Show FRED Rth AUERBACH TELLS OF TRIP t t- t TO BATTLE LINE J Awful r ful Devastation Caused It by Hun HUll Iu Invasion Is f Y r V Graphically Told J Jj j following lio e loiter letter was received b by Mr and Mrs Irs S. S 11 ii Averbach of ot Now eW ew York lorl CIt City from their son Frederick S. S Auerbach of the United States naV navy Tho letter was mailed at Brest France Prance and anil was forwarded her hero to George Auerbach of Salt Lake 3 Dear tar a Mother and Dad 1 I will v no now tell you about my m- trip Ilet I here her on Sunday March 1 C 6 C. C on the 30 o p p. p m. m train and arrived ed in Paris al al' 7 a. a in m. Had breakfast at the tho Amer- Amer Jean ican Red fled Cross canteen at the station for GO CO centimes It consisted of or a bowl of coffee bowl of or mush musli sugar milk and bread The Red Rod Cross operates op op- prates one of ot canteens at practically practically over every even station in France and They certainly are a send God-send to the American boys boS You Tou have no Idea how difficult It Is to set get et un petit dejeu- dejeu ncr C In France When you do find a n. Three all you OU can pet get Is black coffee cortee and bread Not In a single Instance I been able to pet get et milk for tor my coffee at an any French hotel or restaurant rant Irant In tho the fifteen months I have been here Whatever mone money has been given to the tho Red Cross at nt homo home has not been given In vain for tor If it there thero Is nn any tiny one or organization which stands head and shoulders above aboe any other relief organization It is our American Red Hed Cross It Is the tho star star- of ot hope not my to the American soldiers an and and sailors sailors sail sail- ors but to the fighting fighting- men of oC all na na- na for Cor for if it lack the price OU ions you ou you Are made to feel teel the tho more welcome and anft no no noone one one asks help of ot Its workers In vain It really seems as If Ir you OU are arc bas In Gods God's country to step Into one oL those canteens and have a n good good- ng- ng American girl fill till your our bowls overflowing o t tor and nd then tell you OU that you vou must come back for Cor another help help- n ng I am sure that the tho smiles and Cheerful words of or these girls Irs have h driven away many a spell of ot home home- sickness After Atter breakfast I started to look for a room and finally took one In win tho the same hotel I stopped at In January Jan Jan- uary uary- I had to pay 14 francs a day for Cor a a. poor chambre but I could got get I nothing else so had to be satisfied At Chateau Thierry Thiem I left lert Paris on on n the O a a. a m m. m exi express ex- ex xI x- x i preISs press and at 9 wo we reached Chateau I Thierry I did not cot got get ot off the tho train I j as a's you ride right through a largo large part of or the tho fighting line Une and there is as much to see seo In one section as ns In an an- other Of or course It Is Impossible to visit sit all aU parts and as time lime was as a big factor I 1 decided on the quickest route roule No sooner do you reach the station than you begin to s see seo o huge shell heU craters and here hero and there a aI ahouse I house that had been struck b by a ri n. n shell 1 j You now begin to realize for tor the first 1 time tImo b tiow W near to Paris the Gorman s si i r really allT were Directly you leave leavo the he I station the the- shell craters become much more frequent and In size range from the tho very cry small ones to those of or Ver very large proportion You ton now pass b by groups of or buildings some som of ot which arc are entirely destroyed others have havo enormous holes torn In their walls aIls Where a building is not entirely destroyed destroyed de de- you OU will wUI see seo the thrifty French farm farmer arm r piling the debris to toone ono one side A Assisting him will be bo a woman oman and several small email children and in many Instances you OU will even cn I fice seo co them occupying occupYing- tho the old homestead with nothing nothing- to protect them but the battered frame fr r me Pieces of yellow paper pap pa pa- paper pa- pa p per r servo seno as window glass Glass at present Is unobtainable and even In Inthe inthe the railroad wagons where a a. piece picco of ot I glass Jaas has been broken it lt It has not yet et been replaced and as none nono of or t tic the le trains are arc heated trav traveling is anything anything any any- thing but pleasant I can assure you OU ns as there are aro ver very few compartments which have not one one- or more pieces missing You pass b by countless farmhouses farmhouses farm farm- houses but see ace few tew vcr very that have havo not been hit lilt b by sh for tor each miles mile's advance ance brings you ou nearer and n nearer Into tho the zone that saw the I I heaviest fighting fighting- of at the war war- 31 Off OCt Inthe In Inthe the fields you OU will see seo now an allied