Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-11-05
American Draft Men Slaughter PruS.
SLAMS In DrOVeS
The PROGRESS is SLOW But STEADY
Pershina's First Army Eats Its Way
Toward Germany's Supply Line, and
Although Foe Fights Bravely,-He is
Unable to Hold His Ground.

dor OnuuenCucu ny Niii'iHoNS
u phvsical fatigue or the sight OF death
in most hideOus forms, our American
boys are gradually grinding to dust the
enemy's power OF resistance.
on either side Of the Meuse. Prus-
sianism is fighting with the fury born
Of despair. The empires finest soldiers
have been slaughtered in drovcs, IN or
der that their hard-presscd comrades
10 the west and north might escape
the trap in which they would pe
caught were Pershing's divisions 10
force ahead too fast.
Hcatins Back Odds OF Five 10 TWO.
Three days ago sixteen. today nine
teen. German divisions are surviving
with dogged desperation to bar our au-
vance. At several points one Amcrl-
can battalion is facing and forcing
backward four German battalions'
which, taking into account the propor-
tionate strength of the opposition UNITS
means about five Germans to TWO
IAmericans.
One of the most distinguished OF the
kaiscr's commanders, Gen. Won Mar
WITT. hurricdly summoned from the
scenes of past triumphs against the
British. has just taken over the direc-
ton OF the enemy forces on this 'front.'
His instructions. as he passed them
down to his subordinate generals, are
to prevent the Americans from realiz-
ing any further apprcciablc advance
..whntcver the cost of holding them
may be-"
Above all, the German high COM
mand is resolved TO keep us from at
tanning the heights between Damrll-
/ lers and Dun-sur- Meuse in the east
and between Dun sur Meuse and Bu-
zoncv i'm the west Losing these hills
the foe would lose his only means oi
bringing supplies to all his armies III
line from Flanders to Argonne, TOT
from the slopes our guns would KNOCK
70 pieces all-important lateral chan
ncls of communication. the Mezieres-
I.onguyon railroad.
| Americans Most Painful Ordeal.
Lacking Il sufficiency of man power
and perhaps of ammunition TO strike
on IL grand scale. Won MarwitZ mus'
| frittcr away his resources in small pu'
costly counter attacks here and there
This form Of resistance is accompanied
lby a concentric artillery fire whose
violence recalls the first battle before
Verdun. and II is the most painful or
deal which the American troops have
vet had to undergo But where our in
fantry cede feet. under a Niagara ol
high explosives in Belleu Wood on the
right, they gain yards in the centre.
| Everywhere the fighting is incessant
Mostly it is dull, drab and dirty; al
ways it is bloody and heroic. on the
part of the enemy as we'll as by oul
own boys. The coming Of the dove ol
peace is inaudible out here. Its fain
note is buried beneath the roar of can
non and the crazy. cracking chorhs o'
machine guns.
| Gen. Ludendorff's resignation leaves
the doughboy cold. To him the lmpe'
rial great general staff is meaningless
He visualiZrcS contemp0rancOus events
| in the light of the fighting qualities
displayed by the group of gray-greer
Rnchcs just opposite him. In that
| light the downfall of Ludendorf, the
abdication of the kaiser, armistice and
peace all seem vague, remote things
with which he has little concern"
YES, the War Is Ovcr-Ovcr There
overheard an exchange OF views
between an infantryman just back
from the front line and chauffeur OF
the automobile staff, whose duties sell
dom take him into the lighting zone.
| Looks like this war was about
over" observed the chauffeur. over!
exclaimed the doughboy sarcastically
Sure it's over-just over that hill yon-
der"
Among our higher officers there is OF
course considerable speclations us to
what was going on and what the resiG-
OIL IuucnuUIIl pOl lSiiS' AhNSN ''''
whom 1 have talked agree that it may
signify either one of two developments
that having accepted the resignation
OF his military chieftain. the kaiser
will presently accept his own. expect
ing thereby to make peace certain
ty: or that Germany has decided 10
continue the war and thinks her pros
pccts would he brighter under lead
cr in whom public confidence has been
shaken. rs in the case of Ludendof.
The American lst Army fairly feels
that it has played no mean part in in
flicting upon the foe the reverses tna'
have led to the retirement Of Gen. LII
dendorff.
In the six weeks following Its birth
as a tactically operating unit on the
st. Mihiel front the army has captured
close on 10000 prisoners. more than
800 guns, 1000 trench mortars and
machine guns; it has freed several
hundred square miles Of territory 1T
France, and it has killed or wounded
at least 10000 Germans.
Ratio OF Our Losses Is Small.
While disclosure Of our casualties Is
forbidden under the censorship. II may
be said that nowhere has the enemy
been able to punish any American di-
vision so severely as to impair Its
fighting efficiency: while Of the enemy
divisions engaged against us at least a
dozen were rendered unfit for service
in an active sector in less than one
month: and while the onslaughts OF
Generals Pershing and Lggett have
been by the army. a corps or a divi-
sion. NIarwitz's counter thrusts have
been limited TO battalion or regimental
attacks.
The Germans engaged in these local
affairs have fought with customary
skill and valor. In their defensive tao
tics against our big scale drives they