Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-11-12
lone MAN TONNAGE
MOVING OF TROOPS
Gen. Pershing Says New
Method of Transportation
Has Proved Success.
AMERICAN VALoR SHOWN

HWIt1IOHN vHIVn OtIOVvN
BY the Associated Press.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, November 11-Gen. PERISH
ing explained tho American transpor-
tation system to the correspondents as
follows:
IT have Just made a tour of tho lines
Of communication and the bases New
showing excellent results already.
After a study of the great transporta-
tion problems I made a recommenda-
ton. which the department approved,
that all matters relating to transpor-
tation and construction be consolidat-
ed under ono head This Is now in
charge Of Brig. Gen. w. w. Atterbury.
Assisted by expert traffic men. he is
looking after every detail OF trans
portation from the ships holds to the
railroad head destination.
Thus through the generals and cap
tains of industry the organizing ability
of our country will support our gen
erals and captains OF the fighting
forces in relieving the regular quar-
termaster's department OF part Of its
burden. I'm a war Of all our strength
against an enemy who uses all of his
we need the services of every kind Of
expert co-ordinated toward one great
purpose.
Troops Increasing in Numbers.
| Troops and supplies arrive in in
creasing numbers in keeping with the
plans worked out by the experts in
the War Department in conjunction
with the experts in France. Thanks to
the efficiency Of French, British and
American naval protection. the sub
| marine has not claimed the HE of a
! single American soldier on q troopship
| bound to France.
young reserve officers who have been
| arriving in France to continue their
| Instruction. Their character, intelli-
gence and eaSerness prove how thor
training camps at home. French officers
| are enthusiastic about them. We have
every reason to be proud Of them. But
| the supreme effort remains for our men
! in France.
Later contingents meet unfamiliar
| conditions in France with the same
| American adaptibility and good nature
as the first contingent. They train with
unha gging zeal in Indictment autumn
weather, which acclimatizes and hard
| ems them. Their health is as good as
| that OF men in training camps in the
| most salubrious locations at home"
Gen. Pershing today made a tour OF
villages in which the newly arrived
troops are biIleted He inspected the
general conditions Of the billets and
food so as to mako sure that the SOL
| diers are being we'll cared for.
Enemy Encounters American Valor.
Complete details and verified reports
Of the recent German trench raid show
| that the American troops on that occa-
| sion set an example for courage and
| valor unexcelled. The officer who had
charge of verifying the accounts OF the
raid said to the correspondent today:
gagged In the fight did everything with
in their power. They jumped into the
fight and stuck to 1t. In the hrst place
the troops had been in the trenches less
than three hours, when the barrage fire
Of the Germans began. They had
marched a good part of the prvious
night and were tired. Some OF them
were allowed to go to sleep in dug
out TWENTY-FIVE feet under ground.
when the barrage began these men
did not hear the racket. 1t is apparent
that the first they knew of 1t was when
| the Germans started throwing grenades
| down upon them. 1t was these men
| fought well, even when surprised that
| way, for the stairs of the dugouts were
| covered with blood, especially the top
| half. showing that the Germans there
| must have been hit. The entrance to
| the dugout also gave indications or
| close hand-to-hand fighting.
From the dugout through the
| trenches and over the top through the
barbed wire and well out into no mans
| land there was a wide red trail. How
much Of it was American and how much
| German blood is not known.
Corporal Is Commended.
| pital back of the lines who did good
| lob. He was in the listening post when
the barrage began. During the firing
an officer made his way through the
| she1Is-God knows how-and yelled to
| the corporal to go into the dugout.
| lips moving. but did not understand
the command. and remained at his post.
| At the end Of the barrage he saw Ger
mans all around hinl-dve being right
! in front Of him. He took careful aim
ana fired three shots, and three of tho
grenade fragment entered the corpor-
| ais back and put him out Of action"
Investigation shows that all tho
I American telephone wires between the
observation posts and trenches and
batteries at the rear were cut by frag-
ments Of German shells. which num-
| bered approximately fifty thousand.
| The Germans crossing no mans land
rolled UP telephone wires behind them
| and set up small field telephone ex-
| change outside the American barbed
| wire with branch lines running to at
| least three points while the raid was
in progress to direct the enemy artil-
| lery.
| Two Recent Diversions.