Show CHEMIN DES DAMES HEROES ARE GIVEN I BIG HONOR u U. U 5 S. Soldiers See Battle Starred Scarred French Fighters f i Given Medals 1 J J c 1 t I. I By W. W S. S Forrest Unit Correspondent United d Press Staff t l WITH WIT I THE THE FRENCH CH ARMIES ARIlES IN t THE FIELD Dec 10 By Mallou Mall Mall Mail watched vet- vet Toung America silently r OUng ou v j France rance today In one of the most of re recent re- re 1 inspiring military ceremonies r cent months carried carrie out on the edge E t t a I E shell battered city and within t sound s sound und of the combined rumble of ci 1 French and German guns r iwas aftermath of the recent It was the sp splendid French victory on the tilO Chemin des Dames Iames where the thorough thorough- took thousands thou thou- and Germans l beat the 1 l or ot scores and scores Sin sands s. s of prisoners gU guns tattered tattered tattered tat tat- The veteran regiments whose have appeared with battle glory in many battles since 1914 were officially honored by bythe the French army through its commander in chief Men w Who wo o had especially distinguished themselves in the face of the enemy were decorated by the hand of the generalissimo himself student officers Iy Toung 7 un American a tt neighboring school who ness d the ceremony took no part wit hut they saw the counterpart of such a military procedure that could only come coin coMa to them after American troops hive emulated the the the hope and ant ideal Ideal of all of the young AmerIcans Americans Amer Amer- leans who vho ho today could only stand by and aid admire An An aeroplane view of the ceremony might have recorded it as a sa ga i t picture picture pic pic- tu ture re frame of solid bronze blue dotted L of If f hundreds hundreds hun bun with the glistening pin points of bayonets and surTo surrounding a sodden rain soaked field of many manya inner rim L a acres res Sprinkled along the of the frame were the war worn orn battle flags of nf the various units In the distance dis dis- dis t tance nce were vere the hills from behind Which the he noise of war never ceases night and day lay and nearby the partially par par- ruined city thue thu set the commander com com- With With- the stage mander in chief arrives Followed by staff he mak makers make a quick march of ol ofA A Inspection around the inclosure and then takes a position In the center 01 of the tle fl field ld Here generals colonels captains captain's cap cap- tain's lieutenants and alike who E have performed special deeds of Individual Indi vidual valor are assembled A priest in in a long black cloak and wearing A L teel helmet is ic among themA themA them A A record of each mans man's achievement la Is- read eal ead aloud and the generalissimo steps forward for pins a medal on the E breast of i th the soldier congratulates hlin hn and steps stepS- back A stiff salute from each en ends s the little ceremony arid it goes on until every man has bas 1 rI the than thanks Its of France and andi i- i i n an Jj actor with his highest com com- J rge in a solemn ritual which hE he the end of his life t p o E fien the human picture frame frames s p eak aks tip ip piece by piece Standing tE to i r le an and in front of his staff the r commander in chief watches solid sol sol- oj d columns parade before him He 3 Salutes each battle flag as It passes v k Today oday against a d dull l leaden aden over over- cat sky the tte long polished bayonets 3 gleamed as they rose and fell in perr per per- 4 r feet tim time They seemed to almost almos t pierce fierce th the low hanging clouds as the themen S men who had most recently used themon them then themon I on on the Germans marched by In hundreds hundreds' hun hun- Leading those bayonets on a ap L p prancing black horse was their general gen gen- eral who viO had Just received the gran grand grandc genI I c cordon of the Legion of Honor To r the small group of buddin budding Aw American rican officers wearing their new nev sJ sop p. p plate helmets the spectacle th the S ibling of distant guns the faint fain St t I tat fai-tat-tat t-t t tat t-tat of a machine gun coming wI with h the he wind helped to impress thema them I I a as potential leaders of American America troops that they hey were really part an and 1 parcel parel Q of cf the big war But what im- im im them most according to several sev sev- eral l was the picture frame of French Frencl 1 I veterans the proud smart stride o of f I m men mn n who advanced toward their chief chie f 1 to receive their medals and the perfect per per- feet rise and fall of the bayonets bayonets-al bayonets all all LI after alter three years of battle Look ELook at them after three years o of f it it exclaimed a young Middle 1 Westerner Westerner Westerner West West- erner who a few months ago was a student at Cornell We Ve may be ho a as asgood S I good f me day but well we'll never be better bet better bet I ter soldiers Six months from now I Ih h hope p well we'll be he able to give the Germans Germans Ger Ger- m. m mans what these fellows gave thema them ther C a at atthe the Chemin des Dames Its It's all w wo we 0 ask 11 h sentiment expressed was probably probably ably that of the whole American arm army y yIn in France |