The Hope pioneer., 1919-03-20
late war area
. AN EER|E PLACE
Strange Quiet Now Rests Over
Land Torn by Shot
and Shell.
Traveller AGAIN IS WELCOME
Plain Vegetables and Certain Meats,
Even Choice Wines, Again Are
PlennfuI~FriendIy Lights
Seen at Night: -

Seen at Night: -
Behind the Lines in France.-This
land Of recent battles is queer land
now. Over the shclltorn villages and
blasted woods, the pitted fields and
ruin of all that once was Is strange
quiet. The winter sky is lacking in
airplanes and great tlocks of crows
have taken their place.
A few villagers have crept back to
see what remains of their homes and
holdings. but probably the winter will
have passed before reclamation and
reconstruction are undertaken on a
large scale.
Along the roads repaired and re-
bridged for the allies advance into
German territory long canton trains
They travel leisurely now, for the need
of hurry is gone. They bring back
the salvage Of battlefields, all the
things that so to make war, abandoned
or captured.
Endless Trophies Of War.
Truck load after truck load Of rifles
and shells, Of water bottles and haver-
sacks, cartridges, machine guns, bayo-
nets and trench knives and pistols,
mess kits, overcoats, caps, an endless
catalogue Of paraphernalia are brought
In. The battle zone is still full Of it
all, In heaps and racks, waiting sal
wage.
Now and then come trains of air.
plane camions burdened with diSman-
tied flying machines Of every type and
every nation, engine and fuSelage and
running gear on the truck and the
great wings on its specially designed
trailer. Some of them are unharmed,
but many show bullet holes through
the frail fabric or the ruins OF crash.
A fair proportion of them bear the
Maltese cross that marks them boche.
There are trains Of captured enemy
artillery, particularly Of motor bat
terieS, driven and manned by French
men. and these are happy outfits.
Often the guns are decorated with
evergreens and always the French SOL
diers laugh and wave greeting. AS
they creep through the villages the
populace flocks out to view the can
non that for four years sent death and
devastation to their land, and the
children Chamber on the carriages and
out on the grim barrels.
But it is the troops on the way back
that are most interesting, returning
to rest areas or to their ports Of en-
barkation for home. French or Amer
ican, their behavior is the same. AL
ways they greet everyone cheerily or
boiSterously and always the French
officers salute with smile when they
meet an American Car, while the men
wave and shout: La guerre est tinis''
or similar greeting. Even the chill
dren cry "Finls! Finis." to the pass
ing car.
Travellers Are Welcomed.
Strangest Of all are the lights at
night in the hamlets and villages, or
shining friendlily from the isolated
farmhouse, in regions further back.
For so long France seemed deserted
land to the traveller by night. Hour
after hour the press correspondent
has travelled at night without glim-
mer to be seen in the countryside, and
now from every hill and vale the
CHEEKY windows shine and the villages
are ablaze. The papers devote col
umns to the illumination Of Paris, but
1t is here in the remote part of France
where war has been that lights at
night seem most wonderful, even if
they are but candle or little lamp.
Where once camions or staff cars
loomed lightless in the roads to the
imminent threat of collision. and often
its accomplishment, the brilliant head
lights stab the night.
There in every village now the trav-
cling stranger can obtain food, not in
variety, perhaps, but enough and
very Hospitality. The deprecatory po-
lite and necessary refusal to requests
for refreshments that usually We're re-
ceived in little hamlets or single farms
has given way to cheerful Offering Of
what there is, for the farmers know
now that the Specter of a winter Of
short rations has disappeared. The
rationing of certain foodstuffs is still
In effect. Bread tickets are necessary
In public eating places, no matter how
unpretentious; butter and milk are sell
dom to be had and cheese is scarce,
but Of plain vegetables and certain
meats there IS plenty, and the light red
and white wines of the country are
Forthcoming when demanded.
At this season there is game in the
small town markets, hares and rab.
bits, veniSon, red-legged partridges and
the large French quail and wild boar.
It Is high, but not so high as it always
Is at home.
Common Law Wife Wins.
st. LOuiS.-MrS. Catherine Clark