New-York tribune., 1918-12-09
Continued from page 1
Its emissaries appealing for an armis-
tice under the flag of truce.
Vital Victory Won

Its emissaries appealing for an armis-
tlce under the flag of truce.
Vital Victory Won
"And to the United States marines,
fighting side by side with equally brave
and equally courageous men in the
American army, to that faithful sea
and land force of the navy. fell the
honor of taking over the lines where
fthe blow of the Prussian would strike
the hardest. the line that was nearest
Faris, and where, should breach oc-
cur, all would be lost The world
knows to-day that the United States ma
| lines held that line; that they blocked
the advance that was rolling ON toward
Paris at a rate of six or seven miles
a day; that they met the attack in
American fashion and with American
| ferolsm; that marines and soldiers of
the American army threw back the
crack Guard divisions of Germany
! broke their advance and then, attack
ing, drove them back in the beginning
of a retreat that was not to end until
the cease firing signal sounded for
the end of the worlds greatest war In
this connection Melville Stone, general
manager of The Associated Press, said,
following an exhaustive trip of investi-
cation in Europe:
them the best Prussian Guards and
shock troops-thc Germans were per-
fe"tly sure they could drive the anna
tours back.
"'It was dramatic situation. for
success meant that the Germans could
probably push for Calais and other
channel ports; but Foch dangled Paris
before their eyes by putting raw Amer
{ leans at point across the direct road
{A d. ~ l. 1,o,
and scissors. Instead of driving back
the 'amateurs,' the amateurs drove
them, and gave them also, very sound
thrashing. Their losses were heavy,
but they did the work, and in doing it
also did three things: They saved Paris.
they seriously injured the morale Of
the best German troops and they set q
standard and fixed a reputation for
American troops that none other dared
tarnish.'
"Such is the opinion of the head of
great news gathering force regard
ing the achievements of the United
States marines at Chateau Thicrry,
where in the battle field of Bois dc
Belleau, now named the Bois de la
Brigade de Marine by official order of
the French staff, this branch of the
navy met the Germans and blocked
their drive on Paris.
Ordered to Front
'It was on the evening of May so
after a day dedicated to the memory
of their comrades who had fallen in
the training days and in the Verdun
sector, that the 5th and 9Th Regiments
and the 9Th Machine Gun Battalion
United States Marines, each received
the following orders:
Advance information official re-
ceived that this regiment will move
at 10 p. m. 80 May by bus to new area
All trains shall be loaded at once and
arrangements FASTENED. Wagons,
when loaded, will move to Serans to
form train
"All through the night there was
fevered activity among the marines.
Then, the next morning, the long
trains of camions, 'busses and trucks,
each carrying its full complement of
United States Marines, went forward
on road which at one place wound
within less than ten miles of Paris,
toward Meaux and the fighting line.
Through the town of Meaux went
the long line of camions and to the
village of Montriel- l-aux- Lions, less
than four miles from the rapidly ad-
vancing German line. On this trip the
camons containing the Americans
direction OF the Germans; everything
else was going the other way refu-
gees, old men and women, small chill
dren, riding on every conceivable CON
veyance, many trudging along the side
OF the road driving COW or calf be-
tore them, all of them covered with
the white dust which the camion cara
van was whirling up as it rolled along:
along that road only one organization
was advancing, the United States Ma
rines.
Got Into Line June
At last, their destination reached
early on the morning of June 2. thew
dlsembarked, stiff and tired after a
Journey Of more than seventy
nvo miles, but as they formed
tnelr lines and marched onward in the
direction of the line they were to hold
they were determined and cheerful
That evening the first field messare
from the 4th Brigade to Major Cen
eralm Omar Bundy, commanding the
"a Division. went forward:
Second Battalion Sixth Marines in
line from lie Thioet through Clarem-
bauts Woods to Triangle to Lucy. In
ss,tructed to hold line. First Battalion
1lxth Marines, going into line from
Lucy through Hill Jap. Third Battal
'oii ~ 0"PPolC az La NOle Qu Chatel.
which is also the post command of the
Sixth Marines. Sixth machine gun bat
TALON distributed at line
Meanwhile the Fifth Regiment was
moving. into line, machine guns were
advancing and the artillery taking its
position. That night the men and Of
fcers of the Marines slept in the open,
many of them in field that was green
with unharvested wheat, awaiting the
time when they should be summoned
to battle. The next day at o'clock,
the afternoon Of June 2, began the bat
tie Of Chateau Thierry. with the Amer
leans holding the line against the
most vicious wedge of the German ad-
vance.
Battle of Chateau Thierry
"The advance of the Germans was
across a wheat field. driving at Hill
l65 and advancing in smooth columns.
The United States marines, trained
to keen observation upon the rifle
range, nearly every one of them wear
ing marksman's medal or, better,
that of the sharpshooter or expert
rlflemen, did not wait for those gray
clad hO y.1oo