The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-11-05

with Relatives Of Those First
to Fall
coNFERs WITH PERsHING.
Paris. Nov. 5.-Before leaving Paris
for Rome, David Lloyd George, the
British premier, had long interview
with General Pershing. The Ameri
can commander came especially from
the American army headquarters tC
meet the British prime minister Field
Marshal Haig, the British commander
also was present at the conference.
Washington, D. c., Nov. 5.-Ameri
can troops of the overseas expedition
ary forces have experienced their hrst
real clashes with the enemy. On Sat
urday German raiding party swept
over the parapet of trench 0ccu.
pied by an American company, and
after brief hand to hand encounter
returned to their own earthwOrks with
IL prisoners. General Pershing's first
dispatches announced at the war de-
partment early today reported that
three Americans were killed, tlve
wounded and II captured.
Protected by q heavy barrage fire,
the Germans advanced across mo
mans land and st0rme ed the American
salient. Cut ot from reinfOrcenlents
by the rain Of German shells it is
thought they were Obliged to meet q
force greatly superior in numbers.
With the exception Of one German
captured, nothing Is known of the OK.
tent OF. the enenly's losses. The first
fragmentary3 dssAils nsale 10 snaentiOt
Of the location OF the tirst, but Berlin
dispatches indicate It was in the re.
'ltUh Of the Rhine Marre canal, In the
section defended by the crown prince .
forces.
American troops captured by the
Germans In the trench raid on the
morning of Nov. ; probably were
trapped In their dugOuts and forced to
surrender or be blown to pieces with
hand grenades without chance for
their lives
/. This is the only explanation of army
officers today, lacking any details Ut
the fight.
General Pershing's brief report
merely stated that the German artil-
lery had dropped heavy barrage
fire abOut.a sector of the trench, cut
ting the men of. No explanation of
the casualties and the II men taken
prisoner was received. The fact that
one wounded German was captured,
however, indicated the trench had
been reOccupied by the Americans.
A single shell, scoring q direct hit
In the trench, might have caused the
casualties. That would not explain,
however, the surrender of the remain
ing II. Under anything short OF posi-
tive orders the II would have been ex'
pected to offer desperate resistance to
the Germans crawling up In the dark
ness to jump in the trench, and there
probably would have been more than
one wounded German left behind when
the raiders retired.
A moTHER's ONLY SON.
Chicago, Nov. "a tear.choked
voice answered the telephone at the
residence of william G. Oberst, STEP
father of Herchel Godfrey. 1t was
woman's voice, and there was no need
to ask il she had heard:
"Yes,' she sobbed, "a telegram came
from the war department at 4 o'clock
this morning. Do you think 1t Is
right. | thought it might be he was
killed, you know, and they didn't want
to say SO right on
The reporter resssured her. He
said the list was at hand and her
sons name was not among them.
"Oh, yes: but l don't know; maybe
It would be better II he had been. the
way those awful Germans treat pris.
oners. He's my only boy. Do you
think
Il think" said the inquirer, that
YOU are lucky mother. There Is
always a chance of his being ex-
changed"
"What do you mean, explain" she
said: :,
The inquirer explained and said it
was always done in all war. AND
Tins the first war loss of Chicagoan
reached his mother. Godfrey is ~
wears old, was employed by the west
ern Electric Co., and was one OF tne
first to enlist upon the declaration
of war.
SHEER At AMERICANS.
Berlin, via London. Nov. o.-Out
side the brief reference in the genera
staff report, no details are avaliaole
here with regard to the capture OF
the first American troops in France.
The official bulletin says tney were
made prisoners by the region OF tns
Rhine ,Marne canal, in the section OF
the front defended by the German
crown princes army, while the news.
papers have played up the capture OF
the Americans in their headlines
the only comment is made by the Lo-
kal Anzeiger, under the caption Gooo
Morning Boys"
Three Cheers Called For.
The newspaper then says:
.Thfeo cheers for the Amer1cAn9.