The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-06-30

vation-Green Fields Greet the Eye
Where Once Were Trenches.
Little. trace is left of wars scars al
Chateau-Thierry, says Laura A. Smith
writing in the Indianapolis Star of a
recent visit to Chateau-Tl.erry and
| Belleau wood
1t is two years since saw Chateau
Thierry, and / am overcome with adj
miration for the gigantic task of re
| construction that its people have ac-
complished. When | tried to compare
this clean, pretty village with the
Chateau-Thierry | saw before the
armistice in 1918, had to seek land
marks to recognize it.
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 our
American troops to stay the Germans
in their determination to take the
road which led mach Paris! p
All about the region were signs of
terrific, CHASTITY fighting, Of fields,
woods, buildings turned into engines
of defense. Ammunition, helmets,
cases of unexploded shells and high
piles of exploded ones, cases for oil
and gasoline made uneven walls along
the roads. Trenches, dugouts, shell
tiers, barbed wire entanglements still
held their own in No Mans Land.
recall saying: 1T will take years and
years to get this land back to normal"
Damage Is Repaired
AS we walked UP from the station,
sought house that had been de-
stroyed, to show a physician who had |
Joined us. | saw walls white with |
fresh cement roofs all mended, trees
along the streets pruned and wires
stretched from tree to tree like the
lines Of musical staff for the leaves
to grow along in artistic effect. Gaping
holes where once were houses were in
the minority-even the house where
our committee carried on in 1017-18,
where / had the thrill OF sleeping IN
der an oiled paper roof, with the walls
full of holes and one corner torn
away. This house stood with new
roof. shell holes in it's sides filed in
and looking as fresh as if it had never
)een under fire. Not so the house
lext door. Evidently the family had
lot returned and it stood a CHASTITY
1ile
But it was out in the open country
between Chateau-Thierry and Belleau
wood that amazement held me- Green
fields planted with grain greeted us on
III sides. OF trenches there remained
lot hint
Il would like to show my friends
ONE trenches" said I to the little
'rench soldier of this years class,
irving us.
But there are none left about
ere" he said "Ihey have all been
lied in and planted over
Herds of CATTLE fne-looking cattle,
ere in the fields, and we saw several
beds built to hold the grain. Farm
uildings were still mostly down, but
'Ork was going on on the farm"
Perhaps it is the great number of
merican tourists visiting Chateau
hierry who have made this wonder
Il rebound possible It is much
rther advanced in building and in
the soil than the regions
)out our four cantons of the Aisne,
here our committee works. Outside
If territory there are still years of
lrd work for the farmers; trenches,
ell holes dugouts-some of them
unexploded shells still
main.
Beleau Wood Still War Marked.
Belleau wood still lifts head with
lckened sticks of former trees. and