The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1919-01-29

~" "'o >''' uI Ihto NOfuS the I'M
preston | Have Received His Only
Comment After Viewing the Ruins
aud Devastation Left In the Wake Of
IN" German Armies. Lines NOW I'm
der Snow.
Paris, Sunday, Jan. 2G President
Wilson today made his first trip to
the battle front and devastated re-
gloM*, visiting Chateau Thicrry and
fhclmS At the close of a tour that
TOOK nm through 4 dozen razcd vii
aseS' ending in the ruins Of the his
toric cathedral at Rheims, he made
this comment:
NO one can put into words the
Impressions | have received amongst
such scenes Of dcsoation and ruin y
That was Mr.. Wilson's only ex
preston Of his feelings after a tri
every FrenchmaR has been hoping he
would make before he takes part in
deciding what is to be exactcd from
Germany for the devastation Of moth
ern France.
Accompanied by Mrs. Wilson, Ad-
miral Grayson and very small party
MIR. Wilson left the Murat residence
early this morning, foregoing attend
ance at church and the rest which he
felt he needed very much to perform
what he said he considered to be a
duty. The party first motorcd to
Chateau Thierry where lunch was
taken on board a waiting train The
party then proceeded by motor to
Rheims, passing through many ruin
cd villages and along the old fight
ing lines where evidences Of combat
are still to be plainly seen. After
visiting Rheims the President and
his p%ty abandoned their motor cars
and boarding a special train, return
cd to Paris. The last part Of the mo-
tor trip was made in swirling snow
storm.
The first fighting ground was
reached as the party ncared Bcllcau
wood, immortalizcd in the history of
the war by the gallant fighting Of
American marines. The motor cars
'nrncd off the main roads and crawl
cd pcrlously through back lanes to
prlng the president close to the place
where the lighting took place. The
country folk in that ncighborhood are
striving to reclaim their country
from wars desolation. The farmers
were plowing the shell cratcrcd fields
as the President stood beside the
graves of one hundred or more Ameri-
can boys who gave their lives at that
point and looked across the strategic
valley to Bellcau wood, mang]ed
mass OF three trunks and underbrush,
but now national monument to the
marines after whom the French gov
'nment has named the place.
Colonel Edward M. Watson Of Mar
tinsvllc Va, who commanded an ar
''l'cry battalion in the fight and was
later chief Of staff OF the seventy
: seventh division in the Argonnc fight
ing. stood besides President Wilson
md Brgadier General William w
Harts and told the story of the battle
= in detail.
Then Mr. Wilson drove mp the hill
over which the American troops
smashed the crack Prussian divisions
mustered there to crush the green
hOrns' and whore the advance on
Paris was checked. This was near
Chateau Thicrry and the spot prom
iscs to be mecca for Americans for
many years to come. Mr.. Wilson
"'w the ruins Of bridges over which
the Americans thrust hack the enemy
at this nearest point to Paris and
the shell marked houses which sur
vived the battles Of those memorable
days
On entering Chateau Thicrry tho
mayor greeted Mr.. Wilson, who re-
spondcd quite informally He then
drove on towards Rheims, passing
along the old battle line between long
lanes OF barbcd wire acknowledgements
now rusting away in the first winter
of peace; between long muddy trench
es 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 efeatcd enemy
In his fight.