davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10

NEW YORK, April 9.-Field Marshal
Haig was striking today the most for
midable blow at German "Hindenburg
line" that the allies have so far launch
ed in this sector. 1t is an attack in
force; it may he the start of the spring
offensive; it extends over a front Of
about twenty-five miles and ii is thrust
at two key positions in the German de-
Tense line-Cambrai and st. Quentin
Hsig's report declared the German line
on this great front had everywhere
been penetrated" that satisfactory
progress was being made.
Toward Cambria. Hermies and Bourses
were stormed. The former is on the
main road from Benticourt 10 Cambria.
about nine miles distant from the last
named city. BOurses is on the state
highway between Bapaume and Cambria,
about equi-distant from the two cities
Around ST. Quentin. Haig formally re-
ported the capture of Fresnoy-le-Petit
the outskirts of which tIAe British reach
ed Saturday, and said his forces were
advancing to the southeast of lie Yer
guir. This latter town lies about two
miles southwest OF Roisel and is only
j miles distant from the German
fine of communications between Cambria
and ST. Quentin.
Fresnoy-le-Petit. however. is even
nearer the permanent line-a trifle less
than two and a half miles.
The enemy official statement. received
from Berlin via London today. declared,
minor engagements" between Albert.
Cambria and PerOnne. were taking the
course intended by us"
This is the section i'm which the Brit
ish today reported their great drive.
"a battle around Arras began this
morning after several hours drum fire.
the statement said.
Between Lens and Melville Vitasse
artillerying increased yesterday to great
violence" the statement continued.
OF the fighting on the eastern CRU
manian) front, the statement said:
North of Focsani we penetrated Rus
sian positions near Faures and destroyed
trenches. bringing back IS prisoners and
machine
Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10

crop the cake remaining when oil is
expressed from the seed constitutes an
important clement in the dairy food
supply Its increased use would re-
lease other grain products for use as
food
Corn is the leading food and feed
crop of the United States in geographic
range of production, acreage and guam
tity of product. The vital Importance
of large acreage of this crop properly
cared for. therefore, is obvious. Condi-
est acreage of this crop which il is
possible to handle effectively.
SHOULD NATURE EARLY
"Earliness of maturity, other factors
being equal. is advantageous in the
case of practically all grain crops Rel
atively early maturing varieties should
be selected where possible and planting
should be done at the earliest suitable
date.
"The usefulness of COW peas and SOW,
beans as human food has been recog-
nized only recently in this country. Ex-
listing conditions warrant the planting
of all the available seed Of varieties
known to do we'll in the several sec-
tons. The soy bean in particular has
proved sufficiently resistant to cold in
spring and to adverse weather during
summer to warrant heavy planting, es-
pecially throughout the south. The val
ne of the beans for oil production as
we'll as for human food has become
recognized so quickly and so generally
during the past year that the crop has
acquired a commercial standing far in
excess of it's previous status The high
food value of field beans and the Dor
tage of supply due to the light yields of
1915 and 1916 render them of great i'm
portance in the regions to which they
are adapted
THE high prices for foodstuffs that
have prevailed during the last few
months have stimulated interest in the
increase of home supplies of vegetables,
poultry and dairy products on farms.
This interest has been quickened most
noticeably in the south. where for sew
eral years this department and the
states through their reasons even under.
normal condition. Three parts of the
country have responded 10 these ap-
peals. but emphasis on this feature
should be continued by all agencies in
position to operate effectively.
Through increased attention to poul-
try on farms it is possible to add
quickly and materially to the food sup
ply. When conditions render it feasible
small flocks of poultry should be kept
by families in villages. towns and es-
pecially i'm the suburbs of large cities.
Consumers living i'm villages and in
the suburbs of cities do not appreciate
sufficiently the possibility of adding
materially to their food supply BY
utilizing suitable isle soil i'm yards at
vacant lots and unused outla wing fields
The total contribution to the food sup
ply of families and communities which
can be brought through such activitieA
is great. Gardening is peculiarly an
activity in which the family and the
community may share with resultant
mutual helpfulness and benefit
Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10
General Halg Reports
On British Offensive

assault al along the line.
Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10
HUNT FOR SPIES.

