The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-11-22
lR. Bloomfield
GIVES TRAVELOGUE
.fwanlans Told Of Devastation
j In Northern France
During War.

dANNTNGToN, Nov. pa
siness matters were held back
the iKlwanis luncheon yesterday
give the members an opportuu-
Of listening to DR.. j. q
oomield Of Fairpont, who rel
1nted in a vivid manner some OF
observations and Impressions
eived on the battlefields OF
srope during his tour through
70 war-devastated regions last
GUNNER.
Much Of his talk dealt Wit the
extent Of damage done to the sec
ton Of France where tho heaviest
lighting occurred. He said that he
lEeE,, a largo map in his study dur
ing Ythe World War. ans folfswed
sthe progress Of the armies closely,
also keeping in touch with the sit
baton through the press. went
70, Europe, believing I hSI a pretty
Fgoad conception Of war, he said
but l found that my widest i'm
1gihatlon as to the extent Of dam
80 did not even scratch the sVr-
DR.. Broomfield spoke with en-
phasis of the devastated forests,
where only the stumps and torn
dnks stand today, mute remin-
srs OF what had passed. and
Mentioned instances of. trees.
Fatanding alone in f.els, which
we're literally shocked to death.
In one sector of northern France
be said. where once more tha1
Itwo hundred villages stood ia Of
them cannot now be located. They
are gone, he said and only the
torn landscape remains.
He told Of villages, reduced to
heaps Of bricks, and SSH that here
,and theer could be seen old men
land women. II saw no young men
or young women in these districts
save at rare intervals" he said.
THESE old men aud women wore
hooking for the church or the
schoolhouse, DR.. Broomt,eld said,
md when they found either Of
&hese buildings or the ruins &C
them. they could then locate the
tsito Of the former homes by d.
lrection. Everyone OF these people,
he said, are looking for the GEL
lar. II tho cellar is found they dig
down under tho ruins and lift out
the debris, then crawl Gewn there
and make that cellar their home,
at was stated. Thousands and thou
sands Of people in northern France
he Il ID. are Living in such cellars,
with only pieces Of sheet iron for
roofs.
He told Of the farms destroyed,
and cut up by the bursting shelll
worse than coal lands in this coun-
try that have been stripped"
aft the forests and v llages and
Msm os FrnLce were destroyed.
he said, "tbe wonder is, how did
the bodies Of men stand it,"
e. DR.. Broomtield spoke feelingly
Iof visiting Belleau Woods, where
American troops went into action
for the first timo, and of visiting
the cemetery in the valley between
!. The two hills. There, in the pre5.
ence Of the dead. no said, Il ded!-
.cated myself anew to God and tn
lmy country to uphold the spirit
And ideals for which the sons OF
America died."
He told OF standing near the
spot in Burssells where Edith Ca
veil was shot to death by ten Ger
tnan soldiers because she had as
sisted prisoners to escape the i'll
iuman treatment received. He
mentioned in comparison the sent
encing to six monthI prison term
E6f q German woman in London at-
Ter she had been convicted as a
spy. and said "That shows you the
difference between the Anglo
Saxon uind and that Of the de-
bauched Teutonic race"
siDr. Bloomfield ended his adj
dress with a strong plea that the
sKiwanis clubs and other similar
organizations throughout tho
ttcountry wage a continuous battl,
Tor the truest and beE American
ideals. He pointed out that these
organizations have n wonderful op-
Iportunity for service, and urged
that 1t &C used to make America
n better Dlaco to 1.-Two In.