The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-28
"NO One Can Put Into Words
Impressions I Have Re-
ccived," He Says.
VISITS BELLEAU WOOD
He Inspects Ruins Of Rheims
Cathedral With Cardinal
Lucon as Companion.

ting Chateau Thierry and Rheims, At
the close OF tour that took him through
a dozen razed villages. ending In the
ruins OF the historic cathedral at Rheims
he made this comment:
mo one can put into words the I'M
pressicns have received among such
scenes OF desolation and ruin"
That was Mr.. wilson's only express
sion Of hs feelings after trip that
every Frenchman has been hoping he
would make before he takes part In de-
Gliding what Is to be exacted from Ger
many for the devastation OF northern
France.
Accompanied by Mrs, Wilson. Admit
raj Grayson and a small party. Mr.. Will
son left the Murat residence early this
morning. foregoing attendance at churcn
and the rest which ne fe|t he needed
very much TO perform what he said he
considered to be duty.
Go to Chateau Thierry Fire.
The party motored hrst to Chateau
Thierry. where lunch was taken on
board a waiting train. The party then
proceeded by motor TO Rheims. passing
through many ruined villages and along
the old fighting lines. where evidences
OF combat are still 10 be plainly SEEN
After visiting Rheims the President and
his party abandoned their motor cars
ana boarding a special train, returned
to Paris. The last part OF the motor
trip was made In a -wirling snow storm,
the hrst snow Mr. Wilson has seen since
last winter.
The first fighting ground was reached
az the party neared Belleau Wood, i'm
~ y. % hNy
the gallant lighting OF American ma
rines. The motor cars turned off the
main roads and crawled perilously
through back lanes to bring the Presi
dent close to the place where the fight
ing took place.
The country folk In that ne!ghborhood
are striving to reclaim their country
from wars desolation. The farmers
were blowing the shell cratered fields as
the President stood beside the graves OF
one hundred or more American boys
who gave their lives at that point and
looked across the strategic valley to Bel
leau Wood, n mangled mass Of tree
trunks and underbrush. but now ma
tional monument to the marines, after
whom the French Government have
named tho place.
"eh' WATSON DescriDes nettie'
Col. Edward NJ. Watson of Martins
VILE. Va, who commanded an artillery
battalion in the fsht and was later Chief
Of stan OF the Seventy.seyenth Division
In the Argonne fighting. stood beside
President Wilson and Brig. Gen. Will
lam 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 divisions mustered
there to crush the "greenhorns" and
where the advance on Paris was checked
This was near Chateau Thierry, AMI the
spot promises to be a mecca for Amer
leans for many years to come. Mr.. WI
tho amar,cars ,nrns, hack ths s ~n-O,,
line at this nearest point to Paris and
the shell marked houses which survived
the battles OF those honorable days,
On entering Chateau Thierry the
Mayor greeted Mr.. Wilson, who re-
sponded quite Informally. He then drove
on toward Rheims. passing along the
old battleline between long lanes Of
barbed wire entanRlements now rust!ng
away In the FIRST winter Of peace be-
tween long muddy trenches reaching
over the hills and down into hollows 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.
1t seemed as II the fields had been
sowed by Mars with the wastsse OF war
IN the nope that " wouin take root ana
blossom, american as wen as french
graves Jay a'ons the roaosioe' lnere
were rern'ah graves 10 oe seen 100
Deseera'eu cemeteries we're iouhd IN
many cases. Al every 'u,n OF me road
was tarn,' deserted anu III runs its
he'ds ooHso WIZ shei! ho.rs nlien WIN
water ana crusted ice Ihere was
constant panorama OF DESTROYED or
charred Vineyards RaFuehs ana MONIES
xv.,,oma .. ph.,
The President was welcomed at
Rheims by the Mayor and committee,
to whom MIR Wilson explained that he
had not come TO the devastated regions
sooner because he had been wholly en-
gagged at Paris with the business OF
making peace. Before going to the Ca
thedral he passed through the streets of
q deserted city which was once the home
5000 are now eking out an existence
among the ruins. He visited Red Cross
u ra.ou ~. tsS nish, ana dsv sns w.
hospital where the sick and injured are
cared for. The Champagne cellars be-
meath the city. said TO contain some TO-
900, 900 bottles OF wine were not visited.
A light blanket Of snow covered the
ground az the President drove IN 10 the
C-a,hedral and Rheims. rayished and
naked in ALI its misery and desolatIon.
,ooltad like n GRAVEYARD in the moon.
iiyht There were more crows IN tho
mir c,rcllnr over the ruined town than