South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-09
NOT LAST WAR
CALVERT THINKS
South Bend Man, Now Major
in France, Doubtful
of Future.

mis- u not the last war / think
we viii see more OF Il. But who can
tell?"
This Is a significant sentence from I
a letter written by Maj W Jay
Calvert. L. 3. A. now in France. 10
his brother. @. W. Calvert. Of Rural
route No. 4. South Bend. Mai CAL
vert is "A graduate OF South Bend
high school and OF West Point mill /
tary academy. now being in the reg
ular army. He expects 10 be home
b. the end Of summer
Following is the letter:
March II. 1919.
'Tll admit 7 haven't done well at
writing letters since I've been over
here. I know there is lots 20 write
about that would interest YOU very
much but 1 don't really get much
time 20 sit down and think about
pat and gone things. It's the things
that must be looked after from day
10 day that keeps Us all busy and
they don't seem very interesting 20
me at the present time
"Iil try and describe a little about
the area We are now in II you have
"A fairly large scale map Of France
you can follow It.
Headquarters Near Verdun.
"Our Headquarters are at Souilly
which was Gen. Joffre's headquar
tiers during the first big drive on
Nerdun. u Is about 10 miles from
VerdOn. Later during the Argonne-
Meuss offensive il was first Ameri-
can headquarters. Gen. Pershing
used 10 be stationed there at that
In, 70. - ri fftr.ffs TrF
in that line, there is a large hospital
there I'm which about 1000 men OF
our division are now quartered. IL
was built by the French and was
later turned over 20 the Americans
and greatly enlarged. There are two
large cemeteries nearby. one French
and one American These are the
ones that got no farther. Our area
extends 20 the south nearly % Bar
1e-ouc and is full Of French bar
racks and aviation hangers. II was
not damaged much. excepting that
so,le Of the towns were bombed
from the air a little.
Road that Saved Verdun.
Now going north from here there
are several lines OF wire which the
French constructed but fortunately
never had 20 use. No trenches were
constructed. merely outlined In
preparation.
THE road communicating Souilly
and Verdun is called the Sacred
Way II was due TO this roads eX-
cenent construction that il was pos
sible 10 bring up supplies and am
munition and men which resulted
in holding Nerduu. Conveys Of
trucks. on n regular schedule like
r.. r. system. were run over IL
day and night for weeks Nerdun
OF itself is not badly shot up except
the main street where the above
mentioned trucks made a loop. It
was done trying 20 destroy this road
but the French were able 10 repair
A as fast as 10 was destroyed and
so kept things going.
I'm Nerdun. or rather i'm its de
fences are underground covers for
over 10000 men. sleeping quarters
baths. even theaters. for il was nee
essary 20 provide diversion for the
men when they were Off duty.
Picture OF Destruction.
Now from Nerdun 90 Sedan. no
body will ever Doe able 20 give YOU
word or pen picture that will de-
scribe 10 90 YOU. Dozens or towns
are totally destroyed. not n wall
Standing. nothing but heaps OF
stones. ceIers and dugouts. miles
and miles Of trenches. wire and
more dugOuts. both French and
boche and combinations Of both.
Acres and acres of ground over
which YOU can step from one shell
hole TO another and many isolated
graves with little wooden crosses
THE French families are slowly
coming back and building upon the
ruins They are getting some of the
fields under cultivation again but IL
will be many years before the scars
are gone from the country itself and
II will be generations before the
scars are erased from the peoples
hearts or minds or whatever records
peopIe's feeling and hcartaches
1T is ali very interesting. but /
will be glad when I get far away
from il all back where there is life
and happiness.
"As 20 what the French think Of
the proposal and coming peace
terms I'm sure I don't know The
French are still as they were,
wonderful people. They have suf-
fered much and have come through
IL with unbounded enthusiasm and
are going 90 work with a viii. but
thew are NOT progressive They are
living as did Napoleon coutempor-
fes. This may sound pro-German but
a. Germany is given a chance 70 VIII
be but q few years before she out
strips France again. let's hope she
don't turn her cnerEies TO military
supremacy again However. this IS
rot the last war 7 think we viii
both see more Of il, but who can
tell2
.I am we'll and hope 20 be homo
-. +h, ,r3 80 fb.a 1rrf1 IN err