Other government branches are prose-
cutting thoroughly the hunt for German
spies Particular care Is taken to strip
the border of any Of these intriguing
German hirelings.
About S1.75O, 200, 900. or one-half the
$500. 900, 900 asked for army and navy
purposes within a year, will be raised
by taxation, and the balance by sale
CONTINUED on Page 2, Col. a.
Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10
German Attack RepuISed
Northwest of Rheims

two machine guns"
Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10

PARIS. April 9.-"Between the Somme
and the Aisne patrol encounters occurred
during the night" says today's war Of
flee announcement. Notwithstanding
the bad weather there was active artii-
lery fighting in several sectors
Northwest of Rheims a German az
tack on our positions in front of Courcy
was repUlsed by our fire. South of this
point two German attachments were re-
pulsed after a lively engagement with
grenades. In the region of Maisons de
Champa gne we made some progress in
grenade fighting. There is nothing to
report from the remainder of the front"
Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10
Two Austrian Ships in
New York Are Seized

NEW YORK. April s.-The Austrian
steamships Martha Washington and
Fimalaya- self-detsined in port here.
we're today seized by the customs au-
thorities
Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10
L. s. DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY AND
AUSTRIA BREAKS OFF WITH AMERICA

HENRY GRADY WEBB, former
Albanian, who is at present being
sought by government authorities,
and who is looked upon by them as
one of the most daring criminals of
present record.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
There Were Some COnfenfed
Germans; They Were in France

looked out. A squad Of men, numbering
rsbsps a dozen, were repairing the road,
yosrds5 bv a French soldier with a rife over
his shoulder. They wore heavy, cowhide boots
that reached 70 their knees, and upon each
mans head was brownish-gray cap, vizorless,
with a red band. Instead Of overcoats they
wore blankets over their shoulders, Indian
fsshon-blsnkets Of that same brownish gray,
and banded in black and red. So these were
the Germansl Two months before, when / had
left New York. men like these had been walk
rg freely in the streets about me, sitting in
restaurants, riding in the subways. And now,
here were these-the very brothers Of some
If those that had seen, haps-wearing the
inform Of the Kaiser, mending roadways In
he rain, prisoners Of war in France. For the
Inst time really began TO accept this war as
an actuahty A fight does not become real
until one has seen both combatants.
These men did not seem sullen and despair
ing, as had always imagined war prisoners
as being. On the contrary, they looked posi-
.yey contented, and one of them, boy Of
about nineteen, grinned at me as we flashed
past l thought that perhaps they were glad
70 be well out Of it. Later | was sure they
were
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
Like IcebergS, a Wood Is
Mostly Below the Surface

little further on the stumps OF big roots
appeared in the walls of the boyGa and, look
ing up, saw that we were passing through
what had been a wood. But there was little
left of it; just splintered stump here and
there across the skyline We, who were walk
ing underground past the tangled clusters OF
dead roots, were seeing more Of those trees
than one walking overhead would havs seen.
Soon the trench grew shallower, and at length,
santing abruptly upward, brought US TO the
surface by the side OF ruined road. We were
on the main street Of Lihons.
| knew it was Lihons, because had looked
it up beforehand on the map. You can find it
on any fairly large map Of France, a village
almost due west of Chaulnes, about three kilo-
metres away. When the Somme offensive be-
gan, in July, and the French began 10 push the
Germans back toward Chaulnes. Lihons lay
between the lines. When saw it in December,
therefore, it had been under Shell fire for FIVE
months. | cannot describe the town. There
is nothing left to describe. OF most OF the
things | saw that day | have q more or less
vivid recollection; but Lihons remains almost
a blank in my memory. Part Of stone
chimney and bit of plaster wall These, the
road. down which soldier was carrying two
pals, and stuff lying on the ground And |
think there was smoke somewhere; poihl
cooking something in the ruins. That Is all
remember of Lihons.
We crossed the road and reSntered the boyou.
Already we had begun TO see soldiers, and now
they met US at every turn. We would see them
coming toward us around corners, pipe in
mouth, carrying boards, or shovels, beams.
Except for their uniforms, they did not look
like soldiers at all. They looked like laborers.
At one point in our journey we passed little
traverse where a pick and three shovels were
propped up against the side Of the trench.
Their owners were nowhere TO be seen.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
There Are No "Merry Villagers"
In the Villages of the SOmme

