Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-16
VEROUN STILL DES0LATE
AS PEOPLE COME BACK
Battered Forts TO Remain as
Monuments TO the Sacrifice
and VaIor of the Po,lus.

cor3,,n Nov. 25 Tho reconstruction
hV the French authorities OF the dcvastat-
"a r>c,ons in Alsace Is undoubtedly tue
-, es,-,nccd in all the regions laId bare
-, ar ,rorld war IN northern and eastern
kranoe This fact unpresscS ono on visit
w. caaIcs. a former Alsatian irontler VII
l,g, ~ miles from IT. lpe, containing
about 700 inhabitants with 200 houses.
On Octobcr 10. 1914. this village, mter
~ inhabitants had been transpor'eu 10
different parts of Asace and IcTnaily, anu
under the prctonsc that us ii'lai!', 5ia all.'
,,,,r,, nr,-F French and had given iniorina-
-, :, ~. French authorities, was
syst,,rnaticallv and scientifically dcstr"S-
ed 49,
found the work OF rcconstruction thcre
x,.r,. much advanced The French govern
mont had offered It's former inhahltah.S
,u,o plans for the reconstruction OF ,hei
for,nn, homes Either they should ciai1
indcmniticS for property destIoycd' S'IOii
iud,mu,t,rs e, ~ passed upon oy st'So'Ai
commission with It's Attending nciao Z
:, Loo thov might elect to ioreSo such
claims and leave tho government !" 10
pl,ce The buildings c.thcr ipY new ofics vi
r.o.,r;ng thns, not entirely destroyed
- ~ ,.crrnans The inhabitants unahi-
y,o,,sly chose thr latter pEiil WIN lhe rtSu''
4b,t SaaleS = rlslng again ~ = nc" N,lae'
9Th IN rer cent ~ the work aircauy Eoi'''-
n, sam, course Is 'SIng pursued iN
,h, other devastated IUaltieS ~ -fisa'g'
s, Tho Valley oi Munster anu ole ''llo
-.u and with the same satrl"'tolS
.,It and It Is only nautV /"
nth yrher All thOse destroyed onto
tt'ufN, .;',,r-rs yIil have taken
cam thru pru-War appearances
.,lo,ei Wnklcr. 81 the French Army IN IN
-. II Tim. reconstruction work 700
- tn, r,uncd section oi AisarS-if,r
,, an 10 entirely rchndt before 'h'
,,,rL ran he started IN the W'L-u'
- rrc,onq az northern trancr.
tnooa OO0 600 francs t'cing Cqll'eu
.t,rt work m that direction
preoI.,TIoN At vFRnUN
i his statement is iorc'r.<
-..ch homo - one when orc N rL...
I'm, ,,,d rs dsolated rrClon lhcTc
,ftcno, 10 start rcconstrtr
,.,hl, Al that was poticcaiIC. ~
.., .i,.trict was thc employment 81 4
...3. q thousand German war prisoners
~ hundred Russian soldiers, rem
- army 81 tho Car. who chose
.a.- ~ stay III Trance than 70 return -
- ~, var ended. These men
- i rrr,nvine the huge piles of
,.s masonry broken tmbers ana iuiF-
L,ch n,,rk the rmplaccnent where
.r.,-jy tho hcttcr part Of Ncrdun STOOD
rt.1. Ia Ilttlc the former InhalnitantS
if h,,o,r city arr returning and arr
,-.,,s,-- among the r1iins Of their iornl
t,rrrs temporary and crude shelter
,,l,-,,,- no-Sil lr using the sheli-hattoTF I
-. Fl i 8lnqsv abode passed 8 ho'lSr
i, -ttc- ,he shru az one n which We
b,.t.ci rn.u wife. Chtld. horse, wagon
ma fcu ch,ckcn. lll not merriy nnacr
NC earlrnor r,-,t. htr all ~ ono room ln'
h.r~r 4rl wagon iylng shut oii rom 'ne ne
3nfl, l> /. ranNs.s partition irrhaIs ~
y,- -rut II lis returned inhaui1ah'o 'hc
lVHC f.@ WAY -. !.
