1925 Wooster Daily Record Draft

This document is an apparent draft of an article to be published in the Wooster Daily Record regarding Col. Gerlach's involvement with the Battle Monuments Commission and the possibility of monuments to Ohio soldiers. It is dated August 31st, 1925 and is found in the Frank Gerlach file.

Transcription

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WOOSTER DAILY RECORD   AUGUST 31, 1925
Bridge may be monument to 37th. Division
Colonel Gerlach Finds Few Signs Left In France of War.

A bridge over the Sheldt River at Eyne, in Belgium, may be one of the monuments built by the State of Ohio to commerate [sic] the work of the 37th Division in the World War, according to a letter from Colonel F. C. Gerlach, of Wooster a member of the monument commission which has been in France to pick sites for these monuments.

Colonel Gerlach almost beat his letter home. It reached the Record office yesterday, and today the Colonel was greeting his friends in Wooster, having arrived last night. Writing from the Grand Hotel in Paris under date of August 16th to the Record, Colonel Gerlach says:

The tour of the members of 37th Division Battle Monument Commission through the sectors the division occupied in France and Belgium has been a most interesting one. The selection of the sites has been given most careful consideration and the commission will make recommendations for the erection of monuments or memorials in the Argonne, St. Mehiel, Baccarat, and Belgium sectors. Serious consideration is being given to the erection of a bridge over the Sheldt river at Eyne, Belgium, where the division successfully crossed the river just before the Armistice.

Crossing this river is one of the great outstanding achievements of the division in Belgium. Their [sic] is an inclination among some of the states to erect memorials of a useful nature, such as bridges, drinking fountains, etc. The remarkable reconstruction in the war mareas [sic] is evident everywhere. Towns that had been entirely destroyed where [sic] completely rebuilt. Trenches and barb wire entanglements almost entirely absent. Only in small areas can small patches be found in position. With a few exceptions, the forests are the only place where any trenches can be found and they are being rapidly filled up by natural causes.

HAVE EXCELLENT HELP

The Commission was very fortunate in having as one of its members, Captain L. H. Horton of Cleveland, who was secretary to Ambassador Herrick in Paris for a period of three years before the war and one year thereafter, and who speaks French fluently and is familiar with the customs of the French people. His familiarity with the geography of France, his contact with the battle areas during the war and afterwards made his services of untold value. Much time was saved in traveling and interviewing the French authorities, making it possible to complete our mission in much shorter time than we had expected.

COVER BATTLE AREA

We traveled by automobile and our trip to our battle areas in Belgium made it possible to pass through the areas of many of the large offensives of other armies, Our route took us through such towns as Senlis, Noyan [sic, correct Noyon], Bapaume, Arras, Lens, Lille, Ypres, Monin, Roullers [sic, correct Roulers, Roeslare], Alost, Brussels, Courtrai [modern Kortrijk], Cambria [sic, Cambrai], St. Quintin, Soissons. In our own sector, we passed through such towns as Isheghem [sic, Iseghem, modern Izegem], Dentergem, Theilt [sic, Tielt], Olsene, Cryahautem [sic, possibly Crauthem], Herne, Ryne, Syngen, Nederswalon [sic, no match], Some time was spent in the vicinity of the Sheldt [sic Scheldt] river where the division crossed on two occasions. In this vicinity all the houses have been rebuilt and the ground under cultivation. The river is being used very extensively for transporting coal and lumber on Barges.

MANY BRICK PLANTS

The flat country about the river is occupied by brick plants, which are very busy, [_]uch brick being used in the construction of buildings. The only sign of war depredation is the bridge at Eyne which was blown up when our division approched the river and which at the present has been replaced by a temporary one. While enroute we visited the forest in which the “Big Bertha” was concealed by the Germans and which threw a shell 72 miles distant into Paris. Nothing but the emplacements left by the Germans. Another interesting historical spot

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torical spot, was the place where the armistice was signed — Sections of railroad track and large stone tablets mark the positions of the French and German railroad cars. The French car, in which the armistice was signed, is on exhibition in Paris.

BEAUTIFUL CEMETERIES

The American cemetery at Waereghem [sic, Waregem], Belgium, is most beautiful, occupying six acres of ground, and well kept. At present 364 dead are buried there. The greater number from the 145 and 148 regiments of the 37th division. At Brussells [sic] we had business with the American ambassador who was very anxious to cooperate with us.

ARGONNE BATTLE FIELD

The trip to Argonne, St. Mihiel, and Baccarat sectors in the eastern part of France was a greater distance from Paris and required more time. During this time we visited such cities as Chate au Thierry [sic, Chateau-Thierry], Bellau Woods [sic, Belleau Wood], Verdun, Nancy, Lunaville, Rambbervillers [sic, Rambervillers], Neuschateau [sic, Neufchateau], Chaumont, In our divisional area visited Montfaucon, Recicourt, Avacourt, Ivory, Ciergon [sic, Ciergnon], These villages except Montfaucon were all rebuilt and the land under intensive cultivation. A remarkable wheat crop was being harvested. The Argonne forest had many dead trees standing amidst much under brush. The village of Montfaucon which was totally destroyed during the war and at which place the Crown Prince of Germany had an observation tower, will be retained in its present condition. A new village is being built on the west slope of the hill.

RECONSTRUCTION COMPLETE

In the Baccarat sector the same condition exists. The program of reconstruction is complete. In the St. Mihiel sector we visited such villages Benny, Thirs court, Bullionville, Xammion, and Hattonchatel. Benny was the headquarters of the 146th Infantry and the farmers in that town as well as many of the small villages continue to keep their national banks in the front yard

It was possible to visit all the American cemeteries, five in number. The uniform plan of making all the cemeteries a credit to our nation is plainly evident when comparison can be made with those of other countries. The British who have some 1200 cemeteries and who have returned none of their soldier dead, have established cemeteries where 20 or more bodies were found in a locality.

MANY MONUMENTS

Many monuments have been erected in France, almost every village has a monument erected in memory of its soldier dead. The French government has erected many large monuments for its soldiers as well as for the allies. The allies have some very large and beautiful memorials, Canada especially. The United States has plans for placing in all areas of importance. Many of the states have monuments under construction. Pennsylvania has appropriated 300.000.00 for this purpose.

Many people are visiting France expecting to see something of the devastation resulting from the war, but are very much disappointed. Reconstruction is so nearly complete and the almost entire absence of barbed wire entanglements and trenches is quite a disappointment to them. It is true there are some of the smaller villages that will never be rebuilt, but they are very few in number. The many cemeteries of the French and allies, throughout France with their hundreds of thousands of white crosses and the many monuments in honor of the dead is the never to be forgotten sight which confronts the tourist in his travels through France.