The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-12-24

the Most Difficult and Most Scien-
tincaIly Defended on. Whole Front
Germans Finally Forced to Admit
Defeat When American Army
Breaks Through.
Out Of the confusion and daze Of the
crowding military events on the west
ern battle line since late In Septem-
Der, when battle followed battle until,
from Flanders to verdun. there was
ceaseless action, 1t Is now permissible
to outline, to certain exteLt, the part
played by the American armies in the
final decisive battle of the war, which
ended with the signing Of the arms
tice.
Military reasons heretofore have pre-
vented accentuating the accomplish
ments of the Americans, except in
most general manner. The dispatches
from the field have been necessarily
fragmentary and possibly were over
Swallowed by the accounts Of the more
dramatic operations over the historic
battlefr0nts to the west.
But it now may be stated that twen-
ty-one American divisions, totaling
more than 10000 American combat
troops, participated in the action be-
ginning September 26, known various
~ as the battle of the Argonne and
the battle Of the Mouse, but which his
tory may call Sedan-the battle that
brought Germany to her knees and, as
far as human foresight goes, ended the
worlds bloodiest and costliest war.
In order to understand the military
situation which made the Argonne op-
erations the crux Of the war it Is nee
essary to 60 back to the reduction of
the st. Mihiel salient In the middle
Of September.
Bring Threat to Metz.
This brilliant American accomplish
ment is stlll fresh In history. It cut
of at one stroke a menacing enemy
projection toward Verdun and weak
ened the enemy's defensive by threat
ening Metz, one of Germany's two
greatest advance railway centers for
distributing troops and supplies along
the Montmedy- line.
Metz also was the pivot on which
the enemy swung through Belgium In
to France, and therefore, obviously,
It was the pivot on which his retire
ment must hinge. The Argonne. the
pext step below here, threatened the
great railway arteries running west
ward from Metz.
With the conclusion Of the st. Mihiel
action the steady inflow Of American
forces caused a displa cement Of power
as between the allied and German
armies. Thus it no longer was neces-
sary to pursue a policy of reducing
. salient or nibbling at 1t. The Amer
lean troops had shown what they could
do.
A broader policy of general attack
along the entire line was then adopted,
and the high command called upon
General Pershing to take the Argonne
sector, admittedly one Of the most, IL
not the most, difficult Of the whole
front. The broken terrain, the topog-
raphy, and the lack of roads made
the problem difficult to describe.
Germany had In four years fortified
1t to the last degree Of military skill,
with superb roads. both rail and motor,
connecting up to the rear positions
and the bases.
Physical Conditions Terrible.
The outstanding features Of the Ar
gonne forest Is long chain of hills
running north and south, covered with
q dense growth Of trees and under
growth. making an advance difficult
and offering superb defensive quail
ties. Virtually no roads exist in the
forest except for a few traversed
passes running east and west. The
soil is such that the least rain con-
verts 1t into slippery, miry mess.
In other words, the physical condi-
ton is such that the line of attack
for an advancing army is limited to
valleys. chief among which Is that Of
the Aire river.
From the edge of the forest, where
the resistance was viciously strong, the
enemy possessed innumerable flanking
positions. But beyond this difficult re-
gion lay the Montmedy-Se line,
which was recently captured. A Ger
man order described 1t as "our life
artery" II represented one-half of
the German rail supply on the western
front. II meant death If cut.
The allied high command told Per-
shing to cut It. The American First
army was put in motion from st. MI
hiel. In nine days 1t was on the Ar
gonne line ready for an attempt, the
failure Of which might mean disaster
and the success of which would give
untold results. This quick movement
of an enormous body Of men. the estab-
lishment of new line Of supply and
all the complicated military prepara-
lions, was regarded with pride by the
American commanders.
The Americans knew what confront
ed them, They realized that this was