FIN 1,-,.t.-, lml.~ arr IN ISc here
,.- fix t...,r- uanlh lighted the
.,- q,hrrvIse thc CITY IS
r pr', ,Nn h0tcl, ARE open
.9..ur...4.Ions. there are very
Irart
.ra most in Ncrdln s
.Ifucr which gT1pe one
city 81 Tho dead he
tt.... ..nahtants 70 among the
E., eveskinC 20 ono anoi hcr
ol ,u + .,h;ir yog encounter prlc> !,
.w.s. tr ll- ncalYte Toanlhg 'ltH
arronA tar rifles oi shell torn mason
t..ard n, { itLCd-al rC'UTninc from
'he s.-Ial Elv,n newly ioHnd ItlIt'll-s. =
- t.on}l.rt.nien, The only gay spot L
IL, bori4on hluc 81 the French garrison
To bg ab.,. IL give m adequate picture
- 49,. devastation IN and around Ncrdun
WOULD h. Necessary g p:lS- several GAYS
Is Tho ,,tN and the Cnwrons Il ont ;
,..,t = hrnitcd "a 8 few hours, only ,
e.,ro-, description a i i possittc
.ps-.,al prrmlt Is necessary 70 visit
Fort. AUX and Donaumant most sought
lv AN visitors. an hour rldr on iariN
4,,I road past tie runs - Forts S''ti-
,u. and ravannr and thc ataret
Rouge sc7ne o. terrible cont'a's- =. roaG
llff on both SIDES r. r''uganc 'iI' Witt
asu holes, uttered with nlic~ ol ou' "tT'-
=. ,,lre and dotted pieuuiuH. Nlth lolN
,.ro-ses. last resting places Fl ,all'n 'it.-
.rou-p heroes. trlngs you 10 r or NauA
FORTS AZ UScFiSGED.
IT., interior Of the fort l. iett Just 10 h,
emo condition. a. when the aruH-'ict
torr,ej 4ll hostiiI1les A hrlgsdleT ant
rrivst. .lln, are left 10 guard II. although
. small dctsenneit Na- 10 garrison there
N T. ~Cl,rrntcr ta~f or N-hv' metre.
deer ~ tl,,. tort i,-e3t rL-itca The ";.-'-
ror.,'- vl,r,. ii r- DART pa-~rgvRaNH
reuch md Gguan- klll'.i esarh othul
.atfolt n- ttl. 70 recognize eltht'
.-,rrt ar N3ealpc gIl- Ar' -'I
,audfn. .;r n'4"c- ~ this raSr-
u..pr, Nu $3.50. - NJ lul..taJlt5 -tti
uo-urates D. rorvldor- conuTlng "
.rir seIons .. drc--iL- -'aDon and ho,
ural Vhcr, mcr Vrrr 'rof on n trf
-ihlv u4ntllated alc n agon, iho chaut
e.er II Co! RovnA,, coumaLaer OF thI
or trou phIch n directed the heron
.eftu-e - ths fort Il -till ntscj anc lef
Is ia. cXact condiu9u 10 which he occu
esc1 + .o toO TIE temporary chapc
hcrc services FOR Ia acaG Sert coutuU
Nv held The rnner nnats ~ I d, Tort ar
IL uttered vlth r.oken gin c1rrlages
b.. demolished cupot.-. cartridges. Oquip
r,.srt- ~llstlng barbed WIN. &c tn,
ltehc. 81 the 4esd brOrs1F ahevC THIS Lel
- - mage
A hst hour nde hrnas one - For-
Doua IrnOnf. the pillar % The deiens,
of Nrrdun. a. tho oX-ka4scr termed II
Thc rouU Is iuil 81 grlU%omc reminis
s-ucf4 Onr pass's 'he Pawn IL /.
Nor RaS1nc u Death where thOls.
huds ~ Frvucn lLd Lcrinan dead an
hslricd tho ThupunouJ arm. III rathc,
/ &.