Newark post., 1919-02-19
HERO OF THE MARINE.
VISITS ARGONNE FOREST
WRITES OF TRIP TO AMERICAN FRIENDS
CAPTAIN PAUL PERIGORD PAYS HIGH TRIBUTE
TO AMERICAN SOLDIERS
RITES OF TRIP TO AMERICAN FRIENDS

Verdun by the west. Had he sue
ceeded in encircling that fortress
westward, as he had done east
ward in the St. Mihiel salient, a
frontal attack might then have
quickly brought about it's fall. This
is why he assigned to some of his
best battalions the task of con-
quering the forest. In September
he had come dangerously near it's
southern edge. Our division was
then sent to keep the enemy, at all
cost from the valley of the Biesme,
which would have given him an
outlet south of Verdun.
The fighting that ensued was
terrific; we left two-thirds of our
regiment in the forest. The Ger
mans drove us back to a point but
one mile distant from the little val
ley, but that one mile the legions
of the crown prince never made!
With reverence, l went over
every bit of that holy ground. l
passed our old frst-Iine trenches,
then the German lines. The enemy
had gone, relentlessly pursued by
the Americans. Everywhere
could see evidences of his defeat.
The Exultation of Victory
Suddenly, along one of the COM
munication trenches | heard a
cheerful chatter. l listened, look
ed in. They were the victors,
young, big, healthy boys in khaki.
| could read in their eyes the
exultation of victory. They were
the fortunate ones; they were
reaping the harvest. During 10
months, in that now glorious for
est, we had known nothing but the
bitterest struggle; for a while
hundreds fell daily, and apparent
ly to no purpose, as we could not
stem the tide. How we were wish
ing we could at least leap forward; !;
but we were fighting against odds
too great.
I talked to the boys in khaki and
told them how happy was their lot.
They smiled and said: Eyes, sir,
we have them on the rum" The
young officer who was with them,
fine face, with light and deter
mination in it, understood me. He
came up and said, modestly point
ing to the French braves, "but
they, too, sir, share in the glory.
C'est tout pour la France"
If the spirits of the dead bless
the living, what benedictions must
the dead boys of France pronounce
over these young American crus-
aders! Thanks to them, their
sacrifice has not been in vain.
Fighting for Righteous Cause
There is glory in fighting a los
ing fight for a righteous cause,
for a just cause can be but tenn
porarily checked. But how much
more satisfying to witness it's
actual triumph! Happy American
soldiers! They have all fought or
died with the dawn of victory
Tightening their countenances and
warming their hearts.
AS l was leaving this holy
ground a strange feeling came
over me. l felt | would come back
to that spot. l have left there sc
much of my soul. Somehow those
boys will expect me back. When ]
deem my mission fulfilled, when ]
have paid to society the debt we
all owe to it, | feel | shall return
and settle there not far from the
Franco-American forest and live
there in communion with our great
dead.
You see, when the days Of the
great struggle are over many O.
you, and particularly the yount
! generations, will recall but it:
! glorious ending. The world will
no doubt, have gone on to othe.
, tasks and forgotten much. We, thu
, cd soldiers, will have to keep burn
ing in these huge green yards tn
fire of constant and loving re
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of tn
5 French boys who closed the doc
2 to Paris ,of the American boys VIII
2 opened the door to Metz and tn
< Rhine.