St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1921-12-16
A Letter From France

ceived by Jeweler |. II. Lynch
from his daughter Gladys who
spent the Summer in France, to-
gsther with a few associate
teachers from Highland Park
High School. Detroit, Michigan:
Dear Papa: | believe my last
letter ended just as we were go.
ing to take a trip to the battle
fields at Verdun. We left Paris
from the east station. Here we
saw many Americans anxiously
waiting for the train to the bat
tie field, as we were. We were
met at the station by a young
French lieutenant with "Croix
De Guerre" and other medals.
He had been in the thick of the
war, was shot through, but man
aged to save his superior officer.
The minister of foreign affairs
was also st the station. 1t was
through him that such an inter
esting trip was planned. We.
found compartments reserved
for US on the train. The scenery
was beautiful, with small fields
Of different colors which made IL
look like a patch work quilt. We
went through Chateau Thierry
and could see the Billeau woods
in the distance. We could see
signs of the war, hangers for air
planes, buildings in ruins in all
stages of repair. We went
through Gibbons Sur Marne; the
Marne river was almost dry. We
began seeing cemeteries with
black and white crosses: the
black for the Germans and the
white for the Allies. Al the sta.
tion of Verdun we were met by
the Commandant Eparness; he
waH commandant at Verdun
during the war and is still in
charge of the citadel: he is par.
italy parslyzed, but is jolly and
full of fun as IL he had not seen
all the sorrows of war. There
were five military automobiles
waiting for us. 80 we immedi-
ately started out for a view OF
some of the forts. Verdun is
rapidly being rebuilt, but the
outskirts are still in ruins. but
we passed hundreds of shacks
put up by the French for refugees
"a couple Of families lived in
each - tar papered covered
shacks. We now saw the broken
down trees and barren ground.
Now and then a Doppy could be
seen or a blue flower. Our chauf.
feur pointed out where there had
been forests, but now only
stumps remained. We passed
through village after village; in
some all that was left was the
name. We passed a monument
erected 10 the right flank of the
fifth division u. 5. A. on No,
vember LIST. 1913. This marked
their furthest advance just be.
fore the Armistice. We now
reached one Of the large Ameri-
can cemeteries. II was all sur
rounded by burlap because they
were disinterring bodies 10 be
sent back 10 America and they
wouldn't let us enter OF even look
in. As we went over the hill we
could see the piles Of coilins. II
seemed Ak IL IL would have been
much better IL they had lolt
them there. American soldiers
we're stationed in a hut across
the road, and they brought out
a register 10 see IL we had any
friends buried here. Next we.
came to Montfaucon; this is one
Of the strongholds of the Ger
mans. II was here that the Ger
man Crown Prince had his
lookout. The Americans helped
capture this the remains Of
the cathedral still stands. We
moved ON and stopped at a little
cafe which was nothing but a.
shack in charge of crippled
soldier. We could get nothing
but bottled wine or yichy water,
q mineral, because the spring
and wells were destroyed dur
ing the war We now moved 10
Vanquoois-we had 10 climb up a
very high hill. We went up the
side where the Germans had
been stationed. They had their
fine dugouts of concrete and
iron: they had built steps up
the hill with a railing. We could
fnd remnants of electric fix
lures. We had 10 climb over much
barbed wire and saw many un-
exploded shells. We finally
reached the top. II was like a
big crater nothing but a mass
Of rocks and wire. The Germans
had been stationed on one side
and the French on the other.
they had fought here for years
O lovely village had been here at
one time. We could easily tell
the difference between the
French and the German side. The
German wire entanglements
were fastened like a cork screw
going into the ground-whilel
the French was on the saw buck
style or stake and rider fence of
former days. They were much
easier to move. The French dug
outs were of wood and sand
bags-they were not durable.
xIg- - A.. L.,..., l,..,. AL Ilil