Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-27
PRESIDENT SEES RUIN CAUSED
BY THE HUNS RUTF1LESSNESS
Passes Over Devastated Regions Of France;
Visits Chateau Thiierry and Rheims
Desolation Beyond Description.

PARIS, Sunday. January IS (by the
Associated Press).-President Wilson
today made his first trip to the
battle front and devastated regions.
visiting Chateau Thierry and Rheims.
At the close of tour that took him
through dozen razed villages. end
ing in the, ruins of the historic
cathedral at Rheims. he made this
comment:
NO one can put into words the
irapfesaions IAavs reeklvsA aAeadlst
such scenes Of desolatipn and ruin-" !"
That wss Ne. Wilsensa only expres-
sfon sf his feelings sffef : trip that
every Frenchmsn has been hoping he
would make before he takes part in
deciding what is to be exacted from
Germany for the devastation of
northern France.
Accompanied 4 by Mrs. Wilson,
party, Mr.. Wilson left the Murat
residence early this morning, fore
going attendance at church and the
rest which he felt he needed very
much. to perform what he said he
considered to be- duty. The party
motored frst ito Chateau Thierry.
where lunch was taken. an board a
waiting train.sThe rarty then pro-
ceeded by motor to Rheims, passing
through many ruined villages and
along the old fighting lines, where
evidences of combat are still to be
plainly seen. After visiting Rheims
the President and his party aban-
doned their. motor cars, and. board
ing a special train. returned to Paris.
The last part of the motor trip was
made in a swirling snowstorm. the
first snow Mr.. Wilson has seen since
last winter.
"Immortalized" Belleau Wood.
The first fighting ground was reach
ed as the porty neared Belleau wood,
immorta1ized in the history of the war
by the gallant fighting of American
marines. The motor. cars turned of
the, main roads and crawled perilously
through back lanes to bring the sPresi-
dent close to the place where the
fighting took place.
The country folk in that neighbor-
hood are striving to reclaim their
country from wars desolation. The
farmers were plowing the sheIl-crat-
cred fields as the President stood be-
side the graves of one hundred or
more American boys who gave their
lives at that point and looked across
the strategic. valley to Belleau wood,
a mangled mass of tree trunks and
underbrush. but now, national monu-
ment to the marines, after whom the
French government have named the
place. se
Col. Edward NJ. Watson of Martins
vile, Va, who commanded an ar
tiilery battalion in the fight and was
later chief Of staff of the nth Divis-
ion in the Argonne fighting. stood be-
side President Wilson and Brig. Gen.
william w. Harris and told the story
of the battle in detail.
Then Mr.. Wilson drove up the hill
over which the American troops
smashed the crack Prussian divis-
ions mustered there to 5 crush the
and where. the advance
on Paris was checked. This was near
Chateau Thierry and the spot prom
ises to be a mecca for Americans for
many years to come. Mr.. Wilson saw
the ruins Of bridges over which the
thrust back the enemy line
at this nearest point to Paris and the
sheH-marked houses which survived
the battles. of. those memorable DAYS.
President Greeted by Mayor.
On entering Chateau Thierry the
mayor greeted Mr.. Wilson. who re-
sponded quite informally. He then
drove or toward Rheims. passing
along the old battle line between
long lanes of barbed wire entangie-
ments now rusting away in the first
winter of peace; between long muddy
trenches reaching over the hills and
down into hoiiows as far as the eye
could see, and past the wrecks of
dugouts, ammunition dumps. aviation
sheds, hospitals, barracks and all the
other litter left behind by the de-
feated enemy in his flight.
II seemed as il the field had been
sowed by Mars with the wastage of
war in the hope that it would take
root and blossom. American, as well
as French, graves lay along the road
side. There, were German graves to
be seen, too. Desecrated cemeteries
were found in many cases. At every
turn Of the road was a farm. desert
ed and in ruins, its fields dotted with
she'll holes filled with water and
crusted ice. There was constant
panorama of destroyed or charred
gardens and homes.
The President was welcomed at
Rheims by the mayor and a commit
tee. to whom Mr.. Wilson explained
that he had not come to the deyas-
tated regions sooner because he had
been wholly engaged at Paris with
TIE business OF making peace. Before
going u the; cathedral he pa assed