Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-07
BY c. 8. CLARK.

verdun, and surveying the spectacle
Of ruined villages, the tortured earth,
the wasted and shell-torn regions-the
awful destruction and desolation
stretching league after league in ev-
cry d~irection-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 fiends and feel that any
punishment or any indemnities are
too great for the nation responsible
for the scenes that are e~srywhere
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
q hundred k~ilonleters, (about two Kill
sides by trees, which when their To-
liage is out, forms a complete arch
way of the road. So straight are the
roads constructed by the government
that frequently you can see the next
town at q distance of ten miles, usu-
ally with the cathedral standing ap-
parently at the head of the street.
villages nesting on the hillsides or
perched on the crest of a hill, come
Into view and disappear as we speed
along an almost perfect true 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. The
colors of the scenery and the sky in
France are Incompatible.
Passing through Claye, Meaux and
Montmirail toward Challons, there
are acres Of farm land on both sides
Of the roadway. Hundreds Of acres
are under cultivation and n 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 a 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 a 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 filed up, and we found it neces-
sary to reduce our speed. Entire vii
lagos were deserted, and gaping shell
holes in the houses, the shattered roofs
and the devastation needed nc 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 Verdun 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 af
ter-war problems.
Miles and miles of narrow-gauge
railroad lines. were constructed ovel
which the ammunition and supplies
were sent to the front. These rail
road tracks, for many miles, are still
undisturbed.
Not q single entire house remain:
standing in Verdun, at n time the
home Of $4,000 civilians. Where once
lueT0 were uUiucS 10 AOn OhiS q mum
tain of stones, brick, rubbish and gap
ing walls. The fort is intact-at NJ
point did the German guns penetrate
the walls. We walked through foul
miles Of tunnels under the forts, II
which the inhabitants lived with tht
soldiers during a part of the tim'
the city was under fire.
Fort Donamont, ten miles beyond
yerdun, Is merely a heap Of stone!
and debris, entirely surrounded fol
miles by torn and tortured earth re
sembling a plowed field. excepting 70
the the craters made by exploding
shells. Here were the bones ant
skulls Of dead Germans, empty shells
helmets and gas masks. Some Of thu
dugouts remain In the h...lsldes. Thi'
is a most desolate spot on the eartl
excepting possibly mo Mans Land
between Challons and Reims.
Reluctantly we retraced u step
and returned to Ste. Menehould. Her,
we found an Inn where we put up TO
the night.
Bright and early with the sun a
our backs we startee on q 70-mlle rid
to Reims. By NOD 1t was snowinI
hard. The road tween Challon
and Reims had not been put Il