New Britain herald., 1919-02-17

buildings, sugar factories, green nelds
and flowers, was the Mecca OF the
artists of the world. And such liter
airy lights as Robert Louis Stevenson,
Alexandra Dumas, Sir Walter Scott,
and many others of lesser renOWn,
made this section of Europe the
theme of their work and the scene of
their pilgrimages And of course the
historians of the last two thousand
years have been kept quite busy with
the recital of what has been done
hereabouts in the way of piling up
history. They will find plenty of ma
terial now for a long, long story.
1--WE bumped from rough spot to
rough spot over the roads, like very
athletic flea in a Marine Barracks
jumping from bed to bed, and after
a very long ride came into Roulers
This is a good sized city in the center
of sugar fields and manufacturing
districts, and has been very badly
damaged, not only by the Huns, but
by bombing raids and Smelling on the
part of the Allies, who were deter
mined not to let sentiment prolong
the war The people are back in
Roulers trying to patch it up and get
things in shape to start life anew.
The people who were driven out of
the warning sectors have their little
problems, I can tell you, some of the
land will be under cultivation next
season, that land which was back of
the lines. but the land fought over
and for four years will require years
to get back into anything like a pay
ing condition. In fact some of it is
all m OSt inn D0SSih1e Of 11Se
From Roulers through Thourout
to Ostende is a magnificent, straight,
paved highway, and except at the
crossings and when we came to
bridges, which were blown up by the
Huns in their retreat, and hastily re-
paired with temporary wooden struc-
lures, we made wonderful time, most
ly sixty miles an hour.
"Ostend is a very remarkable sea-
side resort, with big stretches of
bathing beaches and expensive hotels
and casinos. 1t has a very fine and
interesting harbor with elaborate
docks and basins. And here the Ger
mans had very important subma-
rine base The British tried to stop
the harbor much as Hobson did at
Santiago, by sinking the Vindictive
across the mouth of the entrance
Some stunt it was, the old ship is
still there, and except for having
dragged her off the channel the Huns
were unable to do anything before
they were driven out of the coastal
towns. The concrete submarine shell
ters, built by the Huns to guard
against Allied air raids, are wonder
full pieces Of conCrate engineering,
they were built to stay, but the
bombs got at the foundations of some
of them and they are we'll wrecked.
"Ostend has many very interesting
embracing many periods, and the ma
smaller buildings. We had dinner.
very late in the afternoon in a verv
good restaurant, with mirrors around
placed in good taste at the proper
vantage points, but the decorations
and mirrors and walls were well
SCARED with bullet holes and marks,
made by the Hun officers who came
here to eat They practised their
marksn, anship with their revolvers
while waiting for their food to be
served. A very pleasant and profit
able guest, the Hun. When they de-
parted from Ostond they took all the
china and silver Of value from this
restaurant, as well 40 others, but the
proprietor Of this particular place was |
able TO hide away and save three !
small silver teapots, which he brought !
out In honor OF our visit.
"One thing which Disguised me in |