now now a a. Hun plane smashed into thousands thousands thou thou- sands of ot pieces Nearby will bo be a small cross cros with a colored eye bulls marking markIng markIng mark- mark Ing Ing- the tho grave of or some allied hero You pass through small villages which have havo entirely been destroyed destro de destroyed de- de d not a single house remaining untouched and no visible sign of or life liCe not even a dog dog- is to be seen street Champagne To Tom After Arter an roura ride from Chateau I Thien Thierry you OU reach rench the famous I champ champagne ne city of of ot Franco Here about abou t I half halt ot or r U the tho e buildings buildings' i ln s are arc re still habitable and you OU se sec quite a a. large largo number of ot workers In the vineyards Slowly you OU move along towards Rheims which is about an hours hour's ride About throe three miles mUes out of or Rhe Rheims ms you ou catch your first sight o of the famous Hindenburg line The and 2nd dugouts are aro carefully careful careful- l ly camouflaged with cheap muslin painted so vs ts to 10 harmonize with the tho surroundings Barbed wire entanglements entanglements entanglements entangle entangle- ments are seen Reen for miles mites and miles Presently the towers of ot the famous cathedral aro arc seen and after a n. few you OU descend se nd at a place that was on once co Rheims All that you OU have havo seen up to now Is as nothing This heap of ot ruins which the they still call Is the saddest thing to be seen anywhere In Jn 1914 1314 a city of or close to and one of the finest finest fin fin- est cst cities In Franco France Is toda today absolutely nothing but a i. i heap of ruins I J tramped the tho streets for three hours and in that time did not sec Gee a single house house that r hadnot ad not fi n so badly that that'll It It was uninhabitable You ma thine that I may am eX er- er I a sting but I am rather understating facts fact for for I am no hand at even en at attempting attempting at- at tempting to describe that city as it really is tolla today To give she you ou an an Idea of how the tower lower really Io looks picture looks picture our house with every en single window broken three o or four big holes in the tho front and and- back of It and tho whole front of or the tho basement and parlor out and the tho floor caving in on the first floor then multiply this by ever every house In a city Ity the size of Salt Lake and you 1 will have havo a a. faint Idea of how the town looks t today da There Is not a single store storo or restaurant open In tho the entire town The Tho returning returning- refugees are are- taken care of or In ln a a. temporary city hall and the present ever Red fled Cross maintains a a. canteen Between these t O two the entire present population some ome souls souls arc aro sheltered and fed Meals can on only be bo had at certain hours e e. e g g. Breakfast from Crom 7 to lunch 11 1130 30 to 1 and supper upper from to 7 7 I Iwas Iwas Iwas was quite a instance distance from the Red fled Cros Cross canteen at lunch time so went to to the city hall haIl where for tor 1 fr tr 75 I had a a. very good meal consisting of bread soup a piece of ot well cooked i beef potatoes potato s and a plate of ot benn Tho The halls In which the tho meals aro are served will seat t about and there are always alwa's ten 1 persons to a table table table-It It you ou happen to be at a table and all an places arent aren't ta taken on you ou have Jia to wait watt until tile tho they acre aro ar before the they will wilt start to serve e I was tho the only onh American I eating there as most of oC the pol soldiers lers brought their lunch along or else went to he TIed Red Cross I Wreck of or Directly j after t r lunch I went to see seo seethe seethe I the cathedral l which was only two I blocks awa away The walls and towers tower s are aro about the only part of the s I ruc-I ture turn that remains remains the tho greater part of oC the roof has caved In and the th-c th Interior Is just a a. mass mabs of ruins ruins The Tho famous f rose aro are smashed Into thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of or pieces It Is a. a very cry pitiful sight to stand In front of ot this famous cathedral ral and look about and seo see nothing nothing- but J ruin luin staring at you u from all quarters Few aro are the visitors who leave leavo 1 that famous square with dr dry eyes The business section of the present pres present pres- pres ent elt city Is located In this square and consists of ot three t 1 rush ush c carts Crippled soldiers are aro the owners and the they havo phO and postal cards rd for tor sale I bought quite a a. number but didn't have havo a a n. chance to lo malt mall any as ns every moment of m my time was taken Up up I started for for- forthe tho the Hindenburg line tine at 1 p p. p m m. m and md after an nn hours hour's hard walking finally got ot there I had bad for guides