The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-11-19
DOUGHBOYS FIND
FRANCE ALTERED
Upon Return to Land of
Poilu, Americans Are
Greatly Surprised
RUINS ARE ELIMINATED
Fields That Were Full of
Shell Holes Now Reclaimed
and Growing Feed Crops
BY CoRLIss HOOVER GRIBBs
(In New York Heraldp

(In New York Heraldp
II is doubtful whether the popular
imagination OF the American people
has ever been more greatly stirred
chan 1t was over the battle OF Cha
tau-Thierry and the tremendous
Marne offensive. Ii was with this
same sentiment that we also went
20 this front to see for ourselves
what 1t looked like now after four
Gears II seemed a little bit strange
70 US that we could cross the Marne
river just as readily as airy other
stream.
As for Chateau-Thierry 1t was hard
to conceive, standing on the banks,
that here America stopped the Ger
man onrueh and saved the world.
Chateau-Thierry was never SO
thoroughly devastated by shell fire
as some of the other towns in the
vicinity, so that it Is in fairly good
shape now. The streets are crowded
with busy people again and life has
returned so nearly to normal 1t does
not seem possible that the marks OF
machine gun bullets on the walls of
the houses could have been made
only four years ago.
1t Is unforgettable TO stand by the
river and look upon the very ground
from which an appalled, and almost
despairing world received its first
message Of hope in those dreadful
days of June, 1918.
one part of this battlefield which
has peculiar hold on the American
heart is Belleau wood. SO far as
that is concerned, It is famous all
, over France as well. AS one ad-
yances in that direction every land
mark appears in some way to be as
sociated with the American army,
especially as part OF the historic bat
tie ground of the Second division. On
the way to Belleau we passed
through the ruins OF Naux and
Bouresches, both villages having
been captured by this division dur
ing the fighting of June and July.
1t was remarkable, however. 10
see the way in which the actual scars
OF war are being removed from this
section of the country. The fields
for the most part have been put in
such excellent shape again that one
wonders how this can have been
achieved.
over various parts of the battle
field. We know the First, Second,
Third, Fourth and Twenty-sixth di-
visions were all engaged here at the
beginning and that later the Twenty
eighth. Thirty-second. Forty-second
and Seventy-seventh divisions gall
lantly continued the fighting. as did
other divisions.
-en-Tardenois, the very CEN
ter OF the battle area OF the Marine
offensive. is building up we'll, be-
coming something OF a prosperous
center again.
Passing From France TO Belgium.
Near by are a number of towns
which loom large in divisional his
tories, where hard fighting went on
continuously. Among these are
Seringes, Sergy. Cierges and Cherry.
Not far'to the east is the village of
Chamery. On a hillside which over
looks this village is the grave OF
Lieut., Quentin Roosevelt. He is
buried on the spot where ne fell.
In the village OF Chamery itself Is
beautiful drinking fountain erect
ed In memory of Lieutenant Roose-
welt by the citizens OF the commun-
ity. 1t is inscribed with the ia
nous words of eXPresident Theo-
dore Roosevelt, his father-"Only he
Is fit TO live who is not afraid TO
die" II bears the coats OF arms Of
France and the United States and r.
altogether a touching tribute from
these French people to an American
boy Fresh flowers always are kept
on the grave.
We Travelled north from here
toward the Vesle and to Fismes.
NO visitor could feel that he has
seen the battlefields of France un-
ices ne has gone on from the French
ana American sectors TO the British
front as well. For more glorious VIC
tories have never been won by
American arms than those gained in
the latter months of the war when
units OF the A. f. +. were fighting
SIDE by side with the English. And
so II was that from Chateau
Ihierry we travelled northwest TO
the sector around st. Quentin.
Between st. Quentin and Cambria
IS the famous sector Of the Second
american army corps, comprising
me Twenty-seventh and Thlrtieth
DIVISIONS. These two commands
went into the line here on Septem-
Der u, 1918, and fighting continu-
ously for more than three weeks,
covered themselves with distinction.
AT Bony a little monument has
been erected TO mark the spot where
me Twenty-seventh division broke
through the Hindenburg line. This
was on September ga fateful day
loF the kaiser. Ii started the Ger
man retreat, Here along the fa-
nous St. Quentin canal traces of this
od.l!e are plainly to be seen.
Ihe village OF La Catelet, which is
mostly destroyed. was the scene OF
svsA ~.