New-York tribune., 1920-05-09
Tours Are Arranged
To BattIefelds of
France and Belgium
Series of Combined Rail,
Water and Motor Lines
Established to Give Tour
lists Clear View of Zone

IN anticipation of the thousands of
American tourists who are arranging
TO visit the historic battlefields of
France and Belgium during the summer
and autumn remarkably complete ex-
cursion facilities have been provided in
these regions by the principal travel
organizations. Large areas of the
former war zones were devastated to
such an extent that they are still
deserts, and without the aid Of these
organizations travel there would be i'm
possible. To enable American tourists
to visit the battlefields series of COM
bined rail, water and Motor. lines have
been established, and even aerial ex-
cursions have been arranged. At many
points hotels have been constructed
for the accommodation of sightseers
and the roads have been put in good
condition for motoring.
To visit all the battlefelds of interest
would take at least ten or twelve days,
but through the enterprise of the tour
ist companies it is possible to see the
chief points of interest IN much
shorter time. With this object various
excursions have been arranged.
On the Chateau Thierry- Rheims ex-
cursion visitors are taken to the battle
ground where handful of American
soldiers, including the marine brigade,
stopped the German army in full ca
reer, blocked the road to Paris, and
with superb heroism won a victory
which proved to be the turning point
of the war. Tourist parties follow the
famous road along which the American
troops were rushed to the front in
motor cars, and see the ruined villages
of Torcy, Vaux and Bouresches and the
memorable Belleau Woods. A stop is
made at Rheims, where visit is made
to the shattered cathedral and the
streets of ruins in its vicinity. On the
return journey scissors, another ia
nous ruined city, is seen.
In the Verdun-St. Mihiel-Argonne
area tourists will see the famous
French town with its many wrecked
buildings. They are then taken to the
bloodstained ground, where the
French-raising their great battle cry,
"They shall not pass"-rolled back the
tack of 1916 At St. Mihicl are shown
the points where the great American
offensive took the Germans by sur
prise and wiped out their entire salient
On this excursion a visit is made to
the great concrete tower from the bot
tom of which (thirty feet underground
I the German Crown Prince watched
through a periscope, the attack on Yer
dun. Another point of interest is the
site of the great German military
camp with its trenches, tunnels and
shell holes.
In the Belgian area parties are taken
along the entire British front, visit
ing Ypres, Nieuport, Vimy Ridge, Lens
Noyon, St. Quentin and Mons. The
excursion includes a number Of ia
nous battletields, the historic ruins of
Louvain, destroyed by the Germans
and Zeebrugge, the notorious subma-
rine base.
In addition to these excursions there
are several others, which include such
famous places as Amiens, the scene OF
the last German attack, and the bat
tleground where Won Kluck met defeat
in the first year of the war.
One of the most impressive sights
in the war zone is the American GENE
terry in the Argonne, where 10000
heroes made the supreme sacrifice
This is being developed into one of
the most beautiful cemeteries in the
world. There will be a central flower
bed in the approach to the cemetery
from which will radiate flower bor.
dered paths, which will be changed in
color and design according to the sea