The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-01-14
CHAUMONT LIVELY
AS ARMY CENTER
Little City, Picked for Pershing's
Headquarters, Is Now
Americanized.
HOTELS ALWAYS CROWDED
huFrylno ofHcers Everywhere While
War Was on-Pershin0 Lived In
caetle-Founded on Place Of
Strategic vaIue.

Strategic vaIue.
Chaum0nt, France.-This little city
Of the Haute Marne is the home OF
the general headquarters Of the Amer.
lean expeditionary forces.
Here lives the commander In chief,
and In the buildings Of the French gar
rison are housed the officers of the
general STAFF and all the auxiliary Or
ganlxations that go with 1.-THE nerve
center of the army. A city of normally
about $4,000 Inhabitants Chaumont lief
on the Eastern railway lines, 1853 miles
east Of Paris. 1t vas formerly the
capital Of Bassigny. and is now the
capital Of the department Of the
Haute Marine.
Like most OF the older cities Of
France, Chaumont seems to have been
founded on a site of strategic value. 1t
crowns . high plateau between the
Marine and the Suize, and from the
walls and towers Of the old city is a
wonderful View Of the valley Of the
Marine, the river here being hardly as
wide as the Marine canal that flows be-
aide It between its poplar-bordered
banks Northward over the narrow
vale Of the Suise the view takes In q
vide sweep Of rolling. forest-crowned
hills.
Removed From Paris.
General headquarters was removed
from Paris here in September of last
year. ChaumoHt being selected after a
careful search Of available locations.
Il lies In the center of what was the
American training area, every camp,
~ well AZ the Toul sector, In which
the American forces first saw battle.
and al the lines from Toul eastward,
where we were located, being within
reach by motor.
The French post occupied as head
quarter Offices Is typical of French
.~arr1sons. Three long, fourstory red
tile-roofed barracks form three sides
Of . great quadrangle facing a wide
avenue. A group of lesser buildings
and the customary iron fence and or
namental gates in the remaining boun-
dairy. On both gate posts fly the Tri-
color and the Stars and Stripes.
Sentries pace their posts on every
hand, the quadrangle Is filled with hur-
rying ofncers and orderlies and clerks.
hands Hash In salute, bugles give their
almost hourly calls for the various mil
ltary events and periods of the day.
stan carr and motorcycles roll In and
ont and now and then the sentry at
the gate stllfens even more rigidly and
brings his piece up with more snap
when I great olive drab car, shining
like . yacht slides In, the scarlet tab
On the Windshield with four white
stars signlfying the commander IN
chief.
Car oftsn unheralded.
Frequently the generals q ap'
proaches u~nheralded and SO swiftly
dat the sentry's cry Of 'aTurn out the
: guard" II too late and the commander
IN chief II gone before the guard can
tumble from the guardhouse.
Until last spring General Pershing
made his residence In q large villa
near headquarters. He soon found
however, that 50 near the workshop OF
tn army he could not have the quiet
and lack Of intrusion necessary to his
growing responsibilities, and he moved
II May last to q beautiful chateau
about I'VE miles from the town. Here
II Z great rambling castle. situated In
thG Marine valley among groves and
wtde sunlit lawns. he lived with his
personal stan. Connected by tele
phone with every divisional corps and
army headquarters, his own Offices In
Chaumont, and with Paris, he did his
work there when not with the army.
Chaumont itself has become almost
AmeFicahized BY the presence of the
headquarters. Its little hotels are al
Ways crowded with officers. 1t has
been very hospitable to the American
occupation. Nearly every home with
= spare room is thrown open as a bill,
let Tor officers and many of the finest
residences have been taken over en-
tirely By the hundreds Of messes. In
many Of them the officers have install
~ electricity and bathrooms, and ir
Dome cases central heating plants, and
with French servants, live comforts
~. almost l~uxuriously al measured In
military terms. Hundreds less fortu
mite or lacking In rank take theiI
chances on whatever billet may b
found n the crowded town, where Z
bed = always at . premium.