The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-01-09
FEW VILLAGERS
Creep BACK TO
war TORN area
Work Of Rebuilding Delayed
Until Spring,

BEHIND THE LINES IN
FRANCE, Dec. ll.--(By Mail)-This
land OF recent battles is a queer land
now. Over the shell torn villages
and blasted woods, the pi,ted fields
and the ruin OF all 'ha, once was. is
q strange quiet The winter sky is
lacking in airplane' and great iloeks
OF crows have taken their place.
A few Villagers have crept back
10 see wha, remains of their homes
and holdings, but they are Nv and
probably the winter will have Assed
before reclamation and reconstruc-
tion are urdortaken on a large scale
Along the roads repaired and re-
brldsed for the allies advance into
German territory long canton trains
move slowly and always southwark
They travel lci,urely now. for the
need OF hurry is gone They bring
hack the salvage OF battleiieldS, all
the thing, that go 10 make war,
sbaMloncd nr captured.
fIn' Salvage of War.
Truck load after truck load OF
rifles and shells Of water bottles and
haversaok'. cartridges, machine guns,
bayoneiS and trench knlve, and pis-
tolls, mess kits. oyercoats. caps. an
endIe. catalogue Of paraphernalia
are brought IN. The battle zone is
still full OF i, all, in heaps and racks,
wsiling salvage,
Now and then come trains Of air
plaps camions. burdened with dis
maatled flying machines OF every
type and every nation, engine and
ftisilage and running gear on the
truck and the great wings on its Spe-
cially designed trailer Some Of them
are unharmcd, but many show bullet
holes through the frall fabric OF the
ruin of crash 4 fair proportion
Of Ihem bear the Maltese cross that
marks them bochc
There are train, Of captured enemy
artillery, particularly Of motor bat
teries, driven and manned by French
men, and these arc happy outfits.
Often the guns arc decorated with
evergreens and always the French
soldiers laugh and wave a greeting
A. they creep through the villages the
populacc flookS out TO view the cannon
that for four years sent death and
devastation to their land. and the
children Chamber on the carriages and
Out on the grim barrels.
Troops Are Happy.
But II IS the troops on the way
back that are most interesting, re-
turning to rest areas or to their ports
OF embarka,ion for home. French or
American their behavior Is the same
Always they are laughing or singing
always they greet every one cheerily
or boisterously and always the French
officers salute with 4 smile when they
msst an American car, while the men
wave and shout ia guerre est finis.
or familiar greeting Even the chill
dren cry "finis, iinis,' to the passing
Car.
Strangest OF all are the lights at
night in the hamlets and villages or
shining friendly from the isolated
farm house, in regions further back
F@ so long France seemed a deserted
land, TO the traveller by night. Hour
after hour The Associated Press
correspondent has travelled at nigh,
without glimmer TO be seen In the
countryside, and now from every hill
and vale the CHEEKY windows shine
and the villages are ablaxe. The
papers devote columns TO the illumi-
nation OF Paris. but it is here in the
remote part OF France where war has
been, that lights at night seem most
wonderful, even II they are but candle
or little lamp Where once camions
ov staff cars loomed lightleo in the
roads TO the imminent threat of col
lisicn, and often its accomplishment,
the brilliant headlights stab the night.
There is no village now but where
the travelling stranger can obtain food
not IN variety perhaps. but enough and
very Hospitality The deprecatory
polite and necessary refusal to re-
quests for refreshments that usually
were received in little hamles or
single farms has given way to a
cheerful offering Of what there Is, for
the farmers know now that the
spscfer of a winter Of short ration,
has disappeared, The rationing OF
ceYhin foods,uiis i, still in effect