Suddenly I realized that something was
wrong with the buildings. There was no glass
in most Of the windows, for one thing, and
many Of the roofs had tiles missing. We
passed a garden wall. There was jagged
opening in it, through which one of our cars
might have passed One house had Clean
round hole in it's side, about metre IN diane
ter and when looked through it 1 saw that the
bou.e was no more than a shell. There were
~ hoors inside, no rooms, no furniture Just
rubbish pile Of rubbish neatly
heaped against chimney.
The car gave a sudden lurch as it struck
a soft spot in the road. spot newly mended.
The white wall Of the house we were passing
was all peppered and SCARED with black
splashes-mud, thought at first These
splashes went high up along the wall, and they
cached almost to the ground. The wooden
shutters over the windows were splashed too
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
INFORMATIVE MOMENTS NEAR NO MANS LAND
If Vaguely, You Wonder What Var Sounds
Are Like, This Is for You. 1t Is an
- Anszver to Your Wonder1ng; Your
~ Ozvm Story, as You Yourself
Might Haze Written 1t

three or four inches Of digging thus saved
must have meant total saving Of hours OF
labor.
The boyGu never remained straight for more
than a few yards at time, always twisting,
turning, doubling upon itself | soon lost all
sense of direction. The trench was too deep
to see out Of by now, and had no idea whether
the road was behind us, at the side or before
u.s. | had known vaguely that communication
trenches zigzsgged in this wise-the aeropane
photographs in the magazines had told me so
much But why | never knew, and even now
| could see no sense in it. Whatever the reason
was, it must obviously be such an elementary
principle Of military engineering that / had
always been ashamed to ask
found out almost at once, and all by my
self. For az we turned into a corner-behold,
the trench had disappeared. The third shell
had fallen almost into it, so that in the ground
beside US was a wide crater Of blackened earth,
while a great pile Of earth, still warm, lay
Just where the trench had been. We had 10
climb over It to pass. And suddenly OWNED
that if boyGu were dug straight shell burst
ing in or near it would scatter fragments for
fifty or a hundred yards down its length. AS
bovdur actuslly are. constructed any one who
was not standing in the very section in which
the shell burst would be safe Thus one learns.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
Americas Idea of a "Pight-
ina Man" Is out of Date

"Out 10 lunch" some one remarked, a. we
all laughed. IL did look like il. Throughout
the journey don't remember seeing one man
with a rife in his hands. Most Of them were
small men, too. It was difficult 20 think OF
them as fighters. That of course, Is because
the American conception Of the fighting man"
Is out Of date II is as obsolete az our sub
marines There s not much opportunity in
this war for the brawny giant who can lick
his weight in wildcats. II there were the Rus
sian army would be in Berlin. It's ammun
ton, brains and courage. These Frcnchmen
were fighting men Of the bloodiest war in his
tory a war whose battles were lasting months
instead Of days. Now there was lUll. So
they were repairing trenches laying board
walk, building dugouts and fattening them
selves obligingly against muddy boydu walls
10 let US pass.
We were nearing the end Of our journey.
At one corner a neatly lettered signbosrd met
us. It read: Boy1u Victor Hugo; Ven
pAUdncs.
We passed this, turned to the left and en-
tered a second line trench. II was deeper than
the boydu and little wider and its sides slon.l
a little. Dugouts were followed in these sides,
shored and timbered Inside we're groups Of
soldiers smoking and talking, cooking or play
ing cards II all looked very snug snd do
nestle, and should have liked 20 visit one Of
the dugouts But the captain began climbing
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
Unpleasant SuggeSfiveneSS
Of a Steel Helmet

