East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-07-23


mans had always 10000 reserve troops
1t is five miles long-we entered 1t for
mile or more and went out one of
the many ports cut by the huns. You
cannot imagine a place better protect
ed by miles of trenches. barbed wire
entanglements. machine gun nests and
heavy artillery, with the terrain as a
whole aiding the enemy. Yet our 27th
and 30 divisions supported by the En-
glish and Australion artillery putting
on the barrage. took the place which
the German high command insisted
was impregnable. 6stsa.4
Sees Reims Cathedral
From here we turned south to
Reims which cathedral is pretty we'll
shot up, also the city. The country
side and towns north of Reims are as
the French say--dimoli, the very
worst From Reims we went south-
east to st. Meuehould on across the
Argonne forest to Cler- Mont where
Gen. Pershing had his lookout for the
great Argonne forest drive which was
the one distinctive American drive. and
which, il the Armistice had not stop
ped it, within three days would have
cut the German army in two and un-
doubtedly would have bagged, just as
Foch had planned i, 100000 Germans.
The other side IF the nut-cracker was
the American and French army cut
ting in at Sedan. Small wonder that
the great Marshal Foch is reported to
have wept like a baby when the huns
turned up their toes like yellow dog
and signed an Armistice when he had
them bagged. 1 have seen how both
sides of the communication lines OR.
r. lines) out of Germany were cut.
One out of Metz, one through Belgium
at Sedan. The monuments along the
Meuse show that the Americans were
cutting across there on Nov. 5th to
9Th, 1t was either an Armistice or a
r'otous debacle for the German army.
We then went north to Romague in
the midst of the Argonne where the
flat was chosen for what will be known
repose more than 10000 of the flower
of American manhood. AS 1 looked
at it and now think of that forest
of white crosses they are not tears of
sorrow that roll out of my eyes-they
are just unashamed tears of pride and
joy that I am an American, and that
American. mothers gave their sons for
such a job, at such a critical time in
the world war. The same was true at
Belleau Wood Cemetery where now
2044 white crosses stand.
We were at Etain, so far beyond
Verdun that we continued on thru
Couflous to Me;z, dorainel, The state
of Lorraine begins at Gravelatte. This
was of course out of the devastation;
yet we found barbed wire entangle-
ments across the hills not far from
Metz. AS we .neared Metz the pano-i
ramic view over into the Valley of the
Moselle river was certainly maginifi-
cent at this, time of year. The city
was very beautiful and prosperous
looking. However numerous bases are
minus their German statuary of royal
ty. One at least has been replaced by
L heroic figure of a French poilu.
Next morning We returned to Ver-
dun approaching from the east.
Verdun Not Restored.
Not much of Verdnn, as a city, Is
intact and little has been done to re-
store and cleans it up. tho many civil
ians were there. 1t is not a prosper
,us part of France from the looks of
he soil and scrops now growing. We
visited the citadel and tunnels and
aw how and why the Huns did not
each Paris in June and July 1918. L
earched the grave registration re-
ords for our own Frank Sheldon Ul- !
ich,. but was not successful. There |
we're two others, John and David u |
ich in other lines of service. But of |
curse there are other cemeteries, and |
few other bodies to come in. From
somague we went north to Dun and
hen southeast to Verdun right thru
he country so hotly and long contest
d for by the Crown Prince to get into
'erdun. To say the best. it is positi-
ely, finished for a long time. We II
rove for half day thru country and II
,wns and didn't see civilian. Final
: within 10 kilometers of Nerdun l
ad to turn around because OF an
nermous mine crater in the road
lore than loo feet across and so feet
eep, When did eventually come out
, a decent road, 1 found then almost
lie west of Cherries noted for fine
nd old Cathedral. and also is the CEN
r of an industry that brings much
loney to France. There are the large
rms that raise the Percheron stall
pms exported all over the world. The
'untry across that great plain has
zen the wheat fields of France since
o Romns under Julius Caesar con-
Tered Gaul. Some very nice wheat
still seen growing there though
It so far advanced, and in not such
rye fields as in Umatilla county.
Methods Strange.
Mr.. Umatilla farmer YOU would have
inned. smiled then laughed out loud
you had driven across the same
lids. last spring early, as did and
en- the methods of ploying, seeding
ID the tools used. Yet there is
cd wheat there and it will help feed
lngry France. Then we made
.afChf ,ait SouthwcSt for Mans