The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-06-24


Where Once Were Trenches.
Little trace is left of wars scars al
Chateau-Thierry. says Laura \. Smith
writing in the Indianapolis Star of g
recent visit to Chateau-Thierry anC
Belleau wood.
1t is two years since l saw Chateau
Thierry, and l an overcome with ad
miration for the gigantic task of re
construction that its people have ac
complished. When l tried to compare
this clean, pretty village with the
Chateau-Thierry | saw before the
armistice in 1918, l had to seek land
marks to recognize 1t.
Then there was row upon row OF
houses tumbled and masses of bricks
and stone. Only a narrow path was
between the piles of debris in the mar
row streets. The waters of the Marine
were still choked with the stones OF
the famous bridge blown up by oul
American troops TO stay the Germani
in their determination to take the
road which led mach Paris !"
All about the region were signs o,
terrific, CHASTITY fighting, of fields
woods, buildings turned into engines
of defense. Ammunition, helmets
cases of unexploded shells and higf
piles of exploded ones, cases for OF
and gasoline made new walls alons
the roads. Trenches, .dugouts, shell
ters, barbed wire entanglements still
held their own in No Mans Land. !
recall saying: ut will take years ant
years to get this land back to normal
Damage Is Repaired.
AS we walked up from the station, !
sought a house that had been de
stroyed, to show a physician who hat
Joined us. | saw walls white will
fresh cement, roofs all mended. tree,
along the streets pruned and wires
stretched from tree to tree like tn,
lines of a musical staff for the leave!
to grow along In artistic effect. Gaping
holes where once were houses were IL
the minority-even the house wher,
our committee carried on in 1917-1S
where l had the thrill of sleeping I'm
der an oiled paper roof, with the walls
full of holes and one corner tori
away. This house stood with new
roof, shell holes in its sides filled II
and looking as fresh as If 1t had nevel
been under fire. Not so the hOus,
next door. Evidently the family hat
not returned, and it stood a ghastl,
pile.
But it was out in the open countr,
between Chateau-Th ierry and Bellea,
wood that amazement held me. Greer
fields planted with grain greeted us or
all sides. OF trenches there remained
not a hint.
81 would like to show my friends
some trenches" said / to the little
French soldier of this years class
driving us.
"But there are none left abouI
here" he said. "They have all beer
filled in and planted over"
Herds of cattle, ~fine-looking cattle
were in the fields, and we saw severa
sheds built to hold the grain. Farm
buildings were still mostly down, bul
work was going on on the farm"
Perhaps 1t is the great number o.
American tourists visiting Chateau
Thierry who have made this wonder
full rebound possible. 1t is much
farther advanced in building and II
reclaiming the soil than the regions
about four cantons of the Aisne
where our committee works. Outside
our territory there are still years o.
hard work for the farmers; trenches
shell holes, dugouts-some of then
cemented-and unexploded shells still
remain.
BeIIeau Wood Still War Marked.
Belleau wood still lifts a head witt
blackened sticks of former trees, ant
the famous tower captured by Ameri
cans is gone. A great bowlder bears c
marker of bronze to the valor of the
Americans. But on the sunny slop,
of brave sons of America who paid the
greatest of all sacrifices. Very peace
full, sad, inspiring are the rows OF
shining white crosses, protected by
the Stars and st !ipes which ripples-
as only our own flag can ripple-ir
the breeze. Down to the left one sees
the red roofs and white walls of the
tiny village of Belleau being rebuilt
This, l believe, is to be the memorial
for which the school children of Amer
lea will gather the funds that the vii
lage of Belleau, which guards the
American military cemetery of Bel
leau wood, may come into its OWE
again. Moreover, there are to be &C.
commodations for parents and rela.
tives visiting the graves of their sol
diers.
A sign on the white gate of the
cemetery asks visitors not to remove
the Identification disks from the
crosses and carry them off as "sou
venirs." One can scarcely believe thai
such a sign is necessary, that any hu
man being, let alone any American
would profane the resting-plaee of the
dead. Yet they do, and alas, 1t is
American tourists who do remove
these disks bearing the name and com
pany Of the dead soldier, for the ma.
jority Of foreigners always show the