And now we began to pass army camions, an
endless stream Of them; great gray motor
trucks rooted over with colored canvas pro
lection against aeroplane observers. Each
'ore stenclled upon its side the symbol Of its
DIVISION or squsdron-a swan, an owl, the Gal
&c cock, a yacht in full sail, silver comet,
With green star for head. One group dis
played huge black question mark within
white circle
IN they cams, jolting, splashing, thunder
ig hundreds Of them, until ones eyes grew
ack Of them and one began TO wonder If there
we're any more left In the world. And on we
vent; over stretches OF road bordered by thin,
"aght rows Of trees; past muddy beet fields
saose harvest, heaped and turfed for the win
=, looked for all the world like huge golf
mixers; past hocAu Of sheep and herds Of cat
e with hslmstsd soldiers to tend themI
Trough villages whose only inhabitants seemed
ODE the soldiers who lounged along their single
|eeS and stared at Us.
i was at the headquarters Of General A.
ma, they gave US helmets. had known
agusly that we were TO wear them, but se-
Tally 70 hold one in my hands was disquietng-
'as idea Of wearing it carried such sinister
Aggestion. AS a piece Of workmanship. this
Trench casqVe is beautiful-steel rim and
Town, perfectly smooth and painted horizon
aoe" with a steel rib TO stiffen the crown
'hd black leather lining TO make the helmet
Z" more snugly and easily upon the head.
Nine was too short and too wide, and an
'ncer showed me how could alter its shape
Pressing il between my knees.
II even can bend the thing" thought dis
'1solately what good would it be against
'llet?' But steel is tough, even II it be iexi-
We; and saw many a casque later whose
'nted crown spoke eloquently Of the bullet
1ell fragment that It had turned.
a new member now joined the party, Cap
an A., who WIS 30 take Us 70 the Trenches
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07

And suddenly realized that these spots were
not mud at all. They were holes. / found
myself wondering if they went clean through
the shutters, and whether man could crouch
low enough to escape what had caused
them.
We left the town behind And now, in the
fields alongside, sometimes on the edge Of the
road itself, began TO notice shallow pits. Some
of these were very shallow, indeed, and only
ward or two across; other were deeper and
much wider. All were quite round. Many
were worn smooth by the rain and had tufts
of grass growing In them; but others were raw
and new. They had not been there long
perhaps only day or two.
We stopped. At the left was little wood,
while on the right a shallow trench writhed
out of sight across the fields. The cars were
parked beside the wood. They could go no fur
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07

ed few minutes and as no more shells came
started again. The boyGu, only waist deep at
first, began to grow deeper as It went on. It
was Just wide enough TO allow two men TO
squeeze past each other. To our right along
side ran a mass of telephone wires, looped and
strung over anything that happened TO be
handy-projectin stones, twigs, roots, what
not 1t looked like a hopeless mass, and it
would have reduced lineman to tears; but
l suppose it worked.
We walked upon a boardwalk made Of mar
row crosspieces nailed over parallel stringers,
like 8 grating, and laid upon the floor Of the
trench in two-metre lengths. Under that were
mud and water. had never seen such mud
so soft so sticky and so much Of it. 1t was
everywhere Every few yards the mixture
would be deep enough to float the boardwalk,
so that when you stepped down the walk would
slide away from you. Then you would plunge
ankle deep into sort of earthly cream, or fall
up against the side of the trench and get mud
died in fresh place. In five minutes I was
plastered to the knees. I got my hands full
Of the stuff, and everything touched after
that smeared with IL.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07

Their; we us1st walk the rest Of the way. Inc
ground was fairly solid underfoot, go we did
not take to the trench at once, but set on be-
side it, through the open field
Just then l heard the most unpleasant sound
in the world. It was not a scream, and 1t was
not hiss. It started very faint and far away
and almost before my ears had caught the
fact that there toas sound it was overhead,
almost intolerable in volume. It was sort OF
ssSSHl-more like q rocket than anything
else can think Of but bigger rocket than
any one ever saw, and going so fast that 1t
ripped apart the air through which it passed.
From the wood across the road, about hun
bred yards away, came loud, fiat BANG, and
a fountain of mud and sticks spurted up among
the trees.
"Four-inch H. E. murmured one Of the
Americans, who was West Point graduate.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
Not the ViepS of a Soldier, or of a Var
correspondent, Blase from Many Battles:
Merely the account of AN Unin- ~
formed american, Up against ~
War for the First Time" ~

