Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1919 — SEE BATTLEFIELDS WHILE ON LEAVE. [ARTICLE]

SEE BATTLEFIELDS WHILE ON LEAVE.

The following interesting letter was received Monday from Dr. M. D. Gwin: „ Verdun, France, March 8, 1919. Dear Hamilton: ... Am on a leave of six days, the first I had since I enlisted in the service. . _ . We are traveling from Pans to Chateau Thierry, where we looked over the battlefields on to Reims and viewed the city with its housing for 125,000, but not a single building had escaped. From Reims through the Hindenburg line for a distance of 20 miles, through the Argonne region and today over the Verdun region. We visited ’ Dead Man’s Hill, the city of ruins itself and the citadel of underground walled-in area which held 50,Q00 reserve soldiers. Tomorrow we start for Paris and will return to Vichy by Monday. The vastness of the trenches, the awful destruction of land and the complete obliteration of the cities and villages is far beyond my previous conception. '■ , In walking through the streets it seems that one is wandering among the ruins of ancient cities, rather than the dwelling places of modern people, just a few month ago. I would that every person in the world could see this and the probability is that it would never occur again. The education derived over here and the broadening of our very being is much to say nothing of our professional experience, but we all want home and want is very much. Sincerely, Gwin.