Washington telegraph., 1919-01-10
WRITES INTERESTING
LETTER FROM FRANCE
Continued from first page.)

both of which l had reason to doubt
a little later.
Next to Anglers, on the river Marne
where all engineer officers not attach
ed to an organization were being sent
at that time, up to this point four of
ficers, Vrysts, Irvine, Clark, Coglilir
and myself, having formed a travel
er's alliance in New York, staid to
gethcr in all things and the idei
worked out most satisfactorily. Oui
ways parted, however, at Anglers
Capt. Irwin went to the 18th Engl
Regiment, Capt. Clark to corps
school and afterwards became an in.
structor in demolition, Capt. Coglilir
was left at Anglers and do not know
what part he played in the big game
that followed; / went to the Army
Gas School at Langres, arriving al
that ancient and historic city on Mar
12. At this place, during a stay OF
one month, | learned that gas had
other values than use as an illumi-
mating agent and an article to be dis
pensed on the front porch of country
stores.
After leaving Langres l went to
Blois on the river Loire, about rs
miles south of Paris, to impart my
new knowledge of gas as a weapon
of war to hundreds of officers and en-
listed men from the states and those
passing through Blois for orders to
various fields of endeavor in con-
nection with the war. On my way to
Blois l saw Paris, or small part of
that city, for the first time. My stay
of eight weeks in Blois was most de-
lightful. Was invited by the COM
manding officer to join his mess, which
of course | accepted. We live after
a fashion not quite in keeping with
war times, but who could tell what
would happen in after months? So
we enjoyed and appreciated our half
of the chateau on the west bank of
the Loire, near the old fortress where
Henry III, Catherine de Medici and
others in years gone by planned the
destinies of France. / worked hard
and had good results.
After leaving Blois, went to Lin
eoges, Clermont-Ferrand and La
Courtine, where new artillery units
were located, on a mission of impart-
ing the elements of gas warfare to
them. This brought me up to the
middle of June, about the time our
soldiers began to go into the line with
-a-view of making their presence in
France known to the Boche in a Sc
rious way. Well, l had not come to
France to live in chateaus. as a sight
seer, nor as gas factory, so | made
myself clear on those points in our
main office at Tours. was then
sent to Belgium to join a Division,
just over from the states, as Division
Gas officer. | arrived there June 25
and few days later knew some thing
Of Boche aeroplanes-knew them ev-
en- by their noise-Knew something
about Boche bombs, and a little a.
bout Boche artillery shell. My work
was principally supplying anti-gas
equipment, devising anti-gas plans
and teaching anti-gas methods. will
not spend much time on Belgium.
The country in general did not appeal
to me, but want to mention one
city, or what was once a city, Ypres.
Our line ran along and Just to the
east Of the city, and the Boche oc-
cupied the ridge about one-half mile
further to the east. Our troops not
doing front line duty rested strong
dug-outs along the east edge of the
city. The city had been target for
artillery fire for months and nothing
was left to destroy-Not a house
standing. The Boche were apparently
very nervous at night Our boys and
the British had been going over in
raiding parties, and they would shoot
like mad at night.
On the 22nd Of July orders came
for me to report to a conference of
three days to be held in Paris, begin
ming August ?. Having a long trip
ahead of me, left Belgium July %.
At Paris orders came Tor me TO re-
port to Headquarters 9TH Army Corps
as acting Corps Gas Officer This du-
ty shifted me from one end of the
line to the other. 5th Corps Head
quarters was at that time located at
Remirencout, a beautiful little city
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