Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-11
CHAPTER X.
Judex ergo cum sedebit
Quidquid latet, apparebit
Nil, inultum remanebit.

-Celano.
The Third army, which was to
march into Germany as the army of
occupation, was also in place on the
18th of November. My regiment was
bivouacked in what had once been a
wood, northeast of shell-shattered
Verdun. The bleakest of bleak north
winds whistled over the hilltops,
whirling the gray dust in clouds. The
men huddled around fires or burrow-
ed into cracks in the hillside. Here
we prepared as well as we could for
our move forward.
The infantry advanced in two par
allel columns before dawn on the 18th
of November BY sunrise we were over
the German lines and the brown col
unns We're winding down the white,
dusty roads through villages long
beaten out of the semblance Of human
habitation by the shells. Gazing back
down the column the thought that al
ways struck uppermost was the reali-
cation of strength. The infantry col
umn moves slowly, but the latent pow
err in the close mass of marching men
is very impressive. The only thing !
know which compares to it in sugges
ton of power is a line of great gray
dreadnoughts lunging across the wa
ter.
At one village a young French sol
dier, who had been riding by our col
umn, stopped sadly before three
crumbling walls. 1t was all that was
left of his home. His father, the may
or of the village, had lived there. His
mother had died in Germany and he
did not know what had become of his
father.
BY night we were out of the unin-
habited parts and were reaching the
freed French villages. Here we found
starving men, women and children
whom we helped out from our none
too-p.entiful rations. These people
were pathetic. They seemed to have
lost the power to rejoice. They look
ed at us from their doors with lack
luster eyes and apparent indifference.
One woman told me that the Ger
mans as they left her house had told
her they would be back soon. asked
her if she believed it, and she simply
shrugged her shoulders.
Next morning we were on the march
again. All day long past our advance
ing columns streamed the prisoners
whom the Germans had been working
IN the coal mines. They were French,
Italian, Russian and Rumanian, des-
perately emaciated for the most part
and still wearing their old uniforms.
Sometimes they dragged behind them
little carts containing the possessions
of two or three of them. Often
stopped them and questioned them,
but whether they We're French or not
they seemed to have one idea, and
one only-to put as many miles be-
tween them and Germany as possible.
We had sent back to where our
Or VI OH III xnya )
Verdun and brought UP our colors and
our band. Now we put them at the
head of the column and went forward
with band playing and colors flying.
The further we got from where the
front line had been the better was the
condition of the inhabitants. Now we
began to see the first signs of rejoic-
ing. News would reach the authorities
in villages that we were coming some
time before we arrived They would
throw arches of flowers over the
streets through which we marched.
Groups of little girls would run by the
side of the column, giving bouquets
TO the men. Cheering crowds would
gather on the sides of the road.
The doughboy had a beautiful time.
The doughboy loves marching to mu-
sic, with flags flying and the populace
cheering. He is very human and is
fond of showing off. For some reason
or other there is |. current belief in
this country that the average Ameri-
can does not like parades, decorations,
etc. This is just bosh. The average
American is Just as keen for such
things as any one else. He likes to
put on pretty ribbon and come home |
and he admired by the young ladies' |
Know | like to put on my decora-
tons for my wife.
In every little town. where we-spent |
the night ceremony of some sort took |
place. Generally the townspeople |
made up an American flag and pre-
scented II to us. / have some Of these |
rags slowed away at this moment
IheN We're made. by looking up in old |
dictionaries. SYmetimes those die |
uonaries were very old and the Amer |
lean flag of 100 years ago would be |
the one copied
once. while we were at mess in the
evening, with great ceremony il was
announced that a committee of young !
ladies desired to wait on me- bowed |
to the sirdle and said 'sWould they
come IMP They trooped in peasant
girls from fourteen to twenty years
ola, dressed in their Sunday go-to-
meeting clothes and headed by the
with them. First an elaborate speech |
in which we hailed as the sons Of |
Lafayette and George Washington, a
slight historical inaccuracy. Then II
replied, calling upon the names If |
Joan of Arc Henry of Navarro and
others. and then the spokeslady. to |
the intense delight or my staff, step |
ped forward and kissed me on both
cheeks. At another time large, cor
pulent, much bewhiskered mayor en-
deavored to enact the same ceremony.
but forewarned Is forearme6, and I |
evaded him.
In a short time we came to the
Duchy of Luxembourg and marched
over the border Everywhere here al
so we were met with opel arms. TEeal
ST., cts were damned as we marched |
through the villages, All the world
ana his wife were there ard greet I'd
us as Comrades GLORIOUS" and "vfc-f
tors ~ sfr 49,
We sent forward, as vas customary,
a detail of Officers to make sure that
billeting accommodations were forth
coming and tina. everything would be
as comfortable as possible for the men.
HUhor. T arriraI S1jrtftu In adyauca ssf