The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-11-06

angels or Of Nine. la Republque, it is difficult
to say which, for the light it not too good One
plaque bears an inscription which begins, In
this car there was signed at Transport near
Compiegne on November H. 1913 at five o'clock
the Armstice imposed on the Germans by the
victories of the Allied Armies, and continues
with the names of the allied and German sig
natories At the opposite end of the saloon the
other plaque bears the names of the battles
which the old dining car attended: THE Marine
1924 the User 1915 Verdun 1916 the Somme
1916 the Battle of France 1915"
"Paris, however, is fifty miles from Compiegne
When the old car took it's place with the other
immortals in the Invalides, there was nothing
at the site in the forest except two boards
nailed to trees marking the positions of the
two trains. lie Matin of Paris was the first to
move for permanent monument, choosing
spot beside the Compiegre-Francpo road 200
yards away, presumably on the assumption that
nobody would leave the road and enter
the forest to reach the actual site. It's mOnu-
ment is striking piece of work, golden sword
with its point resting on fallen German
eagle, but although it bears the Armistice date
there is stronger flavor of Alsace-Lorraine in
its inscription than of the Armistice.
'The next step was taken by Fournier Sar-
loveze, deputy from the department of the Disc
and mayor of Compegne This was directed
to the raising of monument at the actual site
which, although it is five miles from the town.
is just within the municipal boundary. The
monument which resulted was dedicated on
Armstice day, 1929, in the presence of Presi-
dent Mierand and an impressive assembly of
marshals, admirals, ambassadors, troops and
townsfolk. It consists of a broad boulevard 200
yards long which has been carried into the
forest from the main road. and at the end of
which is a clearing 100 yards in diameter with
circular road surrounding the gardened circle
of the actual site. The railway tracks from
Rethondes station have been torn up elsewhere
in this end Of the forest but in the clearing they
Remain Between the rails of each track slabs
of granite mark the positions which the two
trains occupied.
"Of late years the old dining car had been
showing the effect of the weather to which its
outdoor position at the Invades has exposed
it. It's return to the site in the forest had been
contemplated for some time but the problem
of the cost was not solved until A. Fl. Fleming
of Pasadena, after consulting NJ. Sarloveze at
Compegne offered 10000 francs (say S6,000)
for the construction of a suitable building at
the site. Accordingly in April, 1923. the old
was moved on temporary rails to the outer
court of the Invalides. where it was taken off
its trucks and placed on two-wheeled floats to be
towed to the Wagon-Lits repair shops for coat
of paint and a general sprucing up before
starting on its last voyage. AS soon the
builders were ready for it at the site. it was
hauled back to Rethondes station and line Of
tracks into the forest was especially laid for it.
1t was pushed carefully into its new home at the
edge of the clearing and Is now permanently
built in. And there with ex-poilu who limps
when he walks in charge of it, you will find it
today, roped off. smelling of fresh paint. and
at the first glance looking like-well, looking
about like dining car.
at is disconcerting to discover that the table
on which the Armistice was signed I'M
pretentious table and that the chairs in which
the signatories sat- Won Winterfeldt opposite
Foch, Erzberger opposite Wemyss were ordi-
nary WagonsI.its dining car chairs. 1t is diff
cult to fit the play to its banal theater, to con-
meet this eliminating episode of the greatest
of all wars. one of the supreme moments in his
tory, with the old dining car in which 1t trans
pred. Such, however, is the Immortality Of
Dining Car No. 2419D."
te by Western Newspaper Union,