-- NEY--A-