New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-11-12

ing the principal sectors Of the
old front from Flanders to
Saint Mihiel.
He now tells VI. In . series OF
four articles, what he saw along
that memorable front where
the War God once strobe
mercilessly.
by WEBB MILLER
Along the Old Battle Fronts In
France and Belgium. Nov. ~. (UPs
Tho vast scar left by the war
stretching 500 miles across the face
Of France and Belgium and Swift
xerland to the Channel IL nearly
healed. In the decade since the guns
ceased France has done . gigantic
work Of reconstruction. Hundreds OF
towns and villages are entirely re-
built, hundreds OF thousands or
homes are reconstructed. But wide
tracts of devastation remain. There
are many weed-grown piles OF ma.
sonry marking the site OF once
thriving towns and villages which
will never again exist except a.
names upon old maps.
To secure a comprehensive idea OF
the changes in the ten years since
the war. the United Press cores
pondent visited the principal sectors
Of the old front from Flanders to
Saint Mihiel.
In the north the reconstruction Is
rearly completed. Belgium had the
advantage Of priority in reparations
payments from Germany. Town
after town In the Flanders plain ID
rebuilt to the last house. From out
ward appearances 1t is difficult to
comprehend that these towns were
rssed to the ground and that there
are still 100000 unknown dead
somew here In these Flanders fields.
From the top Of KENNEL Hill In
Belgium 10 an excellent panoramic
view Of the plains of Flanders.
Within eye-shot In every direction
lie peaceful hamlets and villages Of
red titled brick houses. snug FARM
houses, thrifty farms with many
stacks OF wheat and grazing cattle.
Ten years ago this was waste OF
shattered homes and shell-torn
fields.
In the great industrial region OF
northern France reconstruction is
further advanced than In Nher
French sectors. It was essential
that the hundreds Of mines and
factories ruined by the Germans
recommence production as soon as
possible. Nearly all the mines in
the Lens district are again operat-'
ing and producing more than be-
fore tho war. New and modern
lied machinery was installed.
Factories Operating
t The factories have been con-
etructed on Twentieth Century
models and are operating at full
blast The entire region around
Lille II dotted with smoking Chin
neys Of busy plants. Arras and
Dcvai show little evidence Of the
condition ten years ago. Lens.
which was leveled to the ground.
u an unsightly conglomeration Of
new brick houses, La Bassee con-
sisfs of rows Of raw brick habita-
tons Albert ~ entirely new with
Z bright spick and span station
and the church almost finished.
Farther south away from the rich
Industrial section the reconstruc-
ton " less advanced. On the
edges OF the villages many persons
live in wooden shacks and tar
paper huts. Many evidences still
exist OF the devastation executed
by the Germans before their with
drawal behind the Hindenburg line.
Rottins trunks Of trees lie where
they we're felled when Hindenburg
ordered the woods RACED TO de-
prive the enemy OF cover when
they advanced. Shell-punctured
pontoon boats litter the beds of the
streams.
Between Rheims and the Ar
Eonne the battlefields of the Cham
payne nave been left as they were
ten years ago. Here the full hor-
rer Of the war can still be compre-
hended. The government plans
to keep the battlefield in its orig
inal state as an official "vestige de-
guerre." From the ruins Of Fort
de la Pompelle just outside
Rheims. to the edge of the Argonne
Forest the United Press correspon-
dent rode more than forty miles
through a wilderness OF ruined
country
Ver1un Lies As Left
In the Argonne Forest Nature
has largely obliterated the traces
Of the great struggle when the
Americans burst through the Hin
denburg Line. Saplings the size
Of q mans arm have grown among
the fragments Of the Notifications.
The towns are repaired and rebuilt
and Q large percentage Of the in
habitants have returned.
The great verdun battlefields lie
a. they were left ten years ago
No effort was made to reclaim the
land. The weeping slopes are
covered with tall weeds and
bushes. Millions Of shells ruined
tie soil for productive purposes.
The thick woods which once COW
cred the hillsides were blasted out
Of existence. Not even the stumps
remain. In the Meuse valley
nearly all the towns are recon-
structed and the ruined buildings
OF Verdun are repaired.
In the Saint Mihiel salient. where
great battle Of the World War,
the placid towns reveal little evil
dence OF the battle OF four years
occupation by Germans. The ruin
wrought by Pershing's 2.971 guns
has been effaced to large ex-
tent. ThiaucoCrt and Saint Mihiel