rp TO the morning Of December s, 1916,
I had never heard a cannon fired, ex-
- eept in salute; l had never seen
.....b or a barbed wire ENHANCEMENT, or
,,,s grenade; had never heard shells. BY
-, of that same day had seen and heard
n n those things on section Of the Somme
.,,,t. and found that although had been
siding about this war and looking at pictures
1t FOR more than two years, knew nothing
=. al about IL, OF most Of its details ] had
mod no conception whatever. What few
Rad formed were wrong. By no stretch Of
Il. imagination. therefore, can what follows
+. called war correspondence. A war CORE
,,on5ept is presumed to have some fore
1ovlsdgc Of what be is going to see. ! had
.o,,. In this respect, at least, think WAS
fairly typical American.
Il was the Germans, first Of all, and not the
french. who gave me my first realization Of
,.Bal warfare We had left Amiens early IN
he morning, six Of us-four Americans, a
Vsllander and Dane-together with Lieuten-
IN. dA-, Of the General staff, and Lieu
.-,pt R. Our three limousines-once pri-
rsts cars, but now painted army gray within
and without and bearing stencilled numbers
mon their hoods-had started down the long,
s-airht road that used to lead from Amiens
% Rove, but which now, if you followed it far
enough would take you straight into the
-.p,bes. shared car with the Danish and
Dutch correspondents Suddenly the Hollander,
ittng up and peering out of the rain-misted
rinjow. exclaimed: "VOilG des AlLemdndS!'
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07

do think OF him as war oorre-
rud.n think him correspondent
the. will be morning to read the kind OF war
which Let him speak for himself
his manuscript: Enclosed
N. story of the tried keep il ignorant as could
uniformed against war
time 1t rather
under that last she'll didn't feel
ANYTHING at the timebu I'm scared TO death now"
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
The Author ASCerfains Why the
BOyau Is Never Straight

Even at its deepest the boyau was not quite
over the heads Of the tallest. It had been
dug with such nice calculation that the tops
Of our helmets showed above II. We were
safe enough for the easques would defect any
thing under a large shell fragment, and tbs
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07

nent-an acre or two Of it. criss-crossed and
eridironed among stubby wooden posts. But
that was all Everything else was mud ana
rain. and mist, and loneliness-and always !"
the east, the guns.
We came to a town. II was good 70 see
houses again. But where were the people! Inc
streets were empty, as were windows ana
doorways- / saw a shop, with the familiar
"Tabac" sign over the door. But the door
way, Hospitality open, showed bare and ten
antless interior
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07

q fourth car was added
to the procession, and
we moved off. For the
ensuing few minutes /
was too busy trying to
make my casque fit to
pay any attention to the
road. Just as / got it
adjusted to my salts
faction we stopped in a
muddy field. Here we
went underground to
General As battle
headquarters, where he
and his staff live, in
close touch with the
front, while an attack
is in progress. 1t was
an astonishing subter-
ranean residence, one
hundred metres long
by about ten wide, dry
and warm, with floors,
walls and ceiling of
timber, and containing
offices, sleeping rooms
and a telephone ex-
change. In the last
we're two soldier-oper-
ators, working as I'M
concernedly as though
they had been in a hotel
instead of under sever
al metres of solid ca a.
On second thought,
though, / think perhaps
it was the thought of
those several metres OF
solid earth that made
them unconcerned.
It was when we
emerged that I first
heard the guns. Some
where to the east a bat
terry Of French "75's'
we're firing intermittent
ly, and they were my
introduction to tn e
sound of artillery in ac-
ton. Almost every one
who has ever written
about war at all hA
tried his hand at de
scribing the sounds o
war. All my life I
had been reading Of the
boom" and "roar" and
thunder of artillery.
What | actually heard
was a sort of distant
metallic era S h. l
thought of a tin roof
falling. But this was
a more animal sound.
Like a brazen dog bark
ing. Not that my
description is any more
accurate than any one
else's; perhaps no two
people ever hear alike,
any more than they see
alike.
We started on again.
There were no more
camions on the road
now. Once in a while,
in a deserted field be-
yond a ditch, there
would be g sudden If
rational eruption Of
bArbed wire entangie-
ment-an acre or two {
gridironed among stubh
that was all. Everythf
rain, and mist, and lone
the east, the guns.
We came to a town.
houses again. But wher'
streets were empty, a
doorways- ! saw a sh