The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-05-22

In the peace treaty about to b
signed at Versailles, SO momentous foI
the future peace and happiness of the
future Of civilization II is devoutly Il
be hoped that such peace will be
consummated as will secure the ends
of justice and an assured guarantee
against another such world catas.
trophe.
Dead Mans Hill"
A later trip TO "Dead Mans Hill' on
the other side of the Meuse, and long
tramps over miles of battle fields
proved continuation Of the same
story. Everywhere the unsalvaged
debris of battle, thousands of dug
outs" leading down, often by flights
Of steps deep into the ground. miles
upon miles Of camouhaged roads, and
disordered narrow-gauge railways for
the conveying Of supplies and ammu-
milton, empty shells, and often unused
ammunition, hand grenades, etc, ex-
.ploded and unexploded shrapnel
shells, hundreds of lonely graves
everywhere among the shell holes,
marked by wooden crosses with the
victims identification number and
sometimes a helmet. or pair Of shoes
resting on top of the freshly made
mou pa....s. p ~ ~, "A, .e.t.
|; One ,little cross inscribed by some
1aying comrade reads: lei repose un
stfaye poilu qui est mort pour sa
,Ktrie."
I. occasionally one observes human
Dimes where the winter rains have
3tshed out the shallow graves. |
1lcked up and examined two or three
Mhitened skulls of unfortunate
.Nrenchmen. For the most part the
dead have been removed to the various
.eemeteries all over France now mark
led by so many freshly made graves.
Yet thousands still remain buried on
The battle fields under wooden crosses
with the uniform red and blue circular
ssGsk and streamers pinned on the CEN
tea to indicate the resting place of a
larfeneh soldier.
fM0ne is struck by the elaborate sys-
TIM Of French roads that like a net
work extend over hill and valley. Five
wears since they led from happy vii
.lsge to village and half-concealed,
through forested areas or fertile hill
sides and river valleys that lay be-
tween Now, ghost-like and lonely,
these whitened highways seem run
ming distractedly everywhere in search
Of hamlets and prosperous villages
that are now merely meaningless
names on the map.
"Montfaucon"
Toward dead Mans Hill" north
one passes through Choisel, Bourras,
Marie Charny, Forges, Cummieres,
Bethincourt, Cusy to Montfaucon, Of
ten unable to determine the site Of
these villages; so completely levelled
to the ground are they by continued
shell fine. Through this very devas-
tated area our boys helped drive the
Boche north and eastward from his
long held and deeply intrenched battle
front. A few miles farther north one
comes to the ruined hillside village
of Montfaucon where the Crown
Prince had his famous dugout head
quarters and from tower on which
hill be watched the progress of the
campaign. All that now remains Of
Montfaucon is few shattered houses,
On the road to this village we passed
a few American Army trucks and a
small company of American troops
engaged in removing some of the
American dead from their battle field
graves to one of the newly establish
ed American, cemeteries near Var
ennes.
The remainder of our route took US
through Varennes, south up the val
ley of the river Aire, skirting the
famous Argonne Forest ON the east.
But not till we reached Clermont did
we leave the devastated area behind
us; and exhibitions of wars ravages.
were frequently in evidence as far
south as Barbecue.
In our round trip from Gondrecourt
to Montfaucon and back distance of
over one hundred and fifty miles we
took in partial cross section Of the
battle front, following its main axis
a short distance, yet nearly half our
trip took US through region so thor
oughly war-devastated as to require
the larger part of generation at least
to restore it TO its former prosperity,
atfording us some partial and imper-s
feet conception of the total amount of
destruction sustained by this brave
people and their loyal allies.
JAMES BROOKS,
Y. NJ. c. A. Educational
Secretary to 88th Div.
France, May 4, 1919.