two little kinds who were professional proCessional souvenir I r hunters and for fir two packs of or they offered to tc show me mo as much of the line lIno as ns could be seen In the three hours T I Thad had loft left To reach rench the Hun trenches you ou have ha to pass flass tho the Fronc Frond I trenches which are now being filled ClUed In b by Hun prisoners About one mite mile further on you reach the tho line This line must have havo b been vcrs vors elaborately constructed for there is every cry evidence e of ot It It Direct Directly in front of It aro are massive barbed wire entanglements en en- en Telephone wires s lead toan to all an parts of or the tho lino line and extend out to trio the listening posts which are aro as neat nat the tho French trenches s as safet safety would permit Alarm bells belts are arc hUn hung huntr- every r few ew hundred feet to announce gas as attacks attacks at at- tacks etc Dugouts Dugout ting Went Into quito quite a fe few dugouts dugouts the tho most Interesting one being being- about 10 40 feet below ground To get down w we had to use tho old ladder which ever every now and then had a a. rung rung- missing and andas andas as It was ivas pitch dark and our only het heta help helpa a t. t little pocket flashlight It wasn't aneas an easy Job to reach the bottom but wo we finally succeeded and started to ex explore ex- ex The kids were pretty prett wise wise- and would tell toll me not to touch this or that and not to step in certain places Inside In- In side the he room were thousands of or hand grenades in another room were wre countless countless count- count less loss belts of machine gun bun iun bullets and rifle ammunition Several rooms were I fitted up with bunks the bunks the mattresses were still there also the tables and chairs The Tho telephone operator of or this particular dugout had a red lcd velvet olvet armchair armchair arm armchair chair to rest his we weary 3 I bones while awaiting alting some somo Important word Wine Vine bottles were ero as plentiful as small I stones and broken broleen glass was scattered all about Wo 0 searched high and low low OW but hut found nothing worth while so left and anti started further fu ther down own the line We e passed many man dugouts similar to this one one though not as large Inre Of or the fa famous famous famous fa- fa concrete line nothing remains but crumbled stone an and if you OU did not know that It was once of or concrete yon would never guess uess it it because there is not a square yard ard of or it to be bo soon scon anywhere except back of oC the line where whore the heavy heavy- hea gun emplacements Here wo we saw great quantities of oC large largo shells and all sorts of 01 equipment equip equip- ment but all aU too heavy or worthless for souvenirs The kids told m rn ire that the Americans had cleaned up this part of ot the line so thoroughly that cr very few souvenirs could be found Cound unless we wo contInue con con- for another five or 01 six miles mites My f time was now nou getting short eo so w we started back as I had less hiss l ss than an au hour to catch the tho last train for Paris Exploding Hun Shells On the wa way wo we e saw the French soldiers exploding the large German shells which had hind failed to go off orr Of course this was done n at t t a a. great grent dis dis- tance tanco away but it was er very interesting to see them explode The trenches are areail all ail eI very similar and after seeing s sev several eral oral hundred yards ards of oC any one one one-lino Inc you OU have e seen all aU there Is to see sec of r trell trenches hes for tor It Is oust Just a t. t constant repetition of or the same samo stYle stylo of or construction The same Is true of or ruins ruins after after seeing Rheims you OU have ha seen the worst that can be seen seen- and you have havo lIttle desire to see sec an any more of that horror After Arter Artera a mighty hard w wa lk I r arrived ed at the tho station Just as the train was pulling out I brushed passed the tho French guard and started for tor the tho train at full tull speed with a 3 couple of or Frenchmen at In my heels yelling Test and finally give ghe a n sigh of or despair and say Ah Ahl Les 1 I didn't care what t they e said or thought because I made my train and got to I Paris about 8 p p. p n m ni The Tho above I Is Just a brief briet summary ot what I 83 saw In n that one da day I had no idea It would take so much paper to tell you so little but I hope you OU will now forgive me for or not writing from Paris and look upon this letter aa as a sort of or combination for the letters I missed the tho last week In Jn m my next letter I will tell you OU about the the rest of or my nn trip I expect this to catch the Leviathan lathan which is due to sail saU tomorrow Hero's Heros hoping this finds you OU all as aswell aswell well as it ft leaves me mo Love to you OU all aU Your affectionate son FRED I |