Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1919-02-20
LATE WAR AREA
AN EERiE 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
Plentiful-Friendly Lights
Seen at Night.

Seen at Night.
Behind the Lines in France.--This
land of recent battles is q queer lana
now. Over the shell-torn villages and
blasted woods, the pitted fields ana
ruin of all that once was is strange
quiet. The winter sky is lacking in
airnancs and great tlocks of crows
have taken their place.
A few villagers have crcpt back to
see what remains of their homes and
holdings, but probably the winter Will
have passed before reclamation ana
reconstruction are undertaken on a
large scale.
Along the roads repaired and re-
brldged for the allies advance into
German territory long canton trains
move slowly and always southwark.
They travel lelsurely now, for the need
of hurry is gone. They bring back
the salvage of battletields, all the
things that 90 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
a,l IN heaps and racks, waiting sal
wage.
Now and then come trains OF air
plane camions burdcncd with dlSnan-
tied flying machines of every type ana
every nation, engine ana fuSelage ana
running gear on the truck and the
great wings on its specially designed
trailer. Some of them are unframed,
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 boone.
There are trains of captured enemy
artillery, particularly of motor bat
tories, driven ana manned by French.
mcn. and these are happy outfits.
often the guns are decorated with
eyergreens and always the French sol.
dierS laugh and wave greeting. AS
they creep through the villages the
populacc tlockS out to view the can
non that for four years sent death and
devastation TO their land, and the
children Chamber on the carriages anu
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
lean. their behavior is the same. Al.
ways they greet everyone ch"erily or
boisterouSly and always the French
officers salute with II smile when they
meet in American car, while the men
wave. and shout ia gucrre est tniS,'
or 2Esimiar greeting. Even the chill
dren cry "Finis! Finis !" to the pass
ing car
Travellers Are Welcomed.
Strangest of all are the lights at
night in the halnlcts and villages, or
shining friendlily from the isolated
farmhouse, in regions further back.
For so long France seemed Il deserted
land 10 the Traveller by night. Hour
after hour the press correspondent
has Travelled at night without Il Slm-
mer to be seen in the countryside, and
new from every hill and vale the
CHEEKY windows shine and the villages
are abazp. The papers devote col.
umnS to the illumination of Paris, but
il Is here In the remote part of France
where war has been that lights at
night seem most wonderful, even il
they are hut candle or little lamp,
Where once camions or staff cars
doomed llghtless 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 tray
cling stranger can obtain food, not In
variety, perhaps, but enough and
very Hospitality. The deprecatory pc.
lite and necessary refusal to requests
for refreshments that usually were re-
crived in little hamlcts or single farms
has given way to cheerful offering OF
Nllat lneIe Is, lbE tlie lul ili'iS hho"
LOW that the spectcr of winter of
short r;tlions has disappeared. The
mtCning of certain f0Odstulfs is still
in effect. Bread tickets are necessary
in pubic eating places, no matter how
,inpretentious; 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
I the large French quail and wild boar
1t Is high, but not so high as it always
! IS Mt home.