The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-07-25
U. S. SOLDIERS
!. ARE FIGHTING IN
SIX COUNTRIES
Units at Work in France, Ger
many, Russia, Austria, Italy
and Belgium.
(By Associated Press)


: WASHINGTON. July 25-The War
may, with it's trench lines struggling
;Athwart international boundaries,
shows American fighting men holding
their footing on strangely alien soils.
AS 1t now stands army units Of the
United States are at their grim work
In six contries, France, Germany.
Russia. Austria, Italy and Belgium.
The swelling volume of their move
sment overseas has been SO necessary
p response to the emergency OF the
nations responsibility, so thoroughly
implied by the original war declara-
ton, and so entirely natural picture
to people prepared by three years.
observation of world war, that it may
take historians perspective to Wis
.ualize completely the departure from
traditions and the smashing of prece-
dents that the movement involved.
Checking the six, American artil-
f1ery has been reported on the French
line opposite Mulhausen. several miles
inside the border Of the German en-
spire. In Austria, the olive-drab uni
form supports Italian sectors which
swing round the toe of Lake Garda,
and American filters have manoeuvered
over the Venetian lowlands where the
Austrian drive was forced back this
spring. In Belgium, they have gone
over the top with Australians and in
France their forces in action now can
be counted by army corps. In Rus
Bia, at Vladivostock and now on the
frozen reaches of the Thurman coast,
they are putting disciplined force be-
hind the manifold manifestations Of
national purpose. Likewise, in Eng
land, Scotland and Ireland, they fill up
the school camps and prepare them
selves for action.
Nearly All Drafted.
These men, drafted nearly all, are
the agents In the far-flung journeyings
Of a nation whose military history has
shown more than one instance in
which volunteers, ordered to cross a
boundary, have sat down, private and
officer alike, to debate the constitu-
tionality Of warlike expedition to
foreign soil. and still more instances
where militia organizations have sue
,cessfully opposed national attempts to
send them beyond their own state
lines.
Yet today. under the urge of the
war resolution which directed the ad-
ministration Ito exert all OF its pow
er and employ all of it's resources to
carry on war against the Imperial
German government and to bring the
conflict to a successful conclusion"
drafted men and volunteers have not
raised a single protest of serious i'm
port.
1t was not until January of the pres
ent year that the supreme court for
mally construed the constitution to
allow any sort of war operation the
y nation desired to carry on. The court
said Of contentious opposing that
view that they were too frivolous for
notice"
Z Yet long before the decision the
first drafted American had fallen in
battle overseas and legions more had
streamed after him to every quarter,
almost Of the European continent.
Thus the historian has been given a
large and interesting mile-post to
build in the future, but for the aver
age American, the news Of the day
shows that this interest is purely alb
stract. 1t having been definitely de
cided, upon due and formal considera
ton, that a complete defeat of Ger
many was necessary to democracy ir
the world. the nation has not even re
membered presidents of history OF
traditions of the past.
Apparently, the men least inclined