The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-06-28
~ c. s. CLARK,

Verdun, and surveying the spectacle
Of ruined villages, the tortured earth,
the wasted and shell-torn regions-the
awful destruction and desolatfon5
stretching league after league in ev-
cry direction-one does not feel that
the peace terms handed to the Ger
man delegation at Versailles are too
severe, One cannot look upon this
work of fends and feel that any
punishment or any indemnities are
too great for the nation responsible
for the scenes that are everywhere
apparent throughout the northern
part of France and Belgium.
We followed the road taken by the
second and third American armies on
their way to the Argonne and Chateau
Thierry sectors. Over hills, through
valleys and quaint villages runs the
road, as straight as an arrow for over
4 hundred kilometers, (about two Kill
ometers to a mile) bordered on both
sides by trees, which when their TO-
liage is out, forms complete arch
way of the road. So straight are the
roads constructed by the government
that frequently you can see the next
town at a distance Of ten miles, usu-
ally with the cathedral standing ap-
parently at the head Of the street.
Villages nesting on the hillsides OF
perched on the crest Of hill, come
into view and disappear as we speed
along an almost perfect rue ma
tionale" which connects the principal
cities Of France.
Scenes Of Great Beauty.
These picturesque villages, with
their houses Of cement or stucco, red.
tiled roofs upon a background Of
green, present a scene that would
enrapture the heart Of an artist. Tho
colors Of the scenery and the sky in
France are Incompatible.
I Passing through Claye, Meaux and
Montmirail toward Challons, there
i are acres Of farm land on both sides
Of the roadway. Hundreds of acres
are under cultivation and one won
ders where the men and women who
till the land come from, for often
there are no houses In sight for many
miles.
At the inn of the Gallant of the
Green Castle" in Montmirail, we
stopped for the night. The inn had
not been heated for months and, Of
course, the bedding was very damp
Otherwise our rooms were most home
like and We, spent comfortable night
While the dew was still upon the;
+ grass we speeded toward St. Meme
hould and Verdun. Soon we came to-
within sight of the first grave-it
was that Of an, aviator-in the center
Of wheat field. The soldier had
been buried where he fell. We pass
ed hundreds of such graves during
the next few hours.
The roadway was becoming more
uneven where the shell holes had not
been filled up, and we found it neces-
sary to reduce our speed. Entire vii.
lagos were deserted, and gaping she'll
holes in the houses, the shattered roofs
and the devastation needed no expla-
nation. We passed abandoned air.
planes, army trucks, camions and guns
of every description.
We passed numerous German pris-
on camps. Eight hundred thousand
prisoners are being utilized wherever
possible in repairing the buildings,
roadways and the part of the dam
age they have done.
The Debris Of War.
Nearing vertlun we came upon
many storehouses filled with ammu-
nition-shells, hand grenades, and
other .war material-that has never
been removed from the containers.
What to- do with the tons and tons
Of this ammunition is one Of the at
ter-war problems.
Miles and miles Of narrow-gauge
railroad lines were constructed over
which the ammunition and supplies
were sent to the front. These rail.
road tracks, for many miles, are still
undisturbed.
Not a single entire house remains
standing In Verdun, at one time the
home Of $4,000 civilians. Where once
there were homes Is now only noun
tain Of stones, brick, rubbish and gap
ing walls. The fort Is intact-at no
point did the German guns penetrate
the walls We walked through four
miles of tunnels under the forts, In
which the Inhabitants lived with the
soldiers during part Of the time
the city was under fire.
Fort Donamont, ten miles beyond
verdun, is merely heap Of stones
and debris, entirely surrounded for
milesteby torn and tortured earth re-
sembling a plowed field, excepting for
the the craters made by exploding
shells. Here were the bones and
skulls of dead Germans. empty shells,
helmets and gas masks. Some Of the
dugouts remain in the hillsides. This
Is most desolate spot on the earth
excepting possibly mo Mans Land"
between Citations and Reims.
-.@ Reluctantly we retraced our steps
and returned to Ste. Menehould. Here
we found an inn where we put up for
the night, -r.
Bright and early with the sun at
our backs, we started on z